I Am A Guest House

Written at WRITE ON!

Written at WRITE ON! is a series of articles written by participants during a WRITE ON! workshop, and shared with the community.

Hy Carrel wrote this piece during Kind Fools’ fourteenth WRITE ON! workshop and was inspired by the poem “The Guest House” by Rumi.

I Am a Guest House

I am a guest house.
I welcome feelings, experiences and thoughts into myself.
I contain them and immerse myself within them.

Some of these I birthed within me:
      My thoughts, my emotions, my ideas.
Some inspire me.
Some fill me with confusion, despair and shame.
My work is to relate well with what are mine.

Some of these I carry with me.
These are gifts from my past:
      Adorations and criticisms,
      Notions and narratives.
Placed upon me by others,
      Lovingly or aspirationally,
      Carelessly or ignorantly,
I carry them within myself,
Often unaware of how much space they occupy
Or of how they filter my perceptions.
These are for me to welcome,
To express gratitude for,
And to let go.
They are not mine to hold.
I may choose a few
To make my own
And to smile as I pass on from the rest.

And, some of these I hold for others.
My guest house is here to be inhabited.
In conversation, I welcome another to share their thoughts,
Their dreams, and their fears with me.
Together we can hold space
We can feel the healing touch of air.
As breath forms words,
As ideas are spoken aloud,
They echo harmlessly on the walls of our ears.
This guest house is a temporary sanctuary.

This third group of stories and feelings,
They are mine to hold gently
And then to let flow away.
For we must keep our home ready for new guests.

Do you want to write with us?

Please join us for an upcoming Kind Fools’ WRITE ON! workshop.

Do you want to read your WRITE ON! writings here?

Please submit your piece.