ocean prayers and wild mercy

"The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our time. They are kneeling with hands clasped that we might act with restraint, that we might leave room for the life that is destined to come. To protect what is wild is to protect what is gentle. Perhaps the wildness we fear is the pause between our own heartbeats, the silent grace that says we live only by grace. Wild mercy is in our hands."

Terry Tempest Williams from "Wild Mercy"

It is hard to fathom the environmental catastrophe that has occurred as a result of the oil-spill in tha Gulf of Mexico... It is hard to imagine the suffering that so many land, air and sea creatures are experiencing now and will experience in the future...

"And I am thinking: maybe just looking and listening

is the real work.

Maybe the world without us,

is the real poem."

Mary Oliver from "The Book of Time"

And so, I feel so much grief that it is unbearable... and at this point anger, helplessness and hopelessness, too... I appreciated this opportunity today to drop into my body and senses, to touch the clear water, the clay, the stone, the seaweed, the clam shell, the crab... feeling the relationship to the beings of the sea...

"The animals are more ancient than us. They were here for millennia before humans surfaced on the earth. Animals are our ancient brothers and sisters. They enjoy a seamless presence - a lyrical unity with the earth. Animals live in the wind, in the waters, in the mountains, and in the clay. The knowing of the earth is within them." John O'Donohue from 'Anam Cara'

I was in search of natural clay in the park by the seashore to be used as makeup in a butoh performance with MomoButoh Company this Friday (at a benefit for Whidbey Camano Land Trust that is trying to save one square mile of land for the future generations to enjoy as parkland). I was inspired to do this dance by the shore...

This dance is a quiet prayer... Grandmother Ocean, Mama Earth, forgive us human-beings for the shortsightedness of our actions that allow such environmental tragedies that harm you so deeply to occur... may all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering and may our thoughts and actions contribute to that happiness and freedom from suffering for all beings...

Lokaha Somastaha Sukhino Bhavantu

I thought the above photo looks like a baby's face of sorts? The eyes of the future?

Now is the time to act through the eyes of the future.

Thank you for viewing / reading - it means a lot to me... I hope this blog may inspire you in some way, Lee

Music: Sigur Ros

Filmed by Brooke

See my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill