Category: Spirituality

It’s Not What You Think

Posted on by Joe Merkle

It’s what you feel

I have been dwelling on this dilemma — what function of the human psyche is responsible for healing from the loss of a loved one? Is it the brain? Can we convince ourselves mentally that we are “just over it”? Can a licensed therapist suggest a magic bullet that tears a hole through your grief and miraculously cures your depression? Or do our broken hearts need emotional surgery to make us whole again?

Let’s take a gander at the mental aspect of this. The brain is a real trickster. It can convince us of many things. Some that simply don’t exist. We easily fall into its traps of “what ifs”, “why didn’t I’s”, “how could this have happened,” “why did it have to happen”, “why did he/she have to die/leave me.” If you are reading this, I’m guessing you’ve experienced one or more of these.

Do you believe you can think your way to the proverbial ‘I’m over it’? Can it be that simple? Medicate yourself until you become a walking zombie. And then, miraculously, you wake up one morning and declare yourself cured, and just like that, everything is back to normal? Perhaps one percent of the population can be this lucky. Perhaps, but I doubt it. 

THE HEART KNOWS WHAT THE HEART KNOWS

Let’s look at this from the heart. The heart center functions as the gateway for soul (the real us). We, soul, are love. Extrapolating on this, we are eternal. So is love. I know if you have lost a loved one, you have experienced this to some degree in some way. You haven’t stopped loving them, and they haven’t stopped loving you. You will begin to recognize the signs they share with you, the more you allow this to become a fixture of your state of consciousness. They will exhibit outward signs in the physical realm. And visit with you on the inner planes through the dream state. I am certain many of you reading this have had these experiences. 

Much of this, for those fresh in their grief, may think I’m crazy. That’s okay. At one time, I would have too. All I ask is that you print this out and keep it by your bed. Read it upon waking. Read before you sleep. Believe it will happen. 

IT WILL

Every moment is a lifetime. It’s all a matter of perspective. Fill your life with love.

Romance At The Garbage Can

Posted on by Joe Merkle

An odorous affair

There are moments in everyone’s life that are often unexpected and unexplainable. Moments that take one’s breath away. Surprises so great they change one to the core and truly awaken your heart center. This is one of those stories. The names of the characters in this story are fictional to protect the innocent. Wait…so are the characters. At least I think so, but I’m not sure.

George Jetson was hoping that today would be the day he would find out about his possible promotion to manager, handling mergers and acquisitions. It would be life-changing for his ego and pocketbook. It was a misty April Monday morning when he exited his rented flat in the Camden borough of London. Imagine that. A foggy morning in London, he thought. He was also hopeful of seeing the attractive woman he would occasionally run into when they would both dump their garbage into the community dumpster. I still don’t know her name. I’d like to arrange a merger with her.

Judy Garland left her rented flat in the borough of Camden. Another boring day of work, she whispered aloud while walking towards the dumpster with her bag of garbage. I wonder if that nice man will be there. I still don’t know his name. Judy was to be 31 next month, and she felt as if her life had passed her by. I’ve had the same job for the last 15 years. A stupid sales clerk in a nearby women’s clothing store. Not a great place to meet a man.

George and Judy arrived at the dumpster simultaneously. George took the initiative, still feeling a buzz about his possible promotion. “Good morning. We have to stop meeting like this,” he joked.

He has a sense of humor. I like that. “I suppose you’re right. It’s not very intimate.” Judy turned bright red upon realizing what she just suggested.

George suppressed his laughter the best he could. “Well, I suppose you’re right about that. I’m George,” he shared as he extended his hand. 

“I’m Judy,” she shared while shaking his hand. She was stunned for a moment when she felt an electric shock through her entire body while holding his hand. What the… She then shocked herself when she said, “You have such an electric touch.”

George was teetering on the edge. He’d never been so quickly enamored by a woman. Could it be from a past life we shared? Throwing caution to the wind, he approached her, gently took her hands in his, and kissed her. Briefly, both were surprised by their reactions, then passion enveloped them, soaring them to heights neither had experienced before. 

“I’m sorry. I’ve never done anything like that before,” George apologized while breaking from their embrace and hoping that Judy enjoyed it as much as he had. 

“No need to apologize. I was thinking how nice it would be to kiss you. And then you did. As if you read my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.”

“I did as well.” George threw her trash bag into the dumpster. “I have to run now. I have a big day at work today. I hope to meet you again at our garbage dumpster.”

“It’s a date,” replied Judy. “I’ll be here every Monday morning, even if I have no garbage.”

“Same. Can I kiss you again?” asked George.

“Yes,” replied Judy with a smile that could melt the ice caps.

Three months passed, and every Monday morning, the two met at the garbage dumpsters, sharing kisses and small conversations. Now they only meet at the garbage can in George’s kitchen, where they both live — sharing much more than kisses. 

Love is all around us. Even at a garbage dumpster. We only need an open heart to find it.

© Joe Merkle 2025

Thank you for reading.

The Tree Of Life

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Lies within us

I knew not what I was
And yet I still reached for the sky
Hoping to grow tall and strong

My family members were examples
Of kindness and sharing
They provided shelter and food 
To so many divergent species

My brothers and sisters asked for nothing in return
Their reward was the love they received
And love they shared, fulfilled and content
To just be

As I grew taller through the years
I began to understand
That life is symbiotic, giving and receiving
And it is incumbent upon each of us to grow

Taller and stronger, to provide love and protection
For those all around us, for it is we that gain as well
For each inch we grow, our capacity to love grows greater
Soul to soul, no matter the size or creature, we share it with

It is our fuel for growth, our ticket to the sky
As we surf those cosmic waves to shore
Lighting the way for future saplings
That they may grow in love more each day

Life Is Love, Love Is Life

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Photo by Khadeeja Yasser on Unsplash

During a contemplation last week, I realized how fortunate I’ve been to have been surrounded by love my entire life. I took that for granted for most of my life, not realizing how special it was. During this contemplation, I had several revelations I would like to share.

When I met my wife, Nancy, for the first time, I fell instantly in love. At that moment, I realized that I had never been in love before. Real love transcends time, space, and logic. It simply is.

I felt complete. Little did I know at the time that love is never complete. It is constantly expanding. My first realization of this was when our first child was born. When you hold that special soul in your arms, you feel as if your heart could burst. That love continued to expand through the years as we experienced this with two more children. 

My point is this. Love is a never-ending journey. Whether we are here in the physical or elsewhere, even if we wanted to, we cannot escape it because everything in existence is sourced from God’s love.

Grief is a love trainer. It’s akin to starting a workout program where your trainer tells you to forget what you think you know and do this instead. Little by little, through the aches and pains, you start to become a new you. You become stronger, more flexible, and can take on new projects you’ve put off for too long. Your world becomes more effortless. You have more energy and a better outlook on life. Your light begins to shine again. 

Grief is your spiritual trainer. Not one you chose, but one nonetheless. And like a fitness trainer, it breaks you down before it can build you up. And grief is a trainer you can’t fire. You’re stuck with the task master. You can try to fight it or run from it. None of this will work. If you want to gain all the gifts grief has in store for you, simply immerse yourself in it. Go with the flow. Allow it to ravage you. This is the greatest of grief’s gifts. 

It cleanses the soul in preparation for the new life you are about to be born into. A life filled with new adventures and endless possibilities. A life that has been handed to you with blessings from God. The only question that remains is, what will you do with it? It’s entirely in your hands. Make it a miraculous one.

You Are The Music

Posted on by Joe Merkle

I’ve played

My life has been an orchestra of love
Those I’ve loved are the notes I have played
I sincerely don’t know what I’ve done
To deserve the chance to conduct this heavenly serenade

I‘ve conducted a wonderful symphony of souls
All the sharps and flats creating a gravitational mass
An inimitable universal love that unfolds
A treasure chest of love that I’ve amassed

Sing to me my choir of shining stars
That I may sail away upon your wings
Let’s erect our personal spiritual alcazar
A palace to share our heartstrings

Let me sail away upon your perfect harmony
Scaling notes beyond human comprehension
As all our love melds with eternity
While we entertain each spiritual dimension

A Soul On The Wing

Posted on by Joe Merkle

A puppet on a celestial string

the dance of moonbeams
across cresting waves
lends to daydreams
of hopes I’ve yet to attain

footprints in the sand
stragglers left behind
ballads are sung by a heavenly band
urging me to stay aligned

waves lapping at my feet
I stare into a starlit sky
this human form seems obsolete
its existence hard to justify

I’m just a contestant in this game show
a puppet on a celestial string
a player in God’s minstrel show
a soul on the wing

sun peeks above the horizon
casting tangerine across the dawn
I’m tripping on nature’s psilocybin
this heavenly phenomenon

Originally published at https://medium.com/poetry-publication/a-soul-on-the-wing-7834636ed097

The Greatest Lessons In Life Are Gifts From Our Greatest Challenges

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Think of all the experiences in your life that led you to this moment. The joys, the heartaches, the friendships, and the losses. Each one of them is a part of what makes you who you are today. But more importantly, who you will become tomorrow. Did you stop learning to ride a bike when you fell for the first time? Did you quit trying to do better in school, at a job, or in relationships when times were hard? How about your first dive off a high diving board? It’s all scary stuff, but you pushed through it all and learned so much about yourself in the process. You learned you were a survivor.

You see, that is why we are here. To learn the hard lessons. Earth is a cruel planet, and human history continues to prove this every day. It is the place where we, as souls, learn we can rise above anything. God provided one tool for us to succeed at this. Love. Not just the messy human love that is truly wonderful, but divine love. A love that has no attachments. A love that recognizes everything in existence is divine love.

EVERYTHING. NO EXCEPTIONS.

To have any success in human life requires the ability to face our challenges head-on. To recognize that they are not the end of our world. They are the stepping stones to a more fulfilling life. Each challenge we face provides us with an opportunity to discover the real reason we chose to incarnate on this most difficult planet. To become a Co-Worker with God. To be a channel for divine love. To fill our hearts with gratitude for even the most difficult challenges we face here.

When we face up to and conquer these challenges, the gifts we receive are limitless. For then, we can tap into divine love at any or every moment in our day. We have become an open channel for It. Those close to us see the change in us. They can’t quite find the reason why they always feel better when they are in our presence. All of life responds to this flow of Divine Love, from the smallest particle to universes.

ALL LIFE IS DIVINE LOVE. NO EXCEPTIONS.

God is love. God created everything. Hence, everything is love. When we become aware of this at our deepest core, life becomes simpler, richer, and more meaningful. All of life that surrounds us responds in kind.

It Had To Be You

Posted on by Joe Merkle

My shining light

When the setting sun slithers silently
When darkness dooms my daylight
And shadows slither into my soul
A satanic stain swallowing my sanity

I howl to the heavens
Imploring, inpouring spiritual salvation
Helplessly hoping for her healing heart
And her tender, tantalizing touch

It had to be you, my shining light
Lighting my way home to daylight
Surround me, secure me, my sexy paramour
Vanquish my villains with vigor

Then we’ll dance the dance that darlings do
Sharing secrets sacrosanct to just a few
To those who trapped a note or two
And share the sacred song of HU

Each Beat Of Your Heart

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Is my life’s elixir

Each beat of your heart
is my life’s elixir
and your kisses impart
an unintended strip search

Your laugh lights the way
then you dance the pony
a reinvented sexual foreplay
so innocent and carefree

You’re a treasure with no measure
my pièce de résistance
an irresistible treasure
you are my soul assistant

The man I am did not exist
you rescued me from certain doom
with just a hug and then a kiss
you stripped away my grieving costume

I wonder at the innocence you display
how wonderful it must feel to know
that life is just child’s play
while you emanate a golden glow

Let it go, Joe, you encourage me to see
that life is love and nothing more
that there are no guarantees
then you whisper come to me, my matador

I fall deeper into your eyes
swimming in those blue lagoons
all my demons exorcised
each day becomes a new honeymoon

We sail in the cosmic seas
as we escape our earthly bonds
no longer concerned with analyses
masters of our magical wands

Grief Is Life’s Spiritual Band-aid

Posted on by Joe Merkle

Why do we grieve? Why would a loving God have us suffer so? What is the lesson we are to learn from grief? I know that everyone who has experienced grief has asked these questions. I will try to provide possible solutions to them.

We grieve because we have loved deeply. God understands we are eternal souls. God is not making the choice that we suffer from grief. We do that. We choose how much and how long we will suffer from the influence of grief. The most important lesson we should learn from grief is to be grateful for the great love we shared and the great love we still share. Love is eternal. We are eternal. Never stop sharing love, no matter what the cost.

Grief is a small price to pay for having loved. If you were given the choice never to have loved to avoid suffering from grief, would you? Of course, you wouldn’t. As potent as grief is, it is insignificant to the love you shared. Here’s the thing. You still and always will share the love. That never dies. Love is eternal. Grief is a temporary blip on the radar that fades away like a bad dream.

I was fortunate to have been born into and raised in a loving family. I have seen love up close since I was a child. I fell instantly in love the first time I met my future bride. The woman who made me whole. It caught me by complete surprise. That’s the thing about love. Great surprises await you when your heart is open. Though your heart may be breaking, it still has an endless capacity to love. Exercise that love muscle. Share with others the great love that still resides within you. It will make miracles happen. Love does that. The only restrictions on love are the ones we create.

Be open. Share love. Enjoy life. Life is eagerly waiting for your return.

© 2024 Joe Merkle