POETRY & PROSE June 2025
Conversations with the Soul
Every month, this page will contain prose and poem contributions from “Writers in the Gallery” participants, from “Poetry in the Gallery” open-mic participants, from members of Studio Channel Islands, and from local writers in Ventura County. Selections are made by our literature review panel.
On June 7th, we engaged in a fascinating experiment: Pairing up and using Jung’s Active Imagination strategy to converse with one’s inner wisdom – the Soul, or God, or the Universe, or the Self – that has a “voice” that is different from our conscious thinking processes. Below are several poetic pieces that our group created, along with several other contributions our participants sent in. And here’s a group picture we took after we stuffed ourselves with all of the tasty treats that people brought:
Note: All work that appears in “Writers in the Galley” are copyright protected by the author and artist. They may not be reproduced by any means or posted online without permission from the owner of the work.
ARCHIVE
Loving into the Soul by Jennifer Jones
The womb, our first home,
a warm bath that’s just right
To deepen is to dip back in,
to that rosy-warm container
In harmony with my mother
a gentle accord,
a holding
Now, the work,
is to hold myself
in warm regard
to remember
my inner mother
to release the “shoulds”
and grow the Self
and love into
and from
the Soul
The Dark Night – St. John of the Cross, 1577. Rendition by Mark Waldman
John of the Cross wrote a longer version of this poem while imprisoned for his support in reforming the Carmelite order. He was placed in a tiny cell with almost no light, minimal food, and given physical punishment. “The Dark Night” is a mystical poem where the soul’s journey toward divine union is expressed through the metaphor of a secret nighttime encounter between two lovers.
One dark night,
Inflamed with love,
I went unseen,
By a secret ladder, disguised.
In darkness and concealment,
With no other light to guide me
Then the burning in my heart,
Searching for my beloved.
Oh night more lovely than the dawn!
Oh night that guides me to my love
To a place I knew so well,
A place where no one appears.
Where have you hidden?
Where are you sleeping?
Where can I caress you
And lay upon your breast?
You have wounded my neck,
You have stolen my soul,
And now I am lost,
Forgotten among the lilies.
Pink by Suzanne Freiberg
Awash in the deepest shade of pink
No form – no purpose
Me inside pink
Pink fades to black
A new focal point
An eye stares back
… returning to black
Into the darkness
All life to behold
Safe, still, beyond what I’ve known
Inviting me in, my soul sings her song,
“A space can be empty and yet filled with grace”
My soul slips away
Returning to our home
Awash in the deepest shade of pink
Anno Domini By Keith Salvas
When I was born
I was cast in the shadow
Of our Father’s scorn
But the Light that was leading
Was intriguing me
Though the words of the preachers
Whom if right or wrong
Had me sing hymns and songs
To a Saviour whose life
Was devoted to misery
And strife
Then in my youth
I was caught between
Opposing sides of the truth
And in my mind I wondered
Just who is this God?
And this built up façade
Which has made old men proud
Wrapped themselves in His shroud
And then sent their young off to die
There comes a time
when each one must decide
what path to follow
as we lead our lives
And there’s this sign
which I’m hoping to find
But it seems that I’ll die
Before I reach that time
Just because you have your point of view
Doesn’t mean I must agree with you
I wasn’t caught by the Ghost of the Time
But those who were think something’s wrong
With my mind
Putting my faith in a God I’m told is a must
But we’re only mortal so whose words do I trust
Is it God we seek or Just His power we lust?
Oh, what are these games we play?
Ignorant or too young to know
Do we just take what our elders say?
Having good sight
For the ultimate plight
Of the Human Condition
Which calls for submission
We give God our pain
And in trade we refrain
From our humanly pleasures
For that’s how sin’s measured
Or that’s what we were taught to believe
But I don’t think they meant to deceive
Why must I die
Despite all of my efforts
To keep me alive
Though I try I keep failing
My hair turning grey
And the skin on my face
Not as smooth as it was
Yesterday or last year was it?
I just don’t seem to recall
But that doesn’t mean I’m old at all
I’ve strived for years
To compete with my peers
In my blood, sweat and tears
I did hide all my fears
Still I’m left wondering
what was if for
Though my time’s been a gift
And I can’t borrow more
Just because I feel I’ve gotten old
Can’t mean I won’t reach my pot of gold
But it seems I’ve lost my pace
As the rainbow I still chase
keeps fading
Ashes, Ashes and dust to dust
Who can guarantee to what will become of us?
If we’re only chasing myths then what’s all the fuss
Oh, why must it be this way?
Abandoning the search for truth
We each go our own way
(Epilogue)
As the curtain draws the lights go dim
The last act of my life’s play
Faces near grow grim the choice I made
was to do all my own way
NOTE FROM KEITH SALVAS: It took me several years to write Anno Domini. I started it soon after a friend died in a traffic accident on the way over to my house one Friday Evening. I wanted to express my anger toward God for taking my friend but I couldn’t be angry with Him because this is His Right; life and death. I started talking with Him about the belief system I was born into and I questioned Him, and myself, about why I believed anything I was taught. I finished the song before I’d finished my conversations with God and at the end, I predict that I’d die completely misunderstood by my friends who couldn’t accept that I believed what they believed but not in the same way.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Note: All work that appears in “Writers in the Galley” are copyright protected by the author and artist. They may not be reproduced by any means or posted online without permission from the owner of the work.
Suzanne Freiberg is a science-based mindfulness coach committed to expanding the vision and reach of individuals and organizations.
Jennifer Jones is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, wife, mother, and nature lover. She is a Registered Sandplay Practitioner using a form of Jung’s Active Imagination where clients connect with the sand, then select miniatures to represent their inner world.
Keith Salvas was born in 1959. “I think of myself as a Flower Child even to this day.”
Mark Waldman is a neuroscience researcher, teacher, author of 14 books, and a founding member of the Bad Poet Society: “The deliberate attempt to write witty cringeworthy ‘bad’ poetry has shown me how to deeply savor the poetic works of others.”
Julie Wagg is a children’s book author and poetic daydreamer. She’s self-published three children’s books, and poetry is her go-to for emotional healing followed by a rush of physical euphoria.