Breathe and heal

The lush colors and beauties of spring: 

A gentle solace of love and delight 

To tired eyes and aching hearts 

Burned, o’erflowing with images of war and loss. 

Breathe in the color and the joy 

And breathe it out again to heal the world.

Anticipation

Pink promises are blooming 

In the tender arms of the apple trees, 

Which, like a mother, eagerly bear 

The weight of hope to come…

Revealing

We are not stones, but, like the trees, 

In whom time, water, and salt expose 

A tale in lines of life and growth, 

Our faces, as they age, reveal 

In lines our tales of joy and sadness,

 Etched around the mouth and eyes…

For the glory of the skies

Humbled, as always, by nature’s artistry, 

We bow our heads in gratitude 

For the beauty of the earth 

And the glory of the skies; 

For the love which, from our birth,

 Over and around us lies…

Shifting shadows

The warm regard of others 

Falls across our skin like shadows, 

An illusion, shifting with the light, 

Which might seem to stitch us together 

But only masks the wounds 

 Which will require more intentional healing.

Resisting the threat

Our awareness of violence 

Elsewhere in the world 

Looms overhead, a menacing cloud, 

Threatening to overwhelm 

 All of our positive actions and thoughts,

 Poisoning our every interaction 

With an undercurrent of rage and frustration. 

Breathe deeply, and resist the temptation 

 To righteousness and anger; 

 Let it fuel, instead, a renewed impulse 

To kindness and compassion.

Infinite generosity

How can the heart not but respond 

To the glorious eruptions of spring? 

Such abundance must remind us 

Of the infinite generosity of Spirit!

So much love

Look at those fingers of sky, 

Reaching down to pet us, 

Just as we reach down to pet 

A dog or cat… 

Can we not see how much love 

The universe has for us?

On Earth Day

And on this day, and every day, 

We pray for the re-greening of the earth, 

That all her forests and her seas and air 

May thrive again and breathe new life 

And poisons wash away.

Contemplation and surprise

As artists, we can thrive 

 If we remember two important things: 

Any object, intensely contemplated, 

Can be an opening to reverie; 

And it’s often our surprises, not our plans, 

That infuse our work with depth and meaning.

Finding our way through

Each of us attempts to carve 

A pathway through uncertainty, 

Trying to define and contain 

That which overwhelms us. 

Both those efforts and the moments 

When we stop and allow ourselves 

 To be overwhelmed 

 Give us the skills and imagination 

To tackle the next challenges, 

Whatever they might be.

The Source is always present

Even a chicken coop turns magical 

When touched by the light of the dying sun. 

Even on our darkest days 

We may experience moments of illumination. 

Fear not: the Source is always there, 

Even when hidden behind the clouds.

When the path curves

Why do we get frustrated 

When the path to what we love 

Fails to run smoothly? 

Surely the path that curves and turns 

Is more visually appealing — 

Can we not learn to trust 

That new directions and surprises 

Have much to teach us, 

Even when we stumble?

Happy Easter!

The sky has dressed herself 

In her most glorious, colorful finery 

 In celebration of this magnificent day. 

Come, let us rejoice and be glad in her light!

Rejoice!

Rejoice! 

And now the blossoms of Spring return, 

Singing their song of hope and renewal;

Rebirth and resurrection: 

That which was barren 

 Shall once again bear fruit!

Gratitude

Treasure those rare moments 

When in the midst of all the chaos and the sorrow 

We’re reminded to be grateful we’re alive.

The coming storm

Though we still live in the light, 

Things do look ominous: 

Those dark clouds overhead 

Are far too threatening to overlook, 

And the path of violence 

Is drawing ever closer. 

How might we best prepare 

For the coming storm?

A place to rest

May all hearts seeking refuge 

 From the inevitable turbulence of life 

Find a quiet place to rest, and to heal.

Planting peace

To garden, to plant, to farm 

Is an act of hope, and of trust 

That a dream, a vision 

 Can and will come true with proper tending. 

How, then, shall we plant peace 

In the soil of human hearts; 

How might we tend it so our dream 

Of a kinder, healthier planet might come true?

A prayer for refugees

May all who are refugees 

Find safe harbor from their storms…

.Once again with joy

Once planted, they return each year, 

 These flowers, just as, in the spring, 

 My plum trees bloom, reminding us 

Love never goes away, never diminishes, 

 But simply lies in wait 

 For the moment when it’s meant to appear, 

Astounding us 

 Once again with joy.

The grace in un-knowing

Embrace the sweet humility 

Of not knowing what lies beyond the bend 

For it contains within a gift: 

Opportunities for discovery.

What majesty overhead

Today, instead of focusing 

 On where your feet might fall, 

Look up! 

Who knows what majesty 

Might be passing overhead; 

What answer might be waiting for a prayer…

What lies before us

We cannot know for sure what lies before us: 

What storms will blow, what rain will fall,

 Or what monsters lurk beneath calm seas, 

Yet still we heed the call 

 To keep moving forward; 

To take what steps we must to ensure 

Continuing engagement 

 With our purpose here on earth.

Let faith not fade

Familiar shapes become ominous 

 As the light fades, 

But, in reality, it is not the shapes that change, 

But our perception of them. 

Faith is that internal light 

That allows us to keep trusting, 

Even in the dark.

Look past the dark

Our job is to persist; 

To continue seeing past 

The harsh black tendrils of war 

To the peace that lies beyond; 

To believe and hold the faith 

For those who cannot see their way to hope.

The quiet comfort of the normal

When, like the mountains on a sunny spring day, 

After hiding all winter 

 Behind a screen of clouds, 

Our deepest fears are suddenly 

Exposed for all to see, 

We might rejoice, in that the contrast 

Makes our inner landscape more balanced; 

Re-Awakening appreciation 

 For the Familiar; 

For the quiet comfort of the normal…

Planting for the future

The pleasure we derive 

From the forethought of others — 

The cherry trees whose blossoms 

Are so pleasing in the spring; 

The institutions and the laws 

That bless future generations— 

All serve to remind us 

That, though what we plant now 

May not bear fruit for many years, 

It’s still worth planting, as a gift 

For those whose lives have yet to bloom.

In gratitude

I’m grateful for the days 

When possibilities and opportunities 

 Seem as endless as the sea and sky: 

Remembering them helps get me through 

The days when I feel blocked at every turn…

Illusory preparedness

Okay, world; I’m ready. 

Protected on all sides, 

Oars close to hand, 

A towel to wipe the sweat from my brow… 

So bring it on. 

 Heh. 

 So easy to think you’re ready for anything 

When you’re safely tied to the dock 

And the water’s calm…