No matter how many conversations I
start, they all end with me kneeling at
the same deep well. And drinking there,
I remember who I am. I rise from that
drinking able to see, again, that we are
at heart the same. And the secret wound
you show me there is my wound which I
have hidden for so long. And the secret
joy you bring into the open is my joy
which I thought I had lost. Experience
has us meet in the most unexpected ways.
Until we’re forced to show the soft center
that never dies. Until our soul appears in
the world like a pearl before it hardens.
Until the gift of life stirs in our hand
like a tuft of feathers that needs to
be loved into a wing.

A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, speak to one central belief about living you both have in common.

This excerpt is from my book of poems, Returning Where I’ve Never Been.

The Life of Expression: Finding Your Voice, Mark Nepo’s new 3-session webinar starting June 13, will center on the lifelong process of listening, reflecting, and expressing, and on how bearing witness to the truth of living reveals the mysteries of life. For more information or to register, visit: live.marknepo.com