How to practice “the antidote to exhaustion” when rest doesn’t work. Ten years ago I crossed the finish line of my first and only marathon. I said a quick ‘hi’ to some friends who were waiting there for me, then promptly walked away and broke down in tears. It wasn’t just the distance or exhaustion. … Continue reading The Hidden Invitation of Burnout
Author: James A. Pearson
Caminante
by Antonio Machado, my translation Walker, only your footprintsare the path, and nothing else;Walker, there is no path,you make a path by walking.Your walking becomes the path,and when you look backyou see a trail you can neverset foot on again.Walker, there is no path,only wakes upon the sea. Eight years ago I packed everything I… Continue reading Caminante
Worker Bees
I wonder if you can pause—just for one minute—the emergency of your lifeand step outinto the quiet of the world.Hear how gently it conveysthe delicate thread of birdsong,how quickly it can swallowthe intrusion of a passing jet.Feel its vast, smiling invitationto rest back intothe person you’ve beenall your life. Listen now—the cherry tree spreadingout over… Continue reading Worker Bees
Game Trails
The forest closes behind me and now this subtle path at my feetis the red thread between worlds,a path made by the soft stepsof wild things who are at homein the tangled mystery. But I am new to this way of walking—how the trail flirts and teases,fading and hiding and calling you on;how it disappears… Continue reading Game Trails
Where We Are Now
The day after the election was called I went for a walk in the local forest. It was a cold day. Thick clouds had layered the sky since morning. But just before the sun went down it slipped beneath the gray and lit the trees in a beautiful, heatless glow. Something about the whole autumn… Continue reading Where We Are Now
In a Democracy…
This should go without saying but right now America needs a reminder. Click the image below to download the full-res version and share it wherever you can. (Also if you’re able, you can donate to the ACLU here to help ensure that every vote counts.)
What To Do After Voting
Voting in this election is critical. But it’s not enough. This poem doesn’t pretend to be a full prescription for what our country needs. It’s just my way of acknowledging that all electoral choices are imperfect. Because even more important is what happens between elections—the long, slow work of building a culture of love and… Continue reading What To Do After Voting
A New Practice
As I watched the wave of COVID-19 build I felt a deep sadness growing in myself. There would be so much suffering. And now that wave has started to break. I have friends who’s livelihoods are threatened. I have acquaintances who are sick and fearing for their lives. I have friends of friends who’ve already… Continue reading A New Practice
Surrounded
A couple weeks ago, as the full weight of this crisis started to settle on me, I organized a meeting of a small contemplative group I’m part of. But with only an hour left before the meeting I couldn’t figure out how to open it. What words or images could possibly meet people where they’re… Continue reading Surrounded
Meanwhile
My body’s been holding a lot of anxiety lately. I search for information, get anxious, so search for more information, and the cycle continues. Last Thursday I took a break and went to a local park that has a few hundred acres of old growth forest. This poem came out of that short trip. I… Continue reading Meanwhile