Here

I journeyed to my ancestral tundra tonight.

Back through time to the present.

Connecting with the people, with my people, to our people.

Together we heard the universal voice

Together we listened to the voice

Together we acted upon the voice

Together with love, in love, out of love

For all that is the love.

Around the fire light of a bar

Without flames the fire burned before us and within us.

We told stories of our ancestors

We shared the knowledge and the life

Our fathers smiled tonight as we retold our lessons

Our mothers beamed with pride as we became love.

No chance meeting, no accident as we collide,

No fear or hate as we become the borealis in the sky,

lighting the horizon from end to end.

Back through time to the present

We shared the breath of life, pure and simple.


Richard Nedervelt

(I was born in Anchorage Alaska and Jack and Joy were both from tribes in Alaska) What a blessed meeting...

Poem for my Fathers, "May they Rest in Peace and Love...

In this moment, we are gathered here to remember my mothers husband and our father.
In this moment, releasing this shell we name self,he has passed on.
In this moment, remembering the son, the father, the grandfather,the husband.
In this moment, sharing each others support, sharing our joy, and our sorrow.
In this moment we gather beside one another, contemplating this man,
and how he played a role in all of our lives.
In this moment, is the Truth, and the man.
He is like us all, born into this world, laughing, crying, working, playing, stumbling, rising, loving, and losing.
It is in this moment, that we see how incredible intertwined our lives are,
and how much in common we all share.
In this moment, we become one.
It is in this moment, we become free.
In this moment, families and friends gather to acknowledge my father,
But, it is in this moment, we remain.
It is in this moment that we must say, "I love you, I honor you, I’m here for you, and I hear you."
It is in this moment that we exist.
We have no minutes or seconds already passed;
we have no certainty of where our lives will end,
All we have is now.
All we have is each other.
All we have is the kindness and love we offer and receive.
All we have is this moment and nothing more.
In this moment, I show my respects, I show my love, my sorrow, my peace.
In this moment here with you, I share my moment and then it is gone.
Rest in Peace and Love Father, you are loved.

Richard Nedervelt

I AM

“I am.”

Inside me, the BIG BANG.
Expanding in every direction and returning here.
I can’t even begin to remember when and where my universe begin,
when my unconscious mind took the first forbidden bite.
The bite of that unripe belief that cast me to my knees like Gabriel
How many years, how many earthly lifetimes, how many moment
Intellectualizing all that I have seen,
All that I have been taught,
All that I have pondered until rivers opened in the valley of my eyes.
Oh, but at this moment, the unripe is disgorged from my mind
At this moment, my rivers dry and yet, naturally others flow,
around and through.
I am the river.
At this moment, I am Alpha and Omega
At this moment, I see my reflection all around me.
Like Madonna to child, I cradle myself in LOVE
I release any condition to this love
I accept it as I receive it for myself and all others
that exists or have ever existed.
Opening my eyes for the first time
Love is reborn, like a seed in a garden I will nurture it.
I will be fertile ground in which it is placed
I will be the cool waters, the falling rains, the brightness of day,
and the solace of night.
I am forgiven for what I believed
And I accept what I have always known.
I lead with my heart
And am at peace with my mind.
I am love and I share love.
I am everything and nothing
I am.

Richard Nedervelt

Happy New Year

Happy New Moment Everyone.

I was just about to say, “Have a Happy New Year!” when I realized that though this is customary it goes against what I am trying to accomplish and that is being fully in the moment. So I sit here typing on the verge of the New Year and yet I am present, both in breathe and consciousness. I still have hopes and dreams and goals, but they can change at any moment so they are not to be worried over. What has happen over this last year has been difficult, but I have learned more because of the difficulties and my willingness to see what opportunity it brings. In this moment of the morning I chant AHHHHHHH, AHHHH it feels so good to just be here, AHHHHHHHH. In the evening I say, “Ommmm/Ohhhhhh” what a beautiful day this has been. Oh how I appreciate every little thing that has made this the day that it was. Walking in the sand the other day, close to the small breaks upon the shore, I saw the footprints I had made. I realized it was not these footprints that made me move forward but me willing myself forward. I had no reason to think the footprints were pushing me forward. Thus, why would I think my past is what pushing and guides me forward? It is only a passing memory that will vanish with the tide leaving no trace of what has passed. I am in this moment and only exist in this moment, nothing more and nothing less. It is how I interpret the past and how I plan the future that is relative on who I am and what I bring to the table from my continuous moments. When I meditate, pray, or chant, I am here and even when I drift I allow myself to return to my focus and the truth becomes clearer to me. I have been practicing this for some time now, but it is something I am still working on and will continue to work on.. I am a wonderful work in progress, and I am OK with that. I am Happy, at Peace, and with God and I wish Everyone a Happy New Moment throughout the rest of this year and beyond.

E laka E
E laka I ka Leo
E laka I ka Loa’a
E laka I ka Wai Wai
Me ka Mahalo Ihi

I

I want to feel the land, the hills, and all things - all around
I want to live inside a breath and touch the living ground.
To know the peace within myself, contented in this space
I want to run so fancy free beneath the eyes of Grace.
And when the storms and rains appear - falling over me
I want to laugh and sing out loud at the beauty that I see.
Here beyond the trails I’ve chosen I know that I have lived
And though I sometimes trip and tumble - what a life I’ve lived.
I want to feel the love of people, of the Universe, and self
I want to give all that’s created, not horde it on some shelf.
I want to try the impossible and maybe even something more
I want to keep the children laughing, learning, and adored.
I want to find and light their candle and show them how to shine
To see this joy and their simple laughter would be one of the greatest gift we'd find.

Living in the Breath

I was thinking about the energy here in Hawaii and the beliefs of the people and their ancestors. The next thing I knew these words came forth, I hope you, the reader, enjoy them.


‎ "Living in the breath, standing in the waters, the Divine presence is all around us. It is like a cool strong breeze flowing around, beside, and through me."
When I am balanced within, even the strongest storm cannot move me from where I stand, for I am purified by my thoughts, forgiven by myself, and loved by the Beloved. I stand on this land as if resting in the hands of the Creator, and do nothing to the land I would not do to the Beloved. Here in this moment, I am like night and day sharing the Heavens. And in sharing this space, my chest rises and falls, with a deep breathe I utter....
“ALOHA…”
Richard Nedervelt 08/17/2010

For a Smile

FOR A SMILE

For giggles and unrestrained laughter
For the smiles that reach across a face
For the familiar comforts that repeated stories bring
The trails that leave footprints in
sunny places
For great bear hugs that reach across great gulfs
Where gentleness is honored and love is not questioned
For the trust that falls like rivers over mountains
Crashing in thunderous roars

For our shared pains that are given names and
Released into the light
For the touch of a song that rocks us safely into darkness
Reminding us that we are not alone
For the friendships that are offered and accepted
For the tears and anger that we honor and release
For the scream that say, “No more.”
For no other reason than to love and be loved
To offer up and out our gifts that are useless without sharing
For no other reason but a smile.

To Dominique:a child who taught me much
Richard Nedervelt