Silent trees stand solemn, guarding the secrets of the ancients.
Ripples on the river, lazily chasing each other across a mirrored surface.
There is no urgency here.
Time stands still,
And I, with it.
A symphony of birds are my alarm clock,
My soul awakens gently
Stretching itself out towards the tendrils of sunshine
That creep below the tent canvas in a crescendo of dawn colour.
It’s hard to imagine myself now
Pushing through corporate streets of grey and black.
Miserable faces in a crowded prison.
Slave to email and time, confinements of our own creation.
Always connected to the Mothership
Instead of Mother Earth.
We poison ourselves, slowly, digitally.
We forget who we were
Before the world told us who we ought to be.
I remind myself to slow down, to heal.
To breathe in the crisp air deeply, Jasmine Star and wet grass
Exhaling the city smog and all of it’s responsibilities.
Refreshing my creative heart
Instead of browser windows.
I revel in myself; my thoughts and my dreams
And I am aware once again
That alone is not lonely.
My company is a treasured gift
That I give happily to others
Yet not to myself.
Today is different.
Today I am my own bestfriend.
Here, among the patriotic colours of the forest,
Shimmering golds and greens sing of the true heart of this country.
There are no meetings to schedule,
No places to be.
Just me and my yoga mat
Beneath a cloudless cobalt sky.
First published on elephant journal here.
Published by jojorowden
Hey Friends,
I’m JoJo, and I’m a writer. It’s taken a long time for me to identify as such, mostly because I’ve always felt like such an imposter saying so. But I have loved words since I was very small, and through the years you will always have found me scribbling notes for my latest novel, or with my nose firmly planted in a good book.
Three years ago my life was turned upside down when I lost my stepdad suddenly. Through a dark period of depression, I had to learn to navigate who I was, and what the world meant once again. I wrote through the grief, and with the support of my amazing loved ones, and a wonderful therapist have made it through back into the light.
Since starting on my writing journey I have been honored to be featured on Elephant Journal, Huffington Post and The Good Men Project, as well as Inside Retail Magazine and the Australian Financial Review, to name a few.
My journey has seen me move from a career in Professional Services (Business Analysis/ Agile Coaching) to becoming the Content, Communication and Social Media Lead for the Australian arm of the software consultancy that I work for. I am so grateful to be able to do what I love as my day job- and for the fact that I truly look forward to going to work every day. Not everyone can say that, and I recognise what a blessing that is.I love reading, travel, yoga, pole dancing and the ocean. You will most likely find me spending time with my loved ones, all over the world, cup of tea, or red wine, in hand.
The other loves of my life include reading, travel, yoga, pole dancing and the ocean. You will most likely find me laughing (or eating) with my special people all over the world, cup of tea, or red wine, in hand.
Stay and browse a little. If you see something you like- let’s talk. If you want to share your work with me, I’d love to read it. Let’s support each other on our writing journeys. I look forward to a conversation with you. 🙂
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