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.

The triumph of spring

Yesterday, while my daughter napped, 

I took a walk around the yard 

Of the house where she’s recovering 

 From her latest chemo infusion 

And found these beautiful irises. 

How is it, that beauty can be so reassuring; 

That spring’s return after a long hard winter 

Always reminds us life can triumph 

 Over obstacles sometimes too painful to be borne?

Drama in the sky

I took so many pictures of last night’s sunset, 

Hoping to capture its beauty. 

This one’s not the prettiest, 

But definitely the most dramatic —

 It feels like it’s given me a glimpse of heaven: 

 Not just beauty, but a promise: 

Of depth, of hope, of a world beyond 

The surface challenges of the day.

Dark and light together

Driving by the variegated hillsides of spring, 

I’m enchanted by the contrasts in color; 

That dark and light can commingle 

 So seamlessly in nature 

Makes me wonder why we struggle so as humans 

Instead of appreciating the beauties in the mix.