Refugia

We gather here again in this refuge of safety on this land.

Who will give refuge to the weary souls now that our lady has dimmed her torch?

What will be needed to shelter the naked in the winter now that there is no more sanctuary.

Where will the broken go, now that hospitals can’t afford them?

How will we continue having the WILD IDEA that we can make a difference?

Who amongst you will help to shelter the souls of the givers who stand their ground every day, armed only with dreams of a better tomorrow?

I sing a song of refuge

To keep the light in my heart bright.

So that my breath will sustain you and yours will sustain me as the flood waters continue to rise.
 

Breathe my lovelies
 

The land is calling us to its hidden space.

Breathe and hold the life inside your lungs until you feel the tingling.

Think only that the refuge here is the purpose you seek and in that purpose is all the love you have to give.

Somewhere deep in this land lies the mother tree and it is she who you feel when you walk quietly.
 

It is she who provides the refuge for the tired, weak and weary… and the happy, go lucky and free. 
 

The who, what, when and how is the mother tree… set back and hidden until we need her…
 

She quietly provides the refuge for the wild ideas and In this moment, we need her grace to shelter us.

To protect us so that we will be anew when this time comes to an end.

Breathe my lovelies,

Breath! It is all we have to left to give them.

Breathe as if your life depended on it.

But please make it gentle so that they will not come here and disturb this refuge.

REFUGIA!
 

Mary Elizabeth Himes, The Whidbey Institute 2026 Gala Recording