Monday, May 19, 2025

Celebrating Springtime


I love this time of year — 
Not just the lilacs, rhodies and lupines blooming, 
But also watching the tenderness 
 With which the doe cares for her fawn; 
The way she tucks him away 
While foraging for food 
And licks him clean as he nurses — 
So heartening, to see that life goes on 
In spite of all the mistakes we seem to make…

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Driftwood


When I first became a photographer 
 I was obsessed with shots like this; 
With the colors that appear 
On driftwood when it rains. 
Though I’m rarely on a beach these days, 
I’m still drawn to that beauty: 
For some reason, 
The textures and complexity make my heart ache.

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Oppositional forces


The power of those giant roots, 
Not deep, but on the surface,
 Clinging to uneven terrain,
 Movement so fluid, 
Contrasting with the linear 
Solidity of the tree they support; 
A marriage of opposites, 
Not unlike my own…

Friday, May 16, 2025

That ray of light


Sunset, on a cloudy day, 
When all the world seems gray 
And just then, at the last minute,
 A slight parting, and a burst of color 
Ignites both sky and lawn, 
And turns the lavender from dull to vibrant: 
Just think! 
If each of us could be that ray of light, however small, That heightens all the beauty lying dormant; 
Waiting for that spark of hope…

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Lupine season


It’s lupine season at our local lighthouse, 
And their lemony stalks are everywhere, 
 Lining the walkways and framing the vistas 
With their delicate scent.
 I’ve never been a big fan of yellow, 
But yellow roses and yellow lupines 
Make my heart sing 
Even as the harsher golden shades 
Of the ubiquitous scotch broom 
Make me grit my teeth and grumble. 
What is it about us humans 
That always wants to say 
That I like this, but not that? 
Why must we always divide the world?

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Why cast blame?


Which do we find more beautiful: 
The reflections water casts on the boat? 
Or the reflections cast by the boat upon the water? 
And why be forced to choose? 
Isn’t it the wholeness of the scene 
That has the most impact? 
As in any relationship, isn’t the beauty in it — 
Or the darkness —
 Compounded by and greater than 
The individual contributions?

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Beauty in loss


The flowers tell us 
There’s beauty to be found 
Even in loss, 
But that’s not a song we care to hear 
In times like these 
When there’s so much to mourn…