Instinct is older than language—
a pulse beneath thought,
a knowing shared with every creature
that breathes in rhythm with the Earth.
Yet somehow we,
the ones who call ourselves intelligent,
forget to listen.
We override the whisper
for the noise of ambition,
ownership, control—
ideas the wild world
has never required.
My own instincts speak quietly:
a drop in the gut,
a shimmer of unease,
a soft expansion when something is true.
It isn’t a choice anymore to heed it—
the cost of ignoring it
has carved its lessons into me.
I think when I was young
I had to tune it out.
I lived among people
whose needs overshadowed mine,
and survival meant adapting
to a world less democratic
than it claimed to be.
Even strong instincts
cannot always guarantee safety.
But with time
I’ve returned to the old language—
the one spoken beneath thought.
And when I listen,
life arranges itself
in ways that feel almost choreographed:
paths clearing,
doors opening,
as if the unseen world
were making room.
Instinct, after all,
is not a guess.
It is the body’s way
of remembering the truth
before the mind awakens to it.
Island deer ~ bj 2019
A perfect poem.
The challenge for me is slowing down and allowing my instincts to be in charge.
I think that is the challenge for us all, Paul. We live in a sped-up world. But it’s good to be aware of how unaware we are sometimes! Thanks for reading, my friend. 🙏♥️
My great pleasure!
👏🏼 Perfect, Bela, you nailed it! 👍🏼
Mahalo, Eliza! 🙏
This is a nice poem
Well done 👍
Thank you. 🙏♥️
here’s to the old language Bela,.. I hope more begin to learn to follow it my friend.. Sending love in abundance xx <3
Love back! 💗
Mine are still lost, but I’m glad you’ve found yours. (K)
Oh Kerfe, I can hardly believe your instincts are missing, given the beautiful images and words that you’re creating these days. 😉😘
Thanks Bela. If they are here, I can’t identify them.
Obviously we all have different ways of being in this world, which is such a gift. For me, identifying is a sensing mechanism I was born with. I don’t need anything beyond that. And for you, perhaps that’s not how you validate. But I’ll tell you one thing, I can identify these qualities through art, through the feel and texture of what you create. I am glad you have a medium for that expression!
Thanks Bela, me too.
Kerfe, here you go. This is a good and brilliant example: I finished up a book on Audible, I always have one I am listening to because I drive fair distances to get anywhere. I don’t know how I got to this book, but it somehow got to me. It’s called Signs, by Tara Swart, MD, PHD. Since I have so many credits in my Audible account, I just started listening to it for the heck of it. (Not that I need to notice signs more than I do.) But it became obvious to me fairly early on that this book would just be excellent to answer your questions about intuition and validation. Very grounded, very approachable, and if you listen to Audible, her voice is wonderful I think, and easy to listen to. ♥️
I don’t do audible or kindle, but I can see if the library has it–thanks!
I think you might get a lot out of it! Anyway, carry on! 😉