Wishing you peace and joy

May you find some quiet time today, 

And use it to find peace and joy 

Within yourself, and then send both 

Out into our troubled world.

The invitation

The invitation is always there: 

To walk through the weeds — 

However distracting and appealing they might be — 

And step into a deeper, richer, consciousness, 

 To discover a new clarity of purpose.

Flocked

We got flocked yesterday 

By local high school students 

Raising money for a substance-free 

Graduation party. 

True confession: 

I loved having those flamingos in my lawn; 

Loved the ingenuity as well, 

And the sense that we are part 

Of this community.

But most of all I loved 

The little white one in the middle. 

I think the fawns are getting to me…

Accepting our boundaries

Whether you’re on the outside looking in 

Or on the inside looking out, 

Curiosity is clearly not unique to humans. 

That said, it can be counterproductive 

 To focus too obsessively 

 On what we cannot have or do 

And the boundaries of our circumstances 

 While failing to appreciate 

 The life we lead inside them…

A plethora of libraries

I love being in a community 

That sprinkles Little Free Libraries 

In every neighborhood, 

As common as the lilacs, iris, 

And lavender in spring.

Notice tenderness

When violence and cruelty,

 Insanity and injustice 

Seem to dominate the news, 

Noticing instances 

Of tenderness and compassion 

Can help restore your soul.

What the camera reveals

I took three pictures of this fence,

 But this is the only one in which 

The clouds, and even the lines of trees 

Echo the line of the fence; 

In which the camera noticed what I didn’t see — 

 And that’s the joy of photography: 

When the spirit moves you to take a picture, 

And it’s only later that you discover 

 The beauty that’s revealed…