Beckoning us home

Even in our darkest times, 

There is that flame 

Still burning at the center of being; 

That love that birthed us, each and every one, 

And calls us still to seek out 

What is right, and true, and kind; 

That stands before us, beckoning us home.

Contemplating joining

When contemplating joining a new community,

It’s always wise to spend some time 

Observing patterns of behavior; 

Seeing whether there’s really a place for you…

The freedom of believing

Ah: this must be how it feels 

To be a person of faith: 

To rest in a nest of possibilities 

And float above potential danger 

Exulting in the freedom of knowing 

We are always, ultimately, safe, and loved.

Invitation of prayer

The invitation is always there, 

Waiting at the heart of prayer, 

Welcoming us home, 

To the place at the root of being 

Where we know ourselves to be safe 

And no longer alone.

Going out in a blaze

Something about the exuberance 

Of Autumnal colors is so heartening. 

Perhaps it is the hope 

That we could all go out like this: 

In a blaze of glory, a flame of passion, 

And that the losses at the end might be swift; 

A single storm that strips the branches bare — 

One day so bright, and the next, just — gone.

From a distance, stillness

There is a quiet peacefulness 

That frequently eludes us 

As we slog through the chaos of daily life — 

A busyness that surely exists 

In farms as well as cities: 

It’s only distance that allows us 

To see the stillness of the scene. 

Meditation allows us to achieve that distance 

While still in the midst of life; 

To find the still calm center 

That lies at the root of existence…

In praise of the careful

I ache for and yet celebrate 

All those of us who are careful: 

The middle-of-the-roaders who are 

Trying to “do it right,” 

Trying to protect our hearts, 

Always testing to be sure, 

Never wildly abandoned, 

For fear of losing control; 

For all the passion so cautiously contained; 

For all the hope that keeps us moving forward 

Despite our fears.