Holding Space

 by Ríonach Aiken

 

 

Holding Space

I see you, soulful one.

‘I’m just holding space,’ you say.
As if you are not really doing anything.

I see you, touching the shame,
the pain, the fear.
Digging the foundations of your loving presence
deeper and wider.

I see you, willing to hold the world in your hands,
not looking away from the darkness,
not pretending to understand.

I see you, stretching beyond easy answers,
the mind-shutting rights and wrongs.

I see you, stumbling on shaky legs
after uprooting the old ways.
Fumbling through the unknown
to find a truer home.

I see you, transformation leader.

I see your soul surfacing,
sharing its tender wisdom
in the space you’ve washed clear
with your own tears.

I see your devotion to your own unfolding.
The years of practice
so you can just hold space

as a ballerina just dances,
as a soprano just sings,
as a maestro just plays.

I see you, embracing it all
so you can just hold space
for love.


- Ríonach Aiken

sculpture and photo credit by Nounya Sidhe Aynuon
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