Perils of judging

Righteous indignation, like pride, 

Often goes before a fall. 

Be careful, when climbing 

On that high horse of yours, 

Lest it prove to be made of clay, 

And unable to support your weight.

Make time to learn

Today I hope to find some time 

To reflect on where we’ve been 

And where we’re headed; 

What’s blooming now but soon will fail, 

And what’s in flux: first high, then low, 

And then will rise again; 

What blocks the path or moves us forward 

Into new horizons...

I want to be fully present: 

To observe and absorb it all 

And then use what I learn to do more good.

You can become all flame

Our mission is to find and to become 

The shimmering flame that awaits 

At the center of Existence.

What matters most

In the end, what matters most, 

What inspires most, 

What fills our hearts with joy, 

Is Love.

Left brain, right brain: Straddling the fence

Some days, I am inside the fence, 

Where everything’s contained, and tidy; 

Flat, a little boring, but safe. 

On other days, I step outside, into a world 

Uneven, unpredictable, and full of surprises, 

Placed by unseen hands to delight the heart 

And challenge my assumptions. 

And somehow, no matter which side I’m on, 

The grass tends to seem greener on the other, 

So I never linger long in either place...

No scolding here

There will always be those 

Who look down on the world 

And scold from their lofty perch. 

I would rather be the small brown bird 

Whose sweet voice sings 

To awaken the morning.

Grace in another form

The tree, as it grows, bears fruit, 

Providing homes for birds and shade for us 

Until a sudden storm, or new developments 

Make it fall, yet still it continues to offer Grace 

In yet another form: decor for a beach, 

Or logs to build anew, or burn... 

In aging, we abandon roles only to find 

There are new ways to offer 

What and whom we have become 

And so continue in service to the world.

Sailing alone

Like a ship alone 

In a sea without signposts, 

Each of us must find our way 

Across the waves of circumstance, 

Having been given all we need 

To safely journey home.

Following the path

The path to your destiny 

May appear to be fading into nothing. 

Walk it anyway, and trust 

That the way will present itself, 

Though things may not become clear 

Til we admit that we are lost.

Open to the unexpected

We are so often tempted 

To close ourselves off from the unknown. 

It’s important to have boundaries, of course, 

But it’s equally important to stay open 

To possibilities that might arise 

From an unexpected direction or encounter.

End of day reflections

Evening, and the mountains to the east 

Take time to reflect 

Upon the colors of the day; 

We do the same, and wonder — 

How did I spend my time today? 

In what ways have I grown — or shrunk 

My openness to love? 

How have I worked to foster 

Unity; compassion; understanding? 

And is the world a better place 

For anything I’ve done?

Listen to your guide

The tenderness with which the mother 

Guides her newborn fawn to the sweetest grass 

Is not unlike the tenderness 

By which we, too, are guided 

To that which will best nourish us. 

Don’t be afraid to step out of the paths 

And patterns we’ve ordained for ourselves 

Into new possibilities, when their beckoning 

Sounds an echo in your heart.

Treasure in the depths

Do not be afraid of the depths, my friend, 

For there you will find treasure beyond measure.

Echoing the colors

Echoing the colors of the sky, 

We bloom, then fall and fade into the earth, 

Our short lives bringing pleasure 

To those who planted us 

And for generations yet to come...

A life or death decision

If you have a decision to make, 

What motivates; what drives your choice? 

Do you act out of love for life, 

Or out of fear of death?

Below the surface

Like white birds fishing for food, 

We poke around our books and lives 

Seeking insight and meaning: 

Why are we here? 

What is it we’re meant to be doing? 

How can we make the world a better place? 

Be patient. Be present. Breathe. Notice. 

The answers are just swimming 

Below the surface of your attention.

Rejoice!

Encouraged by the warmth 

And light from the sun, 

We emerge from the shadows 

Of our long winter’s sleep, 

Unfurling new leaves,

Hands lifted in celebration of renewed life.

Even weeds have value

Even the weeds can have 

Their moment in the sun; 

Even the weeds can contribute 

Beauty to a landscape. 

Even the most humble or irritating 

Item, person, obstacle, or event 

May offer value to your perspective. 

Instead of complaining or attacking; 

Why not ask what this irritant has to offer?

What do we cherish?

Who would crush 

The fragile beauty of a flower? 

Why then are we so cruel 

To ourselves and one another? 

Is not the human spirit 

A thing of beauty, to be cherished?

Waiting to bloom

What if we approached every day 

With the sense that something awesome 

Was about to bloom in us?

Time to step out

How long have you been hiding 

Who you are and what you really think, 

Assuming you would cross that bridge 

When you came to it? 

Consider this: the time is here, 

And you’re standing at that bridge. 

Do you have the courage 

To step into integrity?

Relax your vigilance

There are always days 

When we’re so busy worrying about — 

And preparing for — the future 

That we fail to see we’re standing in a rainbow. 

Relax your vigilance, my friend; 

Appreciate the beauty that is now.

Holding the strange at bay

When you meet someone or something new, 

What are you looking for? 

Are you hoping to find what’s there to like, 

Or seeking excuses to disapprove 

And set yourself apart; 

Holding the strange at bay? 

Why must we be always

So determined to be discerning; 

Focusing on setting ourselves apart 

Instead of seeking what we share in common; 

Enriching our lives by learning 

From each other’s experience?

Praying for ignition

On the cloudiest of days, 

When your tide is running low, 

May there still be moments 

When the sun breaks through and ignites 

Green thoughts of hope and possibility.

In gratitude for gardeners

I give thanks today for all the gardeners 

Who gift us with their sense of color; 

Who labor — often on their knees — 

That hearts might be uplifted 

By their offerings...

Emptying

Sitting quietly 

In the soft calm of morning, 

We clear the thoughts that drift like clouds 

Across our inner horizon, 

Returning repeatedly to the openness 

That is sea, that is sky, 

That lies at the depths of oneness 

And brings us back into unity.

Bountiful isolation

Have you ever noticed how often it is 

That flowering trees stand alone? 

It’s almost as if the generosity of their gifts — 

The glorious color; the abundant fruit — 

Ensures their isolation...

Lilies are such extroverts

If flowers took the Myers-Briggs, 

Lilies would surely test as extroverts: 

The sheer delight they seem to take 

In spreading both their petals and their scent 

To reach the broadest audience...

Time to rest

Yes, the tide may be low right now, 

But it will rise again. 

There’s much to be said for taking time out 

To rest and enjoy the sun...

That sacred space within

Make time today 

To find that sacred space within; 

To set aside your worries and just breathe...

Looking ahead

Give thanks each day 

For who you were or what you had

And trust there’s something new on the horizon,

Something buried that’s just waiting to bloom;

Some new way to express your gifts 

That will have been enriched by your experience;

Some new future that is ready to unfold.