A light in the darkness

This was the blood moon, 

Taken last week, 

Earlier in the evening, 

Before it eclipsed and turned red 

(And was shielded from view by clouds). 

I post it now to remind myself 

There will always be light in the darkness, 

Even when we can’t see it. 

Even when the darkness 

Feels total, endless, and irredeemable, 

It’s still there, and at some point 

We’ll see it again.

Devotion

And if the question were to be asked, 

“To what are you devoted?” 

What might be your response? 

There are so many possibilities: 

Some start with the word “my” — 

My family, my health, my garden or my art — 

Or other, broader, “my’s” — 

My church, my faith, my party, 

 My community, or my country— 

 While others start outside ourselves: 

To beauty, truth, compassion, peace, 

And then the question must become, 

“What form does that devotion take?” 

What does it mean to treasure or to care for?

Protect the young

How can we not feel protective of our young? 

That innocent gaze is irresistible.

Morning fog

With foghorns mourning 

 In the gray and emptied distance, 

My eye turns away from the shoreline 

To the garden I tend to ignore 

And I celebrate the simple charm 

 Of plants that choose to bloom 

Without my interference, 

When so much else in my world cries out 

For thoughtful intervention …

Promise of hope

The moon shines orange 

Through the grasping, chaotic branches; 

A promise of hope and light 

Once we struggle past 

 This dark corner of our lives.

Be your best self

See how this tree leans, 

Yet still produces blossoms 

That ignite the neighborhood? 

We don’t have to be perfect; 

We can still make a difference 

By just being the best we can be.

Reminiscing…

Somehow this picture captures 

The idyllic family vacations of my childhood - 

Not that we ever had one like this: 

We went to beaches, not lakes or ponds, 

And my mom never cooked outside. 

But it was just the three of us, 

And there was that sense of joy, 

And there was faith, 

And regular church attendance, 

And a sense of quiet peace — you know, 

“God’s in his heaven, 

All’s right with the world.”