Finding balance

As the weather grows warmer, 

The appeal of cooler colors grows as well 

And we find ourselves longing 

For the blessings of shadow and shade, 

While, conversely, as politics grow shadier, 

We hunger for the heat and light of truth, 

Seeking always to find that delicate balance.

A country built of windmills

A country built of windmills, 

Always seeking to face into 

The current wind of thought, 

Easily distracted, always ready to churn 

Turning, turning, spinning to convert 

The latest falsehoods into power,

 The latest scoop of sound 

Into a bite to increase influence 

Without demanding any grounding in truth.

For our children

I bought this little Buddha years ago, 

Enchanted by the fact 

 That he tenderly cradles a child 

And has the face of a wise old grandmother. 

And I’m still moved to see him, 

Lit by the morning sun, 

Sitting in my lavender garden, 

Still cradling the children of the world 

With that beatific smile…

Apple blossoms

Each year the apple blossoms return, 

Their glorious perfection 

 Enchanting me once again, 

Even without the implied promise 

Of fruit to come, come fall. 

The colors, the scents, 

 The hum of the bees — 

All music to my heart.

Even the wildflowers

When spring finally begins to burst forth, 

We are so grateful for the onrush of color 

After the leaden skies of winter 

That even the wildflowers seem beautiful.

In gratitude

I live my life in gratitude 

 For chance moments such as this: 

How blessed by simple pleasures — 

Three boats, a mountain, 

The colors, and the sea…

Happy Earth Day

To honor Earth Day, 

I offer these immortal lines 

From the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer, 

The Māori version of The Lord’s Prayer.