A Failure to Fail Examination Being scrutinized It has been hard Living a life Of being told Not to be me So, since that was not possible I had to design an exterior A mask I’m not really as competent as I seem As though my competency were the loose edge of a carpet threatening to trip you So in passing the examination with flying colors I fail I remember being scolded for learning to ride a bicycle faster than my brother,...
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Standing Still I looked out at my journey. And I saw a head of broccoli: All sorts of paths heading out from one stem. Or at least giving the impression of heading out. Because each path ended in a burst. A flourishing. But, ultimately, going nowhere. A forest of trees – but no continuing on. Each tree becoming an ending in itself. So I just stood there. Knowing that each path was, essentially, that exact same as the others. It made...
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I suppose it’s interesting why I am here. A bit interesting, anyway. You see, I am a mystic. And for most of my life, I played the Clark Kent role to my Superman. Not that I was Superman. But I certainly knew what it was to be Clark Kent. I learned at a very young age to conform to the way other people behaved. To think like they did. To be concerned with what they were concerned with. It tore me upside, really, to not be...
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Emery House West Newbury, Massachusetts We Brothers are delighted to be able to invite guests and retreatants to join us at Emery House. Located on the border of West Newbury and Newburyport, Emery House provides a quiet atmosphere for prayer, reflection, and retreat in the context of a monastic community. Staying at Emery House The Emery House property consists of multiple buildings: a 15-room main house begun in 1720, six small...
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