I sat today and was going to post a Lao Tzu poem, The Uses of Not. I typed a short preamble and realized it was a Sabbath poem. Sometimes it is in paradox I find the most sense. It is in questions that I deepen conversations. I am in service of the questions. Earlier this week, I said I spent much of my life chasing answers. This is an echo of Father Richard Rohr who says maturity leads us to stop chasing certainty. I seek eloquent questions with no ready answers: and invite others into conversations. I might have used pirate, but I began reading Shambhala:The Path of the Sacred Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa recently and it offered a new understanding, for me, of the word warrior.
Paradox–
Seemingly incompatible tempest
Space invites space
Forms a spacious meadow.
Deepen conversations–
Without ready answers;
But, eloquent questions
Be open, surprised.
A warrior’s quest–
Lighten the load
Be grateful and receive the gifts
Serve the journey.
Shape paths–
Ready each step
Because it is right
And not fully known.
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope, nonviolence and its anticipatory relationship with the future, as essential elements to teaching and learning.
Academic publications can be found at Ivon Gile Prefontaine on ResearchGate
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
“Maturity leads us to stop chasing certainty.” Yes. And that’s very comforting.
We do eventually grow up. Father Rohr says our ego leads us into the chase for the first 1/2 of our lives and we come to terms with what is important in the second 1/2.
each step forward is another day into tomorrow and Ivon well said 😉
Thank you Laurie.
your very welcome my blog friend;)
‘serve the journey’ wow & yes …thanks for yet another wonderful post!
Thank you so much Caroline.
Wonderful poem & post!
Thank you so much Cindy.
AnElephantCant help thinking
‘Not fully known’ is what makes our lives fun
We have to try
To see how high
How far how fast how deep how scary is the wonder that is still unknown
Thank you for the wonderful poetry. You are so right; we must continue to try.
These lines stuck out to me. “Sometimes it is in paradox I find the most sense. It is in questions that I deepen conversations…I seek eloquent questions with no ready answers.” I want to say this carefully, but for the most part, I think we’re fooling ourselves if we think we have all the answers. It’s our tendency to look for answers because they help us understand life, but I think there’s very little certainty. It’s refreshing to read your honesty here. I was reminded of some of Jesus’ teachings, because they were so paradoxical in nature. for example: “The first shall be last and the last shall be first,” “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever wants to lose his life, for my sake, will find it.” and there are other principles too like: If I live selfishly, satisfying my own feelings and desires, I will become less joyful. But if I live selflessly and give of my time and resources, I will mysteriously find joy. I think if anyone has tried both, they can attest to this. It’s a paradox, and yet there’s truth/sense in it. Interesting 🙂
Thank you for such a deep response. It is so mindful. I agree the great teachings included no ready answers and more questions.
Pingback: The Uses of Not « Teacher as Transformer