Uncover and release

The tide glides in, and out again;

the rocks and sand are covered, then exposed.

As we breathe in, then out again,

what hardnesses of heart

can we uncover and release?

Building a wall

Whenever you build fortifications

— whether around your heart or your opinions —

you’re cutting yourself off

from the beauty and the wholeness

that lies waiting in the breadth of experience.

Time to stand alone

In creating time for ourselves to stand alone,

we discover again the miraculous immensity;

the infinite possibility in all that lies before us.

Long range goals

It’s good to take the long view;

to have a long range goal —

even if you’re not quite sure

what it will take, or how you’re going to get there.

Watch the world evolve

As I age, I find I’m more content

to sit, and to appreciate;

to listen and be curious

about how the world evolves without me pushing...

The hospitality of trees

Let us echo the hospitality of the trees,

which focus not just on their own growth,

but serve as host to others

who need a place to hang...

If what I hear is true...

You speak to me, but what I hear

is filtered through this cage we’ve built

to contain our insecurities. I no longer know

if what I hear is really what was said...

Mirroring the divine

Whatever our surroundings,

our efforts to stay calm

help us continue to mirror divine radiance...

Lessons from a place

There are some places we return to,

time and time again.

The lessons they can teach, we need

to learn, and learn again: gentle reminders

to take the long view; to let it flow;

to spend some time alone, apart;

to trust that winter always warms to spring.

Resistance doesn't help

Embrace it all: the drizzle and the bugs;

the brief flare of beauty and purpose;

the bruising and slow wilting into death;

the darkness and the light —

Resistance will not alter the progression,

it only dampens our capacity for joy.

Blood Wolf Moon

Driving to the beach so we could watch uninterrupted,

we stepped into the chill night air 

and heard the other voices, murmuring;

knit together in a web of wonder,

all of us awash in reverence before the super blood wolf moon...

Worry, or now? You choose...

However bright the day appears

the dark night looms in the shape of the moon.

Which will you choose

as the focus of your thoughts?

No promise of lambs to come

Yes, we have her poems —

an astonishing legacy of wonder — but still:

the world’s an empty barn in a barren field,

with no promise of lambs to come.

Mary Oliver

Sigh. Mary Oliver is gone.

Even the animals are feeling it —

“The fires

and the black river of loss...”

Resolution

At the end of the day I ask myself:

Was I true to myself? Was I honest?

Did peace and acceptance flow through me

and out into the world? And if not —

Can I forgive myself and resolve to try again?

Yes or no?

Do yourself a favor: don’t say yes

When you really want to say no.

Those inadvertent yes’s can cast

Incredibly long shadows...

(and don't say no when you really want to say yes!)

Wisdom in your dreams

Listen for the wisdom in your dreams:

They may illuminate the path

to a brighter, lighter, more colorful future.

Glow anyway

Life can get messy and complicated:

Glow anyway. Do your best, and try to stay

connected to that which feeds you.

Some days the only reward for breathing is air.

Reflections

What light you see in me is but a wobbly reflection

of the One True Light, just as

the faults we see in others serve as mirrors

for the faults we can’t acknowledge in ourselves.

Infinite resourcefulness

Look around you, at all the different ways

of being in the world — each so fascinating;

each so complex. The infinite resourcefulness

of all this creativity is astounding — and humbling...

Be presence; be love

Reading about presence isn’t enough.

All the books in the world won’t help:

We need to BE presence.

Don’t just read about love. BE Love!

Conflicting instructions

If I am okay, just as I am, and enough —

Why keep trying to better myself?

So many conflicting instructions —

I think my head will explode!

Celebrate what's now

I don’t know what Heaven’s like —

if it’s structured or amorphous —

so rather than anticipate, I’ll find a way

to celebrate what’s here, and real, and now...

Beneath the barren

With time, I’m learning to trust

That whenever some parts of my life

Feel barren; stripped to the core;

Beneath and behind there still exists

A rich and colorful potential.

What if?

What if God were the molten energy at earth's center,
and gravity were the strings that keep us grounded?
Or are all of us like balloons, bobbing in the wind,
our ribbons tied together, clasped in a divine hand?

Repose

Wishing you a peaceful, quiet day,

calm waters, close friends, and a safe place

to rest and restore your energy.

The sorrow of the ordinary

When will we learn to appreciate

the beauty in the ordinary?

Perhaps when we stop feeling we need to hide

those parts of ourselves that keep us

from being ordinary...

Waiting like trees

And now, as the new year begins,

we wait quietly like the tree,

gathering strength for the blooms to come.

The still point of connection

There is, residing deep within, a still point of connection

to all creation and divinity,

from which our peace, our generosity,

and creativity flow forth.

What to take, and what to leave behind...

The road ahead is marked with dark and light:

You may well need to take some new things on

While leaving other habits or hopes behind

In order to pass safely through the shadows.

Choose what you allow to root and grow

Reach out and touch the earth. What is it that you see — 

the old year dying, or a new year being born? 

Each moment birth and death are intertwined, 

and you may choose what you allow to root and grow.