peel away the layers of confusion
tainted by the busy mental chatter
negativity will shatter
these onion layers of existence
are excessive and oh so raw
for every layer peeled there are more
if calmness is the goal
these layers must be known
or contamination is grown
exercise and food nourish body
awareness crucial for the mind
or be lost in pungent vapours that blind
when preparing food
consider self awareness
for it embellishes kindness
dVerse, looking for sustenance, Lisa
aroused 
You create poems that talk about how to ensure your inner peace. Life is full of anxiety, so a person needs to gain distance and seek internal harmony.
best regards
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Great advice
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I love how you can weave such beautiful wisdom into an enjoyable to read poem.
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Two words came through for me after reading your lovely poem, awareness and discernment regarding the food that nourishes us and the thoughts that find a home in our minds!
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That opening stanza really REALLY spoke to me. Busy mind chatter and racing thoughts certainly do create a lot of confusion in my head! Beautiful poem.
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To some degree, layers – certain…niceties – are crucial to a thriving society. Mostly, though, we hide cruelties among their depths, and many use the layers to separate themselves from others.
Usually, then, our dishes could use fewer onions. Their harshness often brings tears.
Nice verse, Kate!
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Right on, Kate! Love this poem…so wise and so timely!
Yes, we must peel the layers AND we must pay attention to what we feed our body AND our heart, soul, and mind. 🙂
Your poem makes me think of this quote from Carl Sandburg:
“Life is like an onion; you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.”
HUGS!!! 🙂
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wow perfect quote for this poem thanks Carolyn … peeling onions literally always makes me cry … figuratively you know you are making progress when it stirs the emotions 🙂
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That’s a nice mantra for my yoga practice meditation.
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So calming and beautiful to read your poem. So true about the excessive raw layers of our being. I am finding that even if there is no confusion, I sometimes hit upon a layer of raw emotion that just erupts …and then I recommit myself to the intention of being more conscious.
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oh then you are practising really well Pragalbha, keep up the good work … you should be having some very interesting experiences by now ❤
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I am curious through the unfolding as always 💛
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stay curious and open … fear arises for some and they miss the moment!
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I agree, it’s a package deal, Kate.
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Peeling onions or peeling layers off people brings tears as well as joy. But peel we must! Insightful, Kate.
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Calmness is the goal 🙂
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peace of mind, openness, ease and eventually bliss!
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Wonderfully wise poem as always Kate. You have a fabulous way of making us see what lies underneath the surface and of what really matters.
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As always Kate …your words resonates on me.. i love to walk and jog around our neighborhood…but i wasnt able to do that lately because of the haze broughr about by the forest fire in Indonesia..we have to stay indoor all the time…and it made me feeling lazy and impatient..it always feels good to feel the wind on my skin as i run or walk as it somehow removes the “impurities” of the day (i run or walk.in the evening)..
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sounds like a very healthy lifestyle and bet those neighbours have missed your smiling face go by 🙂
Had bad bushfires here too … neighbours get so sick with asthma ..
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Hundreds of forests were set on fire in Indonesia Kate and the haze is really terrible…i said set on fire because these are actually Palm trees plantation and owners, in order to save for the next crop, instead of hiring people to cut off the trees, they just literally burned it down and it went so big…its been a month now..we are hoping more rain to come..
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yes some were lit here also and our drought means there is little water to extinguish them … pray your homes and people are safe if they are plantations
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Nice. They’re both true. Sustenance for the mind, body, soul.
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I like the recipe of this poem for self awareness and kindness.
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When thinking of Onions and Layers I think of the ogre Shrek 😀
Shrek: Ogres are like onions.
Donkey: They stink?
Shrek: Yes. No.
Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.
Shrek: No.
Donkey: Oh, you leave em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin’ little white hairs.
Shrek: No. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
Donkey: Oh, you both have layers. Oh. You know, not everybody like onions.
Shrek
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Good point that self awareness embellishes kindness.
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I think all good recipes means that you have to really know the ingredients…. in life as well as food.
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I love the goal of calmness!
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Awesome poem, Kate and for sure we need to peel away everything that is not wanted and embrace mindfulness and love. Lovely.
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Yes, we can’t bury what niggles or drives, it must be owned and transparently so.
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