Chirpy & Longtail

For a while now, whenever I discover insects or spiders in the house, I try to release them outdoors. I catch them in a little cardboard jewellery box that has a lid. It’s surprising, but spiders will jump right into the box when you place it beneath them. Hope decorated the box with green on the bottom (like grass) and blue on the inside of the lid (like the sky). Maybe they think that they are free-falling into summer…

I do this because it doesn’t feel right killing things—even bugs, which can be bothersome and creepy. Keeping this in mind, it’s probably not that unusual that Hope’s first pet was a cricket. Or rather, nine crickets. Six of them didn’t make it past two weeks, but two females and a male lasted several months. Chirpy, the male, died earlier this week. We miss him. He sang soothingly (and sometimes piercingly!) all winter long. There is one remaining cricket left. Her name is Longtail. Yesterday, as a treat, we gave her apple slices and brought her tank out into the living room with us so that she wouldn’t be lonely.

Is it possible to love an insect? It’s easy to love cuddly animals like dogs, cats, and bunnies. But insects are different. They never get used to you. They are always skittish. I know it’s possible for the heart to stretch beyond its boundaries though. An expanded heart feels an interconnectedness with even the most unlikely things. Through this openness, intuitive communication and compassion arises.

Just Go Along With It

Photo: Tim Bies

Flames will destroy everything
at the end of the universe.
It may already be destroyed.

A cold cricket cries in the pile of wet leaves.
He wanders back and forth, unable to get past regret.

Go along with it
Stumble in rain,
Walk on alone.

At the end of the trail is a warm cabin with a single fire.
There you may dry out those lonely years.

~ Blue Cliff Record: Zen Echoes

Magic Everywhere

I was able to open the window last night to let the song of the crickets help me drift off to sleep. All August I have enjoyed this evening music. Cool nights in September forced me to close my bedroom window and the silence was disquieting with only my thoughts (that seem so loud!) to listen to. Last night was warmer though and I am grateful. My heart feels open this time of year. Beauty has a way of doing that. It can move you, if you let it.

Everyone around me seems to be spinning off in exciting new directions. I’m watching it all unfold. I wonder what my purpose is. Observing the mind and whatever emotions come up has become a daily practice. I’ve also taken an interest in energy work like Qi flow yoga. Daily, I send out loving energy to loved ones—especially those that I am not in physical contact with. Can they feel it? I sincerely hope so.

Observing the mind has shown me how little original content there actually is, which is unsettling. According to the masters, when the chatter wanes, inspiration will have space to emerge. Even with my dedication to the process of spiritually awakening, my mind is still confoundedly active! Perhaps I’m still hanging on to things that I’m unable to surrender to.

Anyway, a couple of songs were in my mind when I was waking up this morning, which I’ve come to trust, foolishly or not, as guidance from the ethereal realm. Both songs are from a mix that I first heard over a year ago. I’m currently listening to more music by these same artists on Grooveshark. Wonderful stuff! Enchanting music as summer fades out and autumn’s brilliance captivates us. ~

Bonus track: