New beginnings

There are those who reassure us, saying, 

“January’s just another month!” 

But still it feels we’re on the cusp 

Of an opportunity for new beginnings. 

Yet we know all too well 

The brightness of each new dawning 

Will always highlight shadows. 

Let us remember to always choose the light.

Nature’s Art

🎶There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow🎶

 … and a beautiful drive through the valley, 

On our way to retrieve my paintings 

From a two-month, two-woman show. 

I was a photographer before I became a painter,

 And I still find nature’s art 

Far more beautiful than my own. 

Feeling blessed…

Ignite the darkness

See? That is how it works 

When we become the light: 

Not only do we ignite the darkness, 

But in mirroring the light from above 

We’re highlighting opportunities 

 To peer into that larger world; 

 The world beyond ourselves 

Where all love lies, 

Waiting for us to reach out and engage.

Role playing

In any group, whether of humans or birds, 

There will be those who look to the past, 

Those who are looking to the future, 

Those who are obsessing about their looks, 

Those who are listening, 

Those who are watching, 

Those who are absorbed in each other, 

Those who are resting, 

And those are patiently waiting in hope. 

Which will you be today?

In certain combinations

Watching in the quilt shop 

As my daughter chooses fabrics 

For the quilt her brother-in-law has commissioned, 

I marvel, yet again, at the infinite variety 

Of colors and patterns that are available 

And the ways she finds of putting them together.

 “What a piece of work is man! How like a god” 

In that extraordinary gift; 

Mixing and matching fabrics 

As we are mixed and matched as people, 

Our strengths highlighted or enhanced 

In certain combinations 

Yet made less visible, or even disappearing 

In others… in jobs, relationships, communities 

That leave us washed out, 

Emptied of vitality, 

While others we are gifted with 

Enable us to shine as part of a pleasing whole…

Boxing Day

Like a cat who’s always determined 

 To climb to the highest perch, 

We humans seem inclined to rise 

To ever higher heights: 

Like the hardware store we used to visit 

 Whose slogan was “More of Everything:” 

More gifts, more awards, more salary; 

More fame and more prestigious jobs —

And Christmas throws that all into relief. 

So it’s no wonder that, embarrassed by 

The weight of our greed, 

We follow this season with a time 

Of making resolutions: 

 To purchase less, to eat less and give more;

So yes, today is Boxing Day: 

Traditionally a time to share 

That plethora of gifts with those 

Who may not be as fortunate. 

How will you celebrate?

Season’s blessings

Sending all best wishes 

For the blessings of the season, 

In hopes that peace and comfort 

May be showered upon all.

Awaiting the birth of peace

Here we stand with Mary, 

Trapped in what feels like 

An unprecedented poverty 

 Of kindness and civility,

Desperately awaiting the birth of peace. 

May it be born into the world this night, 

And comfort come to all who are oppressed.

Something to strive for

I passed this sign, saw the gull, 

And had to stop: if there were something deeper 

To strive for than the peace we long to see, 

It would be this: renewed awareness 

Of the links that lie beneath the squabbles; 

The bond of humanness that connects us all; 

The fact that beneath the skin 

 We are all brothers, and are born 

 To care for one another and protect 

Not just ourselves but that connection.

Surprises

I came home yesterday to find a horse 

Calmly nibbling the grass beyond my fig tree. 

Life on the edge of town: 

Always an adventure!

Welcoming the light

Hurray for Solstice, 

And the returning of the light! 

May each of us be beacons, 

Carrying that light 

 Into a kinder, more peaceful world…

Reframing assumptions

So many people seem to get upset these days, 

Quick to take offense, 

Interpreting absent-mindedness,

Mistakes or exhaustion as micro-aggressions 

When we used to be more accepting; 

More forgiving, and more tolerant. 

What if we more consciously 

 Reframed our assumptions, 

Made allowance for our differences,

 Let go of our divisions 

And the need to win or lose, 

Walked away from unnecessary conflict, 

And found new ways to co-exist and share?

Becoming mirrors

Perhaps as we age 

We slowly become invisible, 

But in a good way,

 No longer windows into ourselves , 

 But mirrors — however imperfect — 

Reflecting light back into the world…

Christmas decorations

Why put up lights and Santa statues? 

The plants in our yard 

 Have already dressed themselves 

 In Christmas colors!

Best intentions

Whatever I set out to paint 

Soon becomes something else, altogether: 

The best intentions always foiled, 

Either by desire or lack of skill; 

By predilection, or, sometimes, 

By fear of failure. 

So much easier to start with nothing in mind 

And let the brush go wherever it takes me…

Fear of proximity

I sat in a church last night 

Staring at a Christmas tree 

And listening to a choir singing carols

 (Not a service, but a concert) 

With pews packed full of listeners: 

First time in such proximity 

Since March of 2020. 

Later, wakened in the night 

By a scarily persistent cough, 

I made myself a pot of tea and wondered: 

What if I’ve just exposed myself to CoVid? 

As a culture, do we all share 

A collective PTSD? 

Do we fear we’ll only thrive in isolation?

Down but not out

Strolling through my yard this time of year, 

You might assume this tree had fallen; 

Died; lived out its life — but no! 

It is a living apple tree, still vital, 

Still feeding children and the homeless — 

A living testament to perseverance 

And endurance; inspiration to us all, 

Reminding us that down need not mean out.

A tiny ray of sunshine

As autumn draws to a close 

And winter’s chill sets in 

The gray skies turn all things to dim. 

I stomp around my yard, 

Looking for something to photograph, 

And there they are, beneath my feet: 

These tiny little flowers, 

 Buried in the grass beside my car, 

Petals blushing rosily beneath my gaze; 

A tiny ray of sunshine to brighten our day.

Catch and release

Like tiny insects under the darkening sky, 

The wee boats gather on the silver sea 

In hopes of catching the prey that swims 

Just below the surface. 

Watching from behind my window,

I play catch and release 

With the thoughts that glide idly by…

Breathe, and breathe again

Take a deep breath, 

And feel your cares 

Being washed away...

Unknowing

Having moved to this town 

At the beginning of the pandemic, 

There’s still so much I’ve never seen, 

So many streets I haven’t traveled, 

So much I don’t yet know 

 About this community — so many surprises 

Still to be discovered… 

Having come into this world so young, 

How is it that so many of us 

Can think we understand it?

Peaceful blues

May the peace in this photo 

Find an echo in your soul, 

And your cares and concerns subside.

Curiosity

Like strangers passing by, 

Separated by a pane of glass 

We watch each other, wondering 

What must that life be like; 

Why do they stare; 

What is it that you seek from me, 

Or are you just a passing curiosity? 

How rare it is, to find a deeper knowing…

Instead

Instead of railing at the world, 

Of stewing over or pointing out 

The transgressions of our neighbors, 

Would it not be a healthier use of our time 

To sit and watch the clouds roll by; 

To revel in the colors of the sky?

Fullness of a moment

So many options, at any time: 

What shall we focus on? 

The fence? The path? 

 The lush greens overhead? 

The last red rose of summer, 

Or the autumnal golds and reds that lie ahead? 

One moment in time still holds so much: 

How can we take it all in?

From dawn to dusk

Between night, then day, then night again, 

A host of textures and colors: 

Rivers to cross, mountains to climb, 

Clouds of feelings that rise up and pass away: 

Each day a complex compilation 

Of obstacles and opportunities 

 To challenge and inform us…

Still connected

Though in each life circumstances may arise 

Which leave us feeling isolated,

 Alone; disconnected,

 We are, at root, all part of something 

Larger than ourselves. 

Look outside, beyond the window 

Of your darkening discontent, 

And rediscover that which brings you energy

 From the world beyond the doors 

You thought were closed.

The hunger for attention

Like a half- blind raccoon, 

Begging in the rain for food, 

There’s desperation in our search for attention: 

We long to be seen, yet run away in fear 

When the Source of what we seek draws near. 

Hungering for fame, yet still the ego craves 

 The safety of invisibility, 

Lest the darker aspects of its greed be exposed.

Choosing to see opportunities

Where some might see an obstacle, 

Others view opportunity, 

Using their energy for construction, 

Not for complaint. 

May the troubles we encounter 

Always redefine themselves as opportunities…

Dark dawning

As time starts speeding by, 

We awaken to the dawning realization 

— Yet again —

That most of the troubles that occupy our thoughts 

At least partially result from our own foibles. 

Whatever they may be, 

 And however they originated, 

They continue to derail us, 

Yet we continue to project blame 

On people and situations outside of us. 

It’s so disturbing to remember, yet again, 

That the same traits and fears 

 That disabled us when we were younger 

 Haunt us still, though we’d hoped 

That with age we would grow wise…

Beauty as reflection

The beauty that attracts us 

Is but a reflection of the treasure 

That’s within us, 

And in uncovering that treasure 

We are returned to the source of Being 

That we, in turn, reflect.

On praying for signs

How many of us pray for signs 

To tell us where to go 

Or help us make decisions 

When the truth about our choices 

Could be obvious, if only we lifted our eyes, 

Looked beyond our own tangled thoughts 

And followed our feet, a single step at a time?

An invitation to drink

Glimpsed throughugh the trees, an invitation:

 Come, sit with me and drink 

The rosy colors of the sky; 

A wine that lifts the heart and feeds the soul.

At moonrise

Listen to your heart:

 Go outside to watch the moonrise 

 And let life gift you 

With the colors of surprise.

Pools of wonder

Let my words be a small pool

Of wonder, 

Reflecting all the beauty 

Gathered by my eyes…

Precious diamonds

The most precious diamonds to strive for 

Are not those formed of carbon, 

 But born in stillness: 

 The patterns formed when all opposites 

 Are balanced; gently flowing back and forth 

In perfect harmony, like the breath of the gods.

Caught in the act

Caught in the act of nibbling 

Late fall flowers, she stands still,

 Hoping to fade unnoticed into the scenery;

 A child with her hand on the cookie jar;

 A politician, with one foot in the fountain.

Cloud dance

Clouds dance above the mountain; 

Teasing; echoing its shape before drifting on. 

Sun smiles at their antics, 

Igniting edges briefly before rising to her fullest 

To breathe light into the world.

Thankful opportunities

You who walk through this world, 

Pay attention! Notice your surroundings! 

For while you stroll along, lost in thought 

You might pass by a small but perfect berry 

That could inspire a poem, an essay, 

A generous act, a wise decision, 

Or a new work of art! 

The world is full of opportunities to be thankful.

Moment vs memory

The waves leap forth repeatedly 

 To cover their own reflections in the sand, 

Creating, hiding, and redeeming 

 In the act of being themselves; 

Artistes who paint, then cover 

And paint again the same canvas, 

For whom the moment matters more than memory.

An uneasy truce

Stepping outside to shoot the clouds, 

I surprise a deer, sipping at his local fountain. 

He stares at me with haughty eyes,

 Ready to leap away, but meanwhile hoping 

I might be bringing food or drink: 

It’s that same uneasy truce we often find 

Whenever there’s an imbalance of power.

The seeds of resurrection

Each year we watch the trees losing their leaves, 

Turning from green to gold 

 And in their losses gilding 

 The edges of our street. 

The branches, then exposed, 

Etch graceful patterns on the sky, 

Then bud again in spring 

 With that astonishing yellow green 

That deepens, even as we watch, 

Yet still we find it hard to trust 

That life goes on after devastating loss; 

That deep within each being, each situation, 

Lie the seeds of resurrection, 

Waiting to redeem us, and bring to life 

The bright and glowing innocence of the new.

Come walk with me

Clouds swim across the evening sky 

Like fish, lit golden by the setting sun, 

While down below the old path beckons: 

Come, stretch your legs and walk with me; 

Tell me how your day has gone 

And I will tell you mine.

When mistakes are made

Having taken a running leap, 

My cat slides into the slippery rug, 

Which then wraps itself around him. 

So he settles in, wearing the white fringe 

 Like an Elizabethan ruff 

And pretending he meant to do this all along. 

Knowing it would make a pleasing portrait, 

He waits patiently for me to find my phone 

And photograph him, then leaps out of his nest 

And runs off in pursuit of his sister, 

Howling as he goes, rather like a human, 

Who, having made a mistake, 

Seeks someone else to loudly blame…

Compare, compare

Last night, the sunset was so lovely, 

I kept going outside to take more pictures,

 Hoping to capture it at its peak. 

This morning I find 58 new photos on my phone.

 How can I choose just one to publish 

And throw all these other beauties away? 

Compare, compare, compare: 

Is that really how you want to spend your time?

The mountain’s blush

All day and night, both ships and birds 

Are passing by the mountain 

But like a young girl waiting for her lover, 

The mountain only blushes with pleasure 

When her friend, the sun, appears.

Soul pleasures

High tide, a beach awash, 

 A sun-warmed cliff and a passing ship: 

Simple pleasures fill the eyes 

And simultaneously stir and calm the soul.

Radiance

Lit by the radiance of the morning sun, 

Even my potting shed is beautiful. 

So, too, the beauty of a soul 

Lit by the inner radiance of … 

How would you end that sentence? 

Faith? Truth? Hope? Love? 

And the greatest of these is…

Fall fashions

Dressed for their autumn fashion show, 

Each tree displays her wares 

With an eye to setting herself apart. 

While standing on the street corner 

To attract attention,

 One discreetly dangles her golden leaves 

 Like a flapper’s string of pearls 

While another makes up for her lack of height 

By clothing herself in vermilion lace 

And waving in the wind.

A grace-filled murmuration

The starlings gather in my yard, 

Chattering away as they swoop in, 

Landing en masse in the grass to feast 

On some unknown vegetation, 

And then, at some mysterious signal, 

They ascend as one into the air again, 

Circling until they alight again 

In some other part of the yard; 

Up and down, up and down,

A grace-filled murmuration, 

Like the Anglicans, who sit, then stand, 

Then kneel to pray, then sit and kneel again,

Then stand in church on a Sunday morning…