By Nancy Bragg
Boundaries protect
my inner peace
from outer violence,
as it breaks out during
peaceful protests.
Boundaries let me say “No,”
“No” to outer violence.
I feel grounded
in my inner peace,
supported by boundaries
I set with love for me.
Boundaries keep my inner peace safe.
Police officers also want
to keep themselves safe,
so they can go home
after their shifts
to their families.
Fear and adrenaline
take over
out-of-control
without boundaries
unable to distinguish
between acceptable and
unacceptable behavior.
People are protesting
against racism and police brutality.
People are promoting
anti-racism and justice.
What about peace?
Outer peace
begins with inner peace.
Inner peace expands
to include families
and communities.
Messages spread peacefully
and lead to positive outcomes.
I AM a Protest
(written when the Asheville, NC protests were at their peak. It was her way of joining their cause.)
I AM a Protest
Wanting to spread
the message
with peace
Assaulted on
all sides
by those who would
shatter joy
and
twist messages
Putting shields up
and allowing
peace to thrive
within
despite surrounding
destruction and terror
I remain internally
at peace
and resolute
in my message
I am a protest
Participants’ Reflections
We need to try to find peace no matter what is around. Seek homeostasis, i.e., a stable equilibrium no matter what. This keeps us alive, even though there is chaos outside. Maintain a calm presence no matter what.
It’s easy to be full of worry and fear and think of all that can go wrong. When meditating, I can feel like I’m sitting on a hot frying pan. I turn to guided meditation with Kenneth Soares for a loving presence affirmation and heartfelt presence. I can listen to him and hang my hat on his words.
I sometimes have trouble with setting boundaries, staying in the now. The reading and poem were good reminders to stay present to achieve a sense of serenity.
During covid, my personal life with chaos happening led me to a dialectic therapist, one who deals with feelings instead of thoughts. She encouraged me to use the word DISMISS when reacting…to send away thoughts when necessary.
Yes, dismiss the monkey mind
The reading reminded me of “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me”. If I am not at peace with myself, I am not doing self care. Our meditation enforces that. The strength of us as a group lets us pass energy to each other.
I liked Gracemarie’s word “protest”. It’s like “for test”. And calls on us to test our assumptions, test our biases. Otherwise, we don’t grow.
I started thinking that our ability to try to seek peace is an example of white privilege. We have the space to think about this.
I used to be connected to the police academy and I learned that the police’s priority is to go home safely. I have compassion for them. It’s scary out there.
The issue is to stay at peace, stay in your heart no matter what is happening. And people can do it in all sorts of situations.
Image by Bekir Dönmez