Under the Veil

Mark Nepo
2 min readNov 7, 2022

The days can blur in their

cascade of tasks till a pin

of light or a grip of pain

punctures the relentless

noise. Then, the glow

under the veil comes

through and I remember

that I am alive. And in the

tremble of tenderness that

makes me open like a rose,

words like these gratefully

fail. All I can do is stop

you from whatever you

are cleaning or fixing to

tell you that life is worth

all the heartache. You ask

if I’m alright. I nod and

kiss your hand and you go

out to fill the birdfeeders.

A Question to Walk With: Describe the veil of ordinary life and how it can keep you from what matters. How do you part this veil when you become aware of it? This is from my book of poems, Elsewhere.

NOV 18–20: Shallowford Family Counseling Center, The One Life We’re Given: Finding the Wisdom That Waits in Your Heart, A Fri-Sat Retreat, Sunday Morning Service Talk, Heartwork: Being a Spirit in the World, ( web link) — IN PERSON

NOV 30: California Institute of Integral Studies, FREE Live Podcast and Conversation between Mark and faculty member Cindy Shearer about Mark’s new book Surviving Storms, 5–6:30PM PST/8–9:30PM EST, ( web link) — ONLINE

DEC 11: Saying Yes to Life! From brokenness to tenderness: A webinar guided by Mark Nepo, Dec 11, 2022 from 1–3pm | 10–12pm EST. In this online webinar, Mark will explore how a life of meaning and love unfolds over time. ( web link) — ONLINE

For more info on Mark’s upcoming events, visit: https://marknepo.com/teaching_schedule.php

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Mark Nepo

New York Times #1 bestselling author, poet, and philosopher. Learn more: live.marknepo.com