of the heart: moving towards a heart-centered world (poem)

and when they say we are moving towards a heart-centered world …

first, there will be pain. pain, as all that is not heart-centered is revealed and stripped away. there will be the pain of not knowing how such ruthlessness could have existed for so long, the pain of being left in the dark and finally, finally discovering there was a light switch right there all along.

there will be pain, and there will be denial. oh, the denial – it will make you question your sanity. the old does not die quietly; it will try to take as many with it as it can. the old may try to pull you down along as it goes, but you are strong. listen only to what is truly true for you as you wade your way through the chaos of this time.

remember this, too, is only temporary.
this, too, shall pass. we’ve lived through worse wars before
but this one is different. we are fighting for more than our lives.

you will wonder how a world that is supposed to be of the heart could make us bleed so damn much. but know this: even here, even in the painful spaces, there is purpose to be found. for what the mind cannot comprehend, the heart was created to hold. the heart has more than enough space for the whole human experience, more than enough space for us to breathe through what we’re going through without needing to explain it all.

and you don’t need to (explain it all) any longer. that is the job of a mind too insecure to believe in what it cannot prove. the mystery of life does not fit neatly into labeled boxes …

and nor do we. this is the magic of life. this is the magic of unfolding into all we’re meant to be.

invite more magic into your days, and you will see it. for the heart works in ways unseen + unheard of by a mind that seeks to control the whole world.

as things continue to unravel (and they will) allow the shock to fade into background noise and come closer to the core of yourself. come home. the chaos of this time is of a divine design: when we are brought to our knees collectively, we will drop into our heart without question. it is here, in this space, that the real work begins.

and how long will it take? how much will we suffer before we begin to change?

that is up to us
up to each and every one of us in all the ways we choose to show up.

on hard days, surrender to the simple things.
move your body. breathe. feel your heartbeat and
honour the preciousness of these things.

come back
come close to yourself and
fill the space with sacred stillness.
here, in witnessing yourself in the silence
you are already changing things.
to breathe consciously is
a revolutionary act.
to sit still is to begin
to truly make a difference, a dent
in the chaos of this world.

on the good days, be an antidote.
speak up when you have something to say but
do so with kindness. we do not need more shouting
in this world, we need more listening. listen to yourself
listen to your loved ones and the ones you don’t understand
then speak your truth, but do so deliberately.
speak your truth with love.

and when you have no more words,
when you have nothing left to say, that’s okay too.
return to stillness. hold a space of stillness. be an anchor of stillness
an eye in the midst of this hurricane unravelling
the old world.

when they say we are moving towards a more heart-centered world, this is what they mean.

first, we will break down, be brought to our knees.
then we will heal.

let’s begin today.

An original poem by Maia Thom.

If you liked this poem, you may enjoy my full-length collection, Kitchen Table Talks: Simple Reminders + Thoughts on Life. Inspired by the conversations we have around the kitchen table when we’re just figuring life out, this book is a space for you to breathe and come home to yourself. Find out more here.