Give heart to the world

Each of us is uniquely gifted;

Each has a particular bit of wisdom 

That they were born to share.

You — yes, even you — are a special work of art,

And when you write or create from the heart,

The breadth of your soul gives heart to the world.

Driven to create

We humans are so driven to create and rearrange:

Structure where there is none,

Strife where there is none,

Embellishments when all we seek is truth...

How can we ensure that creativity 

Serves as a blessing, not a curse?

Reach for the light

Let us be daisies together,

Reaching for and sharing the light

While the world around us is masked in a fog

Of pestilence, deception, and dissension.

The complexity of truth

Consider the complexity of a flower:

The texture of its petals,

Its many different faces,

The variations in color...

Why, then, are we surprised to learn

That the truth of what is happening — 

That which we’re so convinced we know —

Might be equally — or perhaps even more — complex?

How best to convey what’s true

You, being human, have been gifted

With enormous potential:

You have the option to hover and loom,

Dark and ominous as this tree;

To shelter and warm like this shed;

To remain aloof, cool and observing,

Affections waxing and waning like the moon;

Or to bring light and color into the world like the sun.

Grass, sky, bench, or sea — you can choose

Each day how to be;

How best to bring truth to life.

Creative restoration

Today I hope you find some restoration time:

Seek out new and creative ways

To rest, commune with nature,

And reconnect with those whom you’ve been missing...

Presuppositions

What questions do we read into these eyes,

And what do the questions tell us 

About our own presuppositions?

Is he asking for permission?

Protecting his mate?

Reaching out in friendship,

Or challenging my right to be here?

Thanking me for my hospitality,

Or just curious about my motives — or my camera!

Coexistence will always be a challenge

If we’re too quick to act on our assumptions...

Emotional agates

Part of maturing is coming to understand

That our emotions ebb and flow,

Just like the tides, if less predictably.

The blessing — and the curse —

Of an emotional low tide

Is that all our inner obstacles lie exposed.

True, we could just dance around them,

But who knows: if we take a closer look,

Maybe crack one open, 

There might be an amazing gem inside...

Proud to be uniquely you

Who is it that defined what is beautiful?

Who decided what it means to bloom?

Like flowers, we humans come to fruition

In a variety of shapes and sizes:

Rather than compare and despair,

Why not proudly display

The uniqueness that makes you you?

Dreams to reality

Your dreamscapes of the future

May be somewhat unclear,

But pay attention anyway, 

And honor the possibilities they suggest.

Perhaps it’s time to move

From “I’d love to” to “I will.”

Blessings

May all the angels watch over you and yours today.

When things grow dark

Sometimes, when it’s dark,

And the distance we’ve still to travel

Seems impossibly far,

We just have to keep moving forward and trust

That there will be a light and someone to guide us;

That the journey is not ours alone.

Grateful for moments of peace

Today let us bow our heads in gratitude

For the people, the places, and the moments

That create a restful space in our lives;

A chance to step back from the chaos

And just... be. 

Love teaching us

Even when feeling trapped

Between the rock and the hard place,

We are surrounded by love:

It might even be love that keeps us there

Until we learn the lessons we were born to teach...

Bringers of light

Wherever we go we affect the world around us.

Make sure the ripples you create

Are ripples of light and love.

Your day to bloom

Think of today as your day to bloom:

Your day to share the special essence 

That makes you uniquely bright and beautiful.

Yes, all around you, there are others

Waiting to bloom or already fading,

But this day was made for you.

Bearers of light

Sailing darkly through dark waters

Into unknown darknesses to come,

Desperately attempting to carry forward

The light, the truth and the hope

That fuels and sustains us...

Seek truth

May we each learn to seek and welcome truth

As the flowers in my garden

Seek and welcome and dance in the light.

Shared visions

We need to be willing

To dream what life could be:

To remember or imagine a better time 

And share that vision will help bring it to pass.

Take a hike

When those internal clouds begin to darken,

And the challenges of this new life

Begin to overwhelm us,

A long and listening walk with a friend —

Conducted safely, distanced, out-of-doors —

Might be the perfect medicine 

To chase away your blues...

Prayers for the overburdened

Prayers today for all who carry

A load heavier than anyone could bear,

That they may find relief before

Collapsing under the weight...

Listen

Stop shouting, and listen.

Stop praying, and listen.

Stop rehearsing what you plan to say

And reliving or regretting what you said,

And listen.

Stop breathing, just long enough,

To hear the voice that’s speaking

In the silence that falls between your breaths.

Listen.

Listen, and tell me:

What is it that you hear?

Moments of Grace

However lost, bereft, or alone we feel,

There will always be moments of grace,

That universal love that circles round the atmosphere 

And reaches out to comfort and inspire;

A warmth at the center of being...

Our work will bear fruit

I know it’s hard to trust in those wintry times

When all our work seems bare and unproductive,

But come, labor on, in confidence

That the seasons will turn round again

And everything we’ve worked for 

Will bear the lush and ripening fruit

Of which we dreamed.

Collaboration

Whatever our role —

Pistil, stamen, petal, bud, leaf or stem —

We are all part of the same flower,

Working together to bring light, color, and joy

To a world in desperate need.

Those lost are not faceless

As the death toll mounts,

Whether from war, injustice, or pestilence,

The victims take on a facelessness,

Becoming numbers instead of names,

Statistics instead of parents, children,

Teachers, nurses, doctors, singers, soldiers...

But for those of us who remember 

And mourn those who’ve been lost,

Their faces are forever embedded in our hearts.

Nature’s fireworks

A glorious end to a perfect day:

A golden moon, stretching its embrace

Across the waters —

Nature’s own quiet fireworks, 

To celebrate our quiet determination 

To break through the remaining barriers

And to ensure equal rights for all.

Holding to the promise of equality

Today we celebrate the ideals,

If not the implementation,

And dream of a renewed commitment

To the values we claim to share...

Sharing kindness

Some folks come into our lives to stay;

Others are just passing through.

Be kind to both, however long they remain:

Ours is a life meant to be shared.

Harvesting the fruits of silence

How do we survive in a troubled world?

By making time each day

To visit the secret haven of peace

That lives at the root of the soul;

By harvesting the fruits of silence 

And carrying them back into the world...

Ocean spray

Like snowflakes they appear, only in summer;

Gathering in clusters, each tiny flower,

Presumably unique, progressing through

From tiny ball to fluffy blossom, 

Only to yellow, stained with age, and fade.

Up close, we see what miracles they are,

But from a distance we tend to sneer

And wish them gone.

What else — or whom — have you only seen

From a distance, and then written off?

What else — or who — might prove to be

Miraculously fine if we looked more closely?