On the bright side

I’m trying hard to rise above 

 The concerns of the day 

But it’s a challenge, 

To keep looking on the bright side 

When the dark in both 

The foreground and the distance 

Looms so large..

A splendor of belonging

Though each of these differs from the others, 

They are all trees, and co-exist 

In a glorious splendor of belonging. 

Why is it that we find ourselves unable 

To find the same unity in diversity?

Projection

So often the faults we accuse in others 

Are projections from failings 

We ignore in ourselves, 

And the efforts we spend excluding others 

Might be better invested in healing 

 What is broken in ourselves…

Spring moss

The moss on the trees this time of year 

Is pure enchantment; 

Alluring, yet somehow sinister, 

It seems to demand I grab my camera 

Even as it reaches for my throat…

When beauty mattered

It can prove humbling, to live in a place 

That’s been around a long time; 

And to see the care folks used to take 

To build beauty into everything,

 Even a garage. 

The paint may peel, 

The weeds may grow, 

The roof may leak over time, 

But the original intent is still visible…

Time to reground

There will always be days 

When we feel like we’ve hit a dead end: 

When there seems to be no way to move forward, 

And all the gifts, 

The energy and joy that carried us here 

Have rusted out and died. 

What can we do to turn those feelings round? 

Perhaps it’s time to step away 

 From that which brought us to this point 

And ground ourselves once more 

In the simple pleasures of grass, and trees, and sky…

Dark beauty

The beauty of a cloudy day: 

The way the colors sing against the dark… 

When will we come to understand 

Each transitory moment has its value, 

If only we make time 

To appreciate the possibilities?