A poem written for a few friends before going to Social Venture Institute 2023 at Hollyhock...
You belong
Go on long walks in the woods
Drink mint leaves in hot water with a spoon of honey
Take a plunge in the ocean
Don’t leave your wet towel on the ground
Respect the land and those that came before you
Wander barefoot in the bioluminescence
Learn more about zooplankton
Toast freshly baked seed bread at the toast bar
Put on so much butter and honey that it drips on the plate
Lick the plate clean
Take only what you need
Spend an afternoon in the meditation hut
Lie flat on the ground and stop trying to be good at it
Let the tears flow before wiping them
Read the oyster shell messages
Stop and listen to the raven calling your name
Take a nap
Say yes if someone asks you to jump in and you feel ready
Wake up for a morning yoga class
Sleep in and say no to your routines
Question when you say no and when you say yes
Listen more when you feel like talking
Listen to the voice you haven't heard yet
Also, say the thing
Taste the granola even if you don’t normally eat breakfast
Marvel at the mycelium
Pull the covers over your head and keep sleeping
Turn off the alarms
You have time.
Listen for the baby barred owls
Slow down when the wind howls through the trees
And the raven gurgles
Stay up past your bedtime
Walk quietly along the path to Olatunji Hall
Reflect on how Babatunde Olatunji might actually be here
Right now. In this moment.
Recognize that we are on Klahoose territory
Take time to feel the truth of that
Before you sink into to the tentacles of this place
Before it was a farm, a Cold Mountain and the many versions of Hollyhock before
Notice that the rules change each year because we are evolving
That it is a privilege to be here
Take deep breaths
Feel ease in your bones
Bring a headlamp
Walk away when it feels good
Walk towards it when it feels good
Open yourself to the land
Be you
You belong