Shine the light

The fog these days is thick, 

And many are feeling far from home 

And far from safe: 

All the more reason 

To shine the light of welcome and encouragement; 

To let the wanderers know 

There is still kindness in the world.

A new path

We cannot know where this path will lead, 

But it seems we have no choice but to take it. 

Take a deep breath, 

Gird your loins, 

Gather a few close friends, 

And take that step into a different future 

Than we could ever have imagined, 

Listening closely for hints of guidance 

 Along the way.

Still bringing love

Like this tree, which, though it’s fallen, 

Still produces apples every year, 

We may be down, but we’re not out: 

 We can still bring into the world 

What we were born to bring: 

Faith, Hope, and Love — 

And the greatest of these is Love.

A renewed sense of purpose

I need community; we need community, 

And, however naive this may sound, 

I believe our community 

Needs voices of hope and faith 

To keep our spirits up 

For the challenging path ahead. 

And so I’ve decided to reduce my exposure 

To the darkness we're all seeing, 

And I pledge to do my best 

To be one of those calm voices. 

Thank you for your patience,

And thank you for listening.

Spring returns despite our fears

As the first wee daisies 

Begin blooming in our lawn 

And the bellies of our does swell with new life, 

We know that spring is on its way again, 

Unhindered by the many worries 

Intruding in our thoughts and fears.

How can we stop this?

Even the plants are lifted in prayer: 

Please, can’t someone do something to stop this? 

And the echo in my heart: 

What can _I_ do to stop this? 

The helplessness is paralyzing.

Even the animals

Even the hawks are watching in horror. 

Perhaps all the money 

That didn’t get spent yesterday 

Needs to go to the Ukraine.