Haunted

The mistakes of our past tend to haunt us, 

Springing up from the depths 

 To point fingers of blame 

For all the things done and left undone 

And all of the ways the choices we made 

Have hurt others. 

Try not to berate yourself too harshly; 

Apologize if it’s appropriate, 

Learn from your missteps, 

And leave those old wounds behind: 

It’s time to step forward 

 Into a more compassionate future.

Seen through a haze

Whatever other lives we view, 

Tend to be seen through a haze of assumptions; 

There’s a mystery to each and every one 

That we will never quite grasp, 

And barriers to understanding which, 

 However porous, 

Always will exist — 

Which doesn’t mean we won’t reach out, 

Or notice and appreciate 

 What beauty we’re permitted to perceive…

United in diversity

True union, I read this morning, 

Gives birth to the glory of differentiation, 

And I thought: How true! 

Those who love us most are the ones 

Who give us space to become 

Our most unique, individual selves. 

Why then, do we fail to understand — 

 And often fear to contemplate — 

The underlying unity 

Which joins us to the earth 

And to one another; 

That endlessly creative unity, 

The oneness of the universe, 

Which continues to produce 

An ever greater multiplicity of life forms, 

No two alike, and yet united in their diversity?

Ships passing

What must it be like, 

To be traveling on so large a ship 

When the rising sun paints the clouds 

 Such glorious colors? 

Do they pause to watch, 

Or take turns steering 

So all eyes may drink their fill?

Geese on a lawn

How is my heart like a flock of geese on a lawn? 

Scattered, yet still all lined up, 

Like ducks in a row, 

Trying to do the right thing 

While yet still some rebellion; 

Some part of me always standing apart, 

Another part clustered for safety 

While other parts, curious, keep looking around 

(For inspiration, or danger? Who knows?) 

All the while gratefully nibbling 

 On the grass nature gives us, 

And happy to rest for a while although knowing 

The long flight awaits us,

 When all parts will gather and fly in formation 

For the long journey home.

Striations

Striations in the leaves, 

So regular they look intentional, 

A grace filled decoration 

That adds to the design, 

 Highlighting natural beauty already in place — 

Almost like wrinkles, adding beauty, 

But speaking of age, 

And of losses yet to come…

Nature vs. nurture

Nature permits us to impose our will, 

But whatever we create or construct — 

Be it barns, relationships, communities, 

Organizations or democracies — 

We must commit to maintain, 

Or nature will conspire to break it down: 

That which we neglect or ignore 

Will gradually, inevitably, 

 Revert to its original non-existence.