Of the doubt

That You made me

This way

On purpose.

Why else would You

Make me

Too much

Too little

Both

At the same

Time.

If I was just

Too much

I could hide

In the clouds

If I was just

Too little

I could hide

In the sand.

As it is

I cannot hide

Anywhere

How dare You

Make me so

Vulnerable.

Forgiveness

Forge

Give

Foreign

Given

For

For me

Reign

Rein

I still doubt

For whom You made me.

(15 May 2025-3^rd Thursdays Poetry Gathering Poem #1)

© 2025 Jenny Daughter of the Mountains. All Rights Reserved.

What I have today to have any bandwidth for

Worry about what I may or may not have tomorrow

Or any grief about what I may or may not have had in the past

Without my help this living Creation

So abundantly provides everything I need

For life every day

Day after day

For LIFE

Let my thanks start

With the AIR

That I breathe

And the plants

Which breathe in my output

And out my intake

A constant giving

And receiving

Then the WATER

That I drink

And the Earth

Who provides and purifies it

Streaming and springing

Pooling and falling

Far beyond my ability

To control

To the FOOD

That I eat

Fruit of the Earth

Perfect

Season by season

And of the farmers

Who steward flora

And fauna

To produce

And share it

The fruit

Of their labor

And the CLOTHING

That I wear

Natural fibers

Plant sinew

Animal skins and hair

And the artisans

Who learned how to weave

Knit or fashion it

The SHELTER

In which

I take refuge from

The elements and

Noise

I honor the TREES

And STONE

Used to construct it

My love to

The SUN

That warms me

On a cool day

The BREEZE

That cools me

On a hot one

The CLOUDS

Which provide

Precious shade and rain

Protecting and renewing life

Lastly

To the COMPANY

I keep each day

From the STONE PEOPLE

Beneath my feet

To the PLANT and ANIMAL PEOPLE

All around me

The finned, furred and winged ones

Singing their Songs of Life

The two leggeds

My human BROTHERS and SISTERS,

Teachers, Mentors, Allies and

Antagonists

In all the ups and downs

On this journey

A TRIBE

Of unique individuals

Setting an example

Lending a hand

Or not

Sacred witnesses

To this one’s life process

Knowing the Truth

Of my ultimate vulnerability

I am deeply and humbly grateful

For all of this and more

Today

© 2019 Jenny Daughter of the Mountains. All Rights Reserved.

Mine

Yours

Waiting

as That

Inside

An acorn

So many acorns

Not all

Reach

Oakhood

So many humans

Not all

Reach for

Elderhood

Though older

We all become

Without any effort

Beyond

Basic survival

We think nothing

Of the loss of potential

Of an acorn

To know

Its intrinsic grandeur

Similarly

We think nothing

Of the loss of potential

Of a soul

To know its own light

Is it a loss

If we think not?

In my heart

Unfulfilled potential

Is a divine loss

I want to know

my Oakhood

© 2025 Jenny Daughter of the Mountains. All Rights Reserved.

This poem came through upon contemplating the many acorns strewn about the trail at a nearby hiking place. They were in various stages of dormancy, sprouting or decay. It made me wonder.

…not a nice voice

no

neither hush

nor gentle

nor kind…

…it is loud

harsh

demanding

it jumps

to conclusions

it jumps

down my throat

not leaving room

for air

a soothing breath

or the possibility

that only goodness

is happening

in the present moment.

it is not

a library voice

playful banter

children laughing

or a joyful whisper

so as not to wake

the baby

it is a vicious voice

seething

with blood dripping

from its gums

sometimes, well…

I prefer not

to use my inside voice

in fact

I intend not

to use my inside voice

it has wreaked havoc

inside

wrecked so much goodness

inside

caused me to cower

inside

and in the worst of times

projects itself

out

at my dog

Superman

who also cowers

at that looming

snarling

control-seeking

voice.

I recognize that voice…

…not even my voice

not my original voice

somehow

I took it on

I guess it jumped

down my throat

early on

and claimed residence

I am evicting this intruder

this intrusive, reactive visitor

nevermore to visit or voice itself

against innocence

going forward

I will simply

use my voice.

my voice is enough

it emerges from my Heart

from beyond

throat-deep reactivity

from wisdom

sanity

love

© 2026 Jenny Daughter of the Mountains. All Rights Reserved.

I feel so tired after scribing this poem. I feel like I have just performed both an exorcism and a soul retrieval. I’m going to take a nap.

and some odd years ago,

Foragers to farmers

We evolved.

Ten score

and some odd years ago,

To ravagers

We devolved.

Now.

Right Now.

Re-evolution beckons.

Regenerative Cultivation,

Compassionate Husbandry,

Collective Accountability,

Our Trinity of

Hope

In the face of

Becoming foragers

In a wasteland.

Ten, nine, eight . . .

© 2019 Jenny Daughter of the Mountains. All Rights Reserved.

A local fish fry

Though I have heard

From afar

About their existence

Humans gather round

Eager to feast

Their eyes

Upon the living

While betraying

Their disgust

With curled-nose grimace

At the scent

Of the dead

Life emerging from death

Which feeds lives

Well beyond their knowing

Thank you little fry

For the journey

You are about

To undertake

Thank you for feeding me

Now

With wonder

Later

With flesh

Yours becoming mine

Then

We will swim

Forward together

In the river of Life

Back

To the ocean

To which death

Is merely a mysterious

Door

© Jenny Daughter of the Mountains

(November 15-25, 2022)

To be

Like the Kardashians

Green Berets

Presidents, past or future,

Nor like movie stars

Rather

I aspire

To be

Like Superman

My dog

Ever ready to greet

With wagging stub of a tail

Ever ready to express remorse

Over known bad behavior

Ever ready to forgive

Moments of impatience

Ever ready to be

My best friend

Unconditionally

© Jenny Daughter of the Mountains
(December 2022)

A producing garden

A ready, steady

Flow of produce

These things must be

Cultivated

Get ready

Work steady

Reap the benefits

Of Earthly engagement

With other-than-human

Species

Who are ready

And steady

In their willingness

To share themselves

With you

Not For Sale came through in January 2022, according to my notes. It was meaningful then, and now, both on literal and figurative levels. At the time, I had raised garden beds in which I grew beans, okra, corn and garlic, among other random things, some of which I planted, here and there, directly into the ground.

It was clear to me, from that, and prior farming experience, that one cannot go to the store and buy a fully fledged garden.

What had not been clear to me, but is dawning on me now, is that the same is true for a fully-fledged life. I won’t get into why this is just dawning on me now, but I will say that the realization is being ushered in on waves of anxiety. But, I’m okay. And, I will be okay. I just need to do some garden planning. And then comes the steady, consistent effort to cultivate the inner soil, sow the chosen seeds, keep the beds properly nourished and clear of distractors, trust the rising and setting of each day and keep my heart hopeful for signs of sprouting, growth, flowering and fruiting. Now that I understand how to live, I am ready to set myself to the work.

Bundle of Joy

Stout feet

Strong body

So smart

Food motivated

Easily trained

Then chained

And forgotten

Outside

Rarely walked

Just fed

Sometimes petted

And watered

When we remembered

Or were reminded

Except on

Frigid nights

Bed made

A rug

On garage floor

No wonder

You left

Once loosed

Never returned

Never forgotten

Regret

A heavy weight

Mind noosed

It pains me

To think

Where you went

I don’t know

Your instinct

To follow your

Nose

Roam freely

Explore the world

Remorse

What happened

I don’t know

It pains me

To imagine

I could imagine

The worst

Or wish you

The best

Either way

I have to live

Without knowing

You were loved

To the end

Thank you

Azuly

For teaching me

A hard lesson

In love

My best

At the time

Was not

My best

Of all time

Thank you Azuly

For informing

My becoming

Better

I enjoy being

The best

Dog Mom

Ever

So far

Superman

Is the present

Canine

Love of my life

And he knows it

Beyond all doubt

Beyond all bad behaviour

I am taught

Too

I am loved

As I love him

Loved

Without cause

Nor beginning

Or end

May you know

That love too

My dear Azuly

(24 May 2024-Peer Support Poem)

I am not prepared to cry on camera today, so maybe I’ll record a video reflection on this one another day. Suffice it to say, Azuly was a childhood canine “companion”. Let me soften the weight by including The Dogs, a poem in praise of other dogs I’ve known and appreciated:

Read more

(Spanish) https://unriodepalabrasunoceanodeposibilidades.wordpress.com/

(English) https://riverwordsoceanpossibilities.water.blog/

Get more from Jennifer Craig in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Like heat

From beneath our feet

Up through ourselves

First passes through

The dark, dense and heavy

Hucha

And burns its way

Into our inner upper

Atmosphere

On its way

To its highest

And purest form

Crowned and robed

Light in light

From dark and heavy clouds

And

It’s all OK

Allow

Though don’t cleave

To any of it

Not words

Not people

No wounds

No saviors

Let freedom rise

After all

In the end

As in the beginning

We are all

Freedom risers

For an exploration of how Kundalini Yoga meets Andean Shamanism (and Christian Mysticism) through this poem, please enjoy the video reflection!

Get more from Jennifer Craig in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

groupies

or fans

followers

or likes

No

The Jeshua I have come

To know and trust

Wants collaborators

Equally ripe

Eventually

But come as you are

Now collaborators

In a world

Based upon Love

(18 Feb 2022, ref. That Afternoon – Tree Text)

I could be wrong, but that might be the last of the Jesus poems I’ve written down. There are only a few of them, and they come on their own terms and in their own time. The first was in 2019:

Jesus

The Christed One

Crucified One

And

Resurrected One

Keeps asking for a space

On my dance card

Unwilling, suspicious, doubtful

I turn away

Time and again

Without anger

Hurt feelings

Or impatience

He asks again

And again

And again

And again

Tired of dark and heavy

Dance partners

I give Him a chance

It’s hard to

Be vulnerable

To Love

But

It’s worth it

Read more

Try to Avoid

Your own

Crucifixion

No, rather

Run out

To meet it

Arms open

Whole-hearted

Welcome

Ah…Freeedom,

My Time has come!

And, surely

As the Sun

Will rise again*

*At least for the next

Many million years

Life will rise again

In you

Be willing to run in

To embrace it

Knowing it contains

Your eventual

Demise

It’s exhilarating (orig. exhausting)

I know

This dance with the Ocean

Thank you for taking the time to read Just Do It. Please subscribe to enjoy the video reading and reflection. Just do it ;)

Read more

of Catholic Pride

would you be comfortable

Naked with Jesus

skinned

of Christian Supremacy

would you be at ease

Naked with Jesus

divested

of Outer Discipleship

would you be contented

Naked with Jesus

are you aware in your Heart

you are infinitely

Naked with Jesus

go there

make yourself at home

no need to dress up

This poem sparked an unexpected conversation at the dinner following May 3rd’s Private Parts Dialogues Matinee poetic stage performance…

Read more

Get more from Jennifer Craig in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Read more

of Catholic Pride

would you be comfortable

Naked with Jesus

skinned

of Christian Supremacy

would you be at ease

Naked with Jesus

divested

of Outer Discipleship

would you be contented

Naked with Jesus

are you aware

in your Heart

you are infinitely

Naked with Jesus

go there

make yourself at home

no need to dress up

Too

You know,

And endowed with

Intelligence

Read more

In Topton

Not outside Philadelphia

The city of Brotherly Love

No match

For the Neighborly Love

Found here

At Brandywine

In Topton

Our community of

Kindness

We share

Art and smiles

Discovery and joy

Information and excitement

At Brandywine

In Topton

Our community is

Fun and full

Of friendship

Lightheartedness

And connection

Connecting us

To information

On food

Nutrition

To options

Tips

On optimism

To resources pointing towards

Something different

Mental Health First Aid

For teens

Safety and

Security

In community

Something to trust

Comradery

Is our experience

At Brandywine

In Topton

At this showcase

Of students and

Mindfulness

In this noisy

Reunion

Of community

Members

Among tables of

Stuff, staff and

Lollipops

We find neither

Bunnies nor bees

But a turtle in

Nature

Conservancy here

Among us

While some

Collect information

Eat pickles

Play the raffle

Others take

Emails, names and numbers

To continue

The connection

Of community

All this information

Leads me

To believe

That

Social connection

After school days are over

Is not over

It is only

Just beginning

Again

At this renaissance

Of community

And information

At Brandywine

In Topton

Our community of

Neighborly Love

Thank you BHASD Student Showcase and Mindfulness Night!

~your Jenny, Daughter of the Mountains (10 April 2026, 12:30pm)

© 2026 Jenny Daughter of the Mountains