Why meditate?

Asked why I meditate, 

 I might respond, “because 

Things are pretty rocky now, 

And meditation takes me 

Across the ruffled waters of my thoughts 

To a kinder, gentler place 

Where I feel at home, and grounded; 

Where dark and light coexist 

 Instead of being opposites 

And I can be at peace.

We can recover

This was what I needed to see today, 

That when things are broken 

Or get knocked down, 

It doesn’t mean the end, 

Any more than winter 

 And the loss of leaves 

Means spring won’t come again. 

This tree’s been in this state 

For at least six years and more, and yet 

Each fall it’s covered with apples. 

We, too, will find a way to recover.

A loss of trust

Our ancestors built these things together, 

Our government and our military, 

As a country, to care for and protect 

 One another. 

But now we fear the institutions 

 We used to trust, 

And watch them work against us 

To serve the bastions of wealth and power. 

How could this have gone so wrong?

Remaining open

Never lose your curiosity. 

Never miss what’s underfoot, 

Or overhead, or write it off 

Because it’s ugly, or unappealing. 

Appreciate the small things: 

A three-leaf clover has its charm, 

Though it may lack the fourth leaf’s 

Wishful properties, And a single blade of grass, 

When held between your thumbs, 

Can whistle just as loudly 

As a teakettle.

Cling to ambiguity

Somehow, to save us all, 

We have to find a way to walk 

Between opposing certainties; 

To resist the urge to climb the fence 

To safety and security 

Where all is black and white, 

But cling to gray, to ambiguity, 

To possibility and hope.

Territoriality

It struck me as odd, 

To see the mature gulls 

Gathered on the right 

And the young ones 

Perched on the left; 

The young ones quiet, 

The older ones all huffy, 

 And protecting their space… 

It’s sad to think we humans seem 

Unable to outgrow this territoriality…

No more puddles

I want a leader 

Who doesn’t keep making it rain 

Just so we can see his reflection

 In the puddle, 

Making him loom twice as large…