The losses of the past

The losses of the past 

Cast their long shadows on the present, 

Yet still we keep on sailing through, 

Knowing each has added 

 Depth and color to our journey.

New/old challenges on the way

As the colors of our sunsets grow more subtle, 

We feel the chill in the air, and know 

That winter’s on its way, with its curious mix 

Of holiday demands and hibernation…

Variety is the spice…

Why does it so delight my soul to see 

So many colors in a single tree?

Another day; another chance

Morning again. Another day. 

Another chance to make things right 

Or make mistakes: the best intentions 

Never seem to guarantee the best results. 

But still we hope, and try, 

And learn — as best we can — 

What seems to work, what doesn’t, 

And how futile it still can be 

To do the same things over and over 

And expect exceptional outcomes…

The whole picture

The challenge in being present 

Lies in openness to the whole. 

If we focus on the beauty of the sky, 

We miss the deer in the grass before us; 

Focused on the deer, 

We might fail to observe the clouds. 

And distracted by the flamboyance 

Of what’s unexpected or evolving, 

We might more fail to appreciate 

Or even ignore the more subtle elements: 

The steadying influence of home and family; 

The enduring beauty of the trees…

Healing our divisions

Why do we ache so 

For the divisions in our country? 

Can it be because we hear the echoes 

Of the divisions in our own souls? 

What might we do today to help 

Stitch this wound back together? 

How can we regain a trust 

So repeatedly betrayed?

The best laid plans…

Yesterday we were promised a storm, 

But instead we were given a rainbow. 

So many fears in the course of a lifetime 

Have come to naught — 

When will I come to accept 

That my best intentions, just like my worries, 

Will only occasionally bear fruit?

Embracing our brokenness

Wholeness was never meant 

To be about perfection; 

It’s about embracing our brokenness 

As an integral part of the picture.

The impact of our choices

Some seeds, when planted, 

Aren’t meant to grow, 

But simply to remind us 

Of the impact of our choices…

The perfection of the Now

It’s easy to get so caught up 

In the rush to destination 

Or even in the competition to get there first 

That we miss the beauty of the moment. 

Follow these instructions: Do not pass; 

Maybe even take a minute to pull over — 

Or at least slow down — and notice 

The perfection of the Now.

The colors of winter

As we cross the bridge into winter, 

Leaving behind the glorious sunsets 

And heading into months of clouds and rain 

(Yes, that’s what passes for winter 

In the Pacific Northwest) 

I look forward to the restful grays and wonder: 

What colors will emerge in my life 

To fill the days til sunsets flower again?

Enlarge your sense of what’s possible

Patient observation teaches me 

Persistence and determination can overcome 

Seemingly insurmountable obstacles — 

But it also helps to be able 

To leap tall things at a single bound!

In praise of clouds

A sunset without clouds 

Is just an orange sky: 

It is the darks and lights, the highs and lows, 

And the reflections that they trigger, 

That give life character.

A new way to serve

Though you can no longer do the tasks 

You thought you were created for, 

That doesn’t mean you cannot find 

Some new way to serve; 

Some way to nurture life and beauty 

And in so doing bless the world!

A vastness to fill your soul

Some days, it’s good to be reminded 

How very small we are, 

And how magnificent the world 

In which we live. 

Breathe deep, and let that vastness 

Fill your soul…

Considering change

Be careful, when contemplating change: 

What looks picturesque, 

Appealing from a distance, 

May prove, on closer encounters, 

To be every bit as challenging 

As the life you’re living now. 

That grass that’s looking greener 

May be just as full of weeds 

As the grass you’re mowing. 

That said — a carefully considered change 

Might be exactly what you need…

Postcards of a life

Why assume that we can fully comprehend 

The complexities of a life that’s been distilled 

Like postcards into the surface we encounter; 

A collection of experiences, memories, 

Grievances, and opinions — some our own; 

Others sent to us and treasured 

For reasons now obscured — 

And yet we persist in judging, 

Based only on what we see: so much easier 

Than taking time to explore what lies beneath.

Beckoning us home

Even in our darkest times, 

There is that flame 

Still burning at the center of being; 

That love that birthed us, each and every one, 

And calls us still to seek out 

What is right, and true, and kind; 

That stands before us, beckoning us home.

Contemplating joining

When contemplating joining a new community,

It’s always wise to spend some time 

Observing patterns of behavior; 

Seeing whether there’s really a place for you…

The freedom of believing

Ah: this must be how it feels 

To be a person of faith: 

To rest in a nest of possibilities 

And float above potential danger 

Exulting in the freedom of knowing 

We are always, ultimately, safe, and loved.

Invitation of prayer

The invitation is always there, 

Waiting at the heart of prayer, 

Welcoming us home, 

To the place at the root of being 

Where we know ourselves to be safe 

And no longer alone.

Going out in a blaze

Something about the exuberance 

Of Autumnal colors is so heartening. 

Perhaps it is the hope 

That we could all go out like this: 

In a blaze of glory, a flame of passion, 

And that the losses at the end might be swift; 

A single storm that strips the branches bare — 

One day so bright, and the next, just — gone.

From a distance, stillness

There is a quiet peacefulness 

That frequently eludes us 

As we slog through the chaos of daily life — 

A busyness that surely exists 

In farms as well as cities: 

It’s only distance that allows us 

To see the stillness of the scene. 

Meditation allows us to achieve that distance 

While still in the midst of life; 

To find the still calm center 

That lies at the root of existence…

In praise of the careful

I ache for and yet celebrate 

All those of us who are careful: 

The middle-of-the-roaders who are 

Trying to “do it right,” 

Trying to protect our hearts, 

Always testing to be sure, 

Never wildly abandoned, 

For fear of losing control; 

For all the passion so cautiously contained; 

For all the hope that keeps us moving forward 

Despite our fears.

All hearts ache for love

Morning breaks; another day, another chance 

To ease the pain in someone’s heart, 

To lighten someone’s burden, 

To offer up a heartfelt prayer 

For truth, and restoration of community. 

For, at the deepest level, 

All hearts ache for love.

Gentle invitation

Now that the sun has slowly drifted west, 

We only see the edges of the sunsets; 

The sun itself is masked now 

As it dips behind the trees. 

The colors that result are much more subtle; 

Much more soothing; an invitation 

To enjoy the gentle quiet 

Of an evening as it darkens into night.

The colors of the future

They’re challenging, these liminal spaces — 

The in-between times, 

When what is now is fading, 

And what is yet to come is still unclear; 

When the colors of the past insist on mingling 

With the colors of a future yet unknown… 

But complexity and confusion 

Are also rich with possibilities, 

And engaging with the unknown 

Can often prove transformative. 

Don’t be afraid to question and explore.

Trust, but verify

Many of us, having gone through life 

With all its ups and downs, 

Develop trust issues. Like the deer,

We’ve learned that trusting eye contact 

Will encourage generosity and good behavior, 

But still we maintain a certain independence: 

Knowing that hope won’t always bear fruit.

The light shines through

I suppose it’s trite to point out 

That every life has peaks and valleys, 

Triumphs and tears, but still — 

Even if it’s not always visible, 

There’s always light underlying everything. 

We just have to trust...

Every moment contains a prayer

If we were to cultivate the habit 

Of noticing everything in our daily life 

With the same concentration and focus

With which we drive, 

We might come to experience and understand 

That everything we see or do 

Can become a source of spiritual nourishment; Everything carries the scent of the sacred; 

Every moment contains a prayer.

Preparing to fly

Today is a good day 

To think about spreading your wings again.