Ways to Heal

by Carolyn Chilton Casas

Jun 25, 2026

Image of a little girl sitting in a field of flowers with the sun rays shining in her face. — Image credit: Melissa Askew on Unsplash

A loved one who truly listens,

a tender touch, a kiss where it hurts.

The mysteriousness of grace.

Looking up through leafless branches

on a dark night

to the guidance of stars.

The wild, curious ones who come

to call—deer, hares,

the black prehistoric-looking lizard

living outside the back door.

Books as medicine,

bringing recognition of shared thoughts,

words to calm an unsteady heart.

Certainly, the healing power of silence.

So, I embrace the innocent child within,

her longing for healing,

tell her I will always be her best friend.

Black and white photo of the author, Carolyn Chilton Casas. — Carolyn Chilton Casas

Carolyn Chilton Casas is a practicing Reiki Master and teacher who explores ways of healing in the articles she writes for energy and wellness magazines in several countries. Her poetry has appeared in journals such as Braided Way, Grateful Living, and One Earth Sangha and in anthologies including The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal, Thin Spaces & Sacred Spaces, and Women in a Golden State. More of Carolyn’s work can be found on Instagram and Facebook, at www.carolynchiltoncasas.com, and in her newest collection of poetry Under the Same Sky.