Synkroniciti is delighted to welcome back poet and writer Annette Boushey Holland, who recently won our “Recovery” essay contest, with “The Barn,” a poem about the restoration and repurposing of an old barn into a meditation space. This project was a combination of waking purpose, subconscious desire, and spiritual providence. It reveals the fulfillment that occurs when our outer and inner worlds flower together.
“Deep in dream on a moonless night/ our lama sails on a tall-masted ship/ through the forest, sets anchor uphill,/ at first light crosses the gangplank.”
Annette’s fantastic dream becomes an equally marvelous reality as she brings friends together in her space for the first time. It’s a beautiful narrative of what is possible if we hold to what nurtures us and extend it toward others. Annette makes us feel welcome in the manifestation of her hopes with a tone that is inviting rather than performative. This is holy ground, and if we listen it speaks to the holy ground inside of each of us.
Read “The Barn” in Synkroniciti’s “Dreams” issue, available for purchase here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Annette Boushey Holland is still recovering from childhood in a military family that frequently moved—so often that she attended eight different schools by the eighth grade. During the last several decades she has grown roots in a small valley on the North Coast of California, tucked between the ocean and what’s left of the redwood forest. She lives with her husband, two horses and a dog—and delights in visits from children and grandchildren. She likes to travel occasionally but immensely enjoys staying put. Annette spends time writing, painting, reading, dancing, hiking, kayaking, gardening, and hosting meditation retreats in their remodeled barn.
A major focus of her life has been trying to help the natural world recover from the excesses of human exploitation. She has done fundraising and public relations for several conservation groups, taught English composition, and helped establish two land trusts. Her publications include articles on environmental issues, short memoirs, and poems.