Sunrise dreams

It’s such a gift, to awaken to the light,

 The daffodils, the dawn, 

The mountain in its gilded repose; 

To set aside, however briefly, 

The worries of the world and dream of peace.

Generosity

Imagine if all humans 

Were as generous as nature, 

Pouring their gifts into the world 

Without reservation, trusting against all odds 

That something, some day, might bear fruit; 

Sparing no effort in hopes that might be true.

Misleading assumptions

Things aren’t always what they seem, 

And assumptions based 

 On what we think we know 

Can be heart-breakingly misleading. 

“See something? Say something!” 

Is the slogan of a state under siege: 

See something? Look more closely, 

And look with an open heart: 

What you learn from looking might surprise you.

Welcoming spring

As we welcome the first daffodils of spring, 

Our hearts begin to soar 

At the thought of warmer days, and sunshine…

Seeing through the shadows

Wherever there is light 

There will be shadows. 

Our mission is to see through 

Our shadows to the truth that lies beneath, 

However troubling or awkward it might be.

Fed by the light

Fed by the light that shines on us, 

May we in turn bless and protect, 

 And guide the world 

With the light that shines through us.

Rosy smiles of dawn

After days of clouds, the sky clears again,

 Parting to reveal the mountain 

That hovers in the distance, 

Wreathed today in rosy smiles of dawn, 

As if to welcome spring.

Spring

Come sit with me 

Beneath the newly flowered tree, 

And linger while we wait for fruit to form 

And drop into our waiting hands and mouths 

Like truth, delivered from above; 

Manna from heaven sent 

To soothe our souls, so hungry for 

 Reminders that there’s hope, and life, and love 

Just waiting to rain down on all 

Who trust, and take the time to breathe 

The rosy scent of being.

Looking back at simpler times

How often, in our inflated inflatable lives, 

Do we look back and long for simpler times, 

When all we had, we needed, and could afford 

Were the bare necessities 

Essential to stay afloat:

 A sponge to clean, a bucket to bail, 

A rope to keep us safely tied, 

And oars to help move forward 

 When the time came to move on.

Gratitude

Some days, the gratitude is overwhelming: 

For the return of spring and sunlight; 

For the mountains and the sea; 

For all those who went before us, 

Building lighthouses to protect us, 

And manning them in the dark and storms; 

For the grass and sand beneath my feet, 

The friends who join us on this walk, 

And the raucous cries of the gulls — 

Breathe deep and drink the salted air 

Of gratefulness.

Subsistence

As I drive by this glorious view — 

This fence, this field, that barn, those trees,

 Those fabulous mountains —

 I wonder what it’s like to live off the land:

 Impoverished, but surrounded 

 By natural splendor; tied to and governed by 

The vicissitudes of nature and the territory 

 Even as its beauty feeds our souls. 

My father-in-law grew up on a farm like that, 

 And left as soon as he was able. 

How will our children, 

Genetically drawn to that way of life, 

Manage the internal push and pull 

Between the longing for a simpler existence 

 And the drive to succeed and survive?

Ignition

Yesterday, I noticed on our daily evening walk 

That the sun had finally worked her way 

Around again (I know: it’s not her movement 

But our own) to that corner of the sky 

Where we can watch her as she sets, 

And so I grabbed my camera 

And hurried to the corner of our lawn 

That’s best for viewing, 

 Only to arrive just as she slipped 

 Below the horizon, as if she were a teacher,

 Or an artist, or an angry politician,

 Igniting all the crowd of clouds or lives 

 Her bold light touched 

 Even as she disappeared from view.

Sprouting

At first, I was weirded out, 

To slice open this tomato

 (Which we left out on the counter because 

Our daughter says it’s wrong 

To put them in the fridge) 

And see what looked, at first glance, like worms. 

But then, upon realizing they were sprouts 

 (I’d never seen this before; have you?)

 It was like, ooh! Extra crunch! Extra nutrition! 

And so beautiful!

 I was torn between planting it and eating it, 

But eating won: it was delicious, 

And I like to think of all those sprouting seeds 

Sprouting inside me, like ideas, 

Like new growth, new opportunities for joy…

No hiding

There will, of course, be times, 

When it feels expedient 

 To hide who you really are 

And what you’re really thinking, 

But chances are you’re seen and known anyway. 

Perhaps it’s time to let us see 

The unique gift you were born to be.

Wake up!

I forgot to set the clocks ahead 

And almost missed a coffee date. And now, 

 When I should have been cooking dinner,

 I’m staring out the window as I type, 

Distracted by a first stray daffodil 

Glowing bright among the dried out stalks 

Of lavender and ferns. 

Watching as my winter lawn turns golden 

In the late afternoon, I wonder:

 It’s so bright outside. How did it get so late?

 Clearly the time has changed: 

 All nature sings Wake up!

Bridge people

Today I lift a song in praise of bridge people: 

Not just the visionaries and engineers 

 Who imagine, design, and build 

Connections that allow us access 

Across previously insurmountable barriers, 

But the individuals who choose to reach across 

And connect; who value collaboration,

 Communication, and community more 

Than their own beliefs and prejudices 

Or party affiliations; the ones who understand 

A multiplicity of perspectives can produce 

More effective and considerate solutions.

That sinking feeling

That sinking feeling, when you realize 

 You may have taken a wrong turn; 

That there’s no way back; that forward, 

 Though there’s no clear end in sight, 

Is your only possible option.

 Because the road before you is not well-traveled, 

And if anything goes wrong,

Rescue may be a remote possibility, 

It becomes a test of faith: 

Can you continue to trust 

That you were brought here for a reason; 

That you are always loved, 

 And never, ever, alone?

Reframing the past

Some wounds will always be there.

 Some losses are impossible to forget. 

And yet — time has a way of softening the edges; 

Of framing those traumatic events 

In ways that make them easier to bear— 

And sometimes even allowing them 

To feed and fuel new life.

Perfect imperfections

Nature — if we pay attention — 

Has a way of reminding us 

We don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. 

The snow atop our heads 

 Need not be purely white, 

Our clothes and lives might be in disarray, 

The contrast between our intentions 

And our accomplishments almost glaring, 

Yet there’s something so appealing— 

Even lovable — in our perfect imperfections.

Adaptations

Ah, the contortions we go through 

 In our efforts, on the one hand, to fit in, 

And, on the other, to resist and to withstand 

The challenges and changes 

 Being tossed at us, like wind, 

Until we bend or break before the onslaught — 

And yet, there’s beauty 

In the twists and turns life takes along the way, 

And opportunities for growth in new directions: 

Whenever our perspective shifts, 

We have the chance to see and trace new paths.

The home in your heart

The invitation is always there: 

The steps are waiting for you to climb; 

The guarantee that you’ll be welcome,

 And have it — this home in your heart — 

All to yourself; a place where you will always find 

Rest, relief, and release; 

A shelter from whatever storms 

Are lurking in the clouds. 

Come inside. Sit. Breathe. 

And know that — here, at least — 

You will never be alone; you’ll always belong.

Managing transitions

That moment, 

When we know something has to change, 

But we also know we have to manage 

The transition very carefully, 

Lest we slip and slide off our chosen path, 

Headed for a crash. 

Full attention, total presence, hyper-awareness 

Are our survival tools — 

Not to mention a very gentle touch 

On both the brake and the accelerator…

Patience

Something about the way 

He waits so patiently in the marsh 

For dinner to appear stirs our hearts.

We, who’ve always gone after what we need, 

Now learn to wait, and let whatever’s coming 

Make its way into our lives 

While we wait, breathing and appreciating 

 Whatever joy we find in the moment.

Capturing the ribbon of light

Lured by the moon, 

I step into the darkness, 

Carefully making my way 

Across the pockmarked lawn 

To shelter beneath the tree at the edge of the cliff.

 Leaning into her trunk to hold my camera steady,

 I shoot, and shoot, and shoot again, 

Watching as the tiny bars march across my screen, 

Hoping to capture that ribbon of light 

Before the pale moon sinks behind a cloud 

Or into the sea.

Alone or together

Seeing this, 

This isolated home, 

Separated from community 

By the lake at its front 

And the mountains at its back,

 I think of CS Lewis and The Great Divorce, 

Where he arrives in Hell only to find 

Folks continuing to move farther and farther away 

 From each other.

 I know that tendency in myself— 

The longing for solitude — 

But at the same time I’m aware 

Of the great joy I find in human interactions.

 It’s one of our great challenges, isn’t it, 

To find a satisfactory balance 

Between the need to be alone 

And the joy of loving and being loved…

Make time to explore

There are paths that you may see 

On the way to somewhere else 

That look appealing, 

 But you’re too busy to pursue. 

When will you slow down enough 

To consider making time to explore? 

Who knows what marvelous options 

Might await you, just around the corner?

Unlocking doors

When young, life was about opening doors;

Unlocking new opportunities, 

Discovering new places to exert our gifts. 

But with age comes acceptance — 

Which might look like defeat — 

That there are some doors that will remain closed,

 Either because we’ve lost the urge 

 Or the power to break through them, 

Or because we have discovered that 

What gifts and strengths we have might be 

More productively — and easily — 

 Applied elsewhere; 

That time spent struggling with barriers 

 Might instead be spent creating, 

Teaching, or encouraging, 

 Or helping countless others to find the key…

Framing a life

Just as the suggestion of a frame 

Adds depth and appeal to a photo, 

So can gently framed boundaries 

Add richness to relationships, 

Reducing distractions and allowing us to focus 

On what we might be building 

 And where we might be going together.

That sinking feeling

Inevitably, there will be days 

When we find ourselves sinking: 

Buried in the gritty entangled sameness 

That sometimes overcomes us; 

When the stresses of survival 

And the demands of those around us drag us down. 

Instead of sinking further, or struggling to escape, 

We have another option: 

 Take a moment to stop resisting, 

 And breathe in solidarity 

With all the other souls who feel as trapped; 

Then reach inside and find that part of you 

That knows from experience this will not last, 

And breathe that confidence 

 Out into the world, 

 That other sufferers might come to trust, as you do, 

In the constancy of change 

And find the resources within 

To take whatever steps are needed 

To restore a more productive 

 Sense of balance in their lives.

Healing angels

When we’re tired and low, 

We’re largely unaware, 

 But there are angels clustered ’round us, 

Watching over us; 

Tenderly caring for us and wishing us well — 

At least, that’s how this photograph makes me feel.

A quiet space

However challenging they may seem, 

We need those clear and quiet spaces 

In our weeks and in our lives; 

Need to empty hearts and minds 

For love, inspiration, and energy to flow back in. 

Don’t be afraid to simply sit, 

Or take a walk — whatever helps you 

Breathe back into that vital space within 

That fuels your activities 

 And soothes your troubled soul.

The photographer responds

As you can see here, it’s not always beauty 

That captures a photographer’s eye: 

Sometimes it’s a color, a shape, or a line, 

A shadow, a pattern, or maybe a scrawl 

 Of a word that hints of some song 

That brings back a memory — who knows? 

But as Pasteur said, 

 Chance favors the mind that’s prepared, 

 And so we respond to the moment, trusting 

That whatever the impulse that guides us, 

There’s something that longs — 

 Or deserves — to be seen; 

An opportunity not to be missed.

Nature’s comfort

However lost and desolate we may be feeling, 

We take comfort in the timelessness of nature: 

The clouds that rise and pass away, 

The trees that shed their leaves, 

Then grow them again, 

The tides that rise and fall 

On the whims of the moon…

Sending peace and comfort

Been waiting and watching ten days 

For these glorious flowers to bloom 

And cast their scent into the air, 

And now I offer them to you,

 With affection and in sympathy 

 For whatever troubles you are bearing: 

May you find peace and comfort 

As you go about your day.

Determination

How amazing is this, 

That despite all this texture, 

The wounds and the scars, 

This is a living tree? 

The will to survive 

Is a profound and marvelous gift!

After the storm

After so stormy a night, 

It’s almost shocking to see sunlight and shadow

 Dappling a relatively pristine lawn:

 No fallen branches, no odd detritus 

 Blown over from someone else’s yard. 

How can so much sound and fury 

Leave our world untouched? 

And how can we cultivate 

 That core sense of serenity 

In our own hearts and lives?

Trust

It seems to me — a non-gardener — 

That gardening, like careers and relationships, 

Is a mix of vision, hard work, and trust: 

It helps to know what you’re working towards, 

And of course you need to work at it, 

(Plus it helps to enjoy the labor) 

But it’s also critical to believe it’s possible: 

To trust in your own ability to succeed, 

And to trust that circumstances 

 Will tend to work in your favor: 

It’s trust that allows you to adjust and adapt 

Even in the face of serious setbacks. 

And when you lose trust — what then?

Patience

Patience.

 If you stay focused, long enough, 

On those who can provide 

What you’re looking for, 

Eventually they’ll roll their eyes, 

Say, “Alright, alright, 

I’ll bring you what you’re looking for,” 

And deliver the goods — at least, 

That’s what the deer believe!

Time to get out from under

There seems to be some sort of large weight 

Holding you back. 

I‘m not sure how it got there:

 Did you put it there yourself to feel secure,

 Or to prevent loss? 

Or is someone or something else tying you down? 

At any rate, you might need help 

Getting out from under:

 Don’t be afraid to ask —

 A spirit as colorful as yours 

Deserves to float freely!

Simple pleasures

For years now, scenes like this have called to me, 

And whenever I have the chance to shoot

 Images like this, my eyes and heart 

Begin to sing a happy song of joy, 

Rejoicing in the perfect balance 

Of simplicity, clarity, turbulence, and color.

We need you

I know that you have heard this before,

 But I want to remind you: 

You are unique, 

And the world needs your unique 

Perspective and contribution 

 To help it on its way 

To wholeness; to completion.

Choices

On a cold and windy day, we chose 

To walk beside the sea; we chose 

To walk inside the sound of waves, 

The bitter air, the salted cry of gulls, 

The rocks beneath our feet, the damp, 

And speak of love, that warms and shelters 

When it thrives but cuts when knives 

Like thoughtless words slice through 

And magnify the wind, the cold 

Until no jacket’s warm enough 

To protect us from the frost of loss; 

Until we choose — a conscious choice — 

To walk away, alone.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today’s a good day to remember

 Love is a verb: 

Not just something we give, or get, or long for,

 But something we do...

The subtle shades of winter

Though the days are growing longer, 

It’s still winter, and the setting sun 

Still hides behind our trees. 

We catch glimpses, but the full effect 

Is lost to us until the weather warms. 

It’s nature’s way of teaching us 

Patience, and delayed gratification: 

The subtler shades of winter, 

Like the bones beneath the leaves 

And the bare dirt in the garden, 

Whet our appetites for Spring.

Time to center once again

It’s good to stop and orient yourself; 

To find your center once again 

And reacquaint yourself with all 

The possible directions life might take — 

Because, no matter how it looks 

From this particular perspective, 

There are still choices you can make 

That might enrich, not just your days, 

But the lives of those around you. 

Breathe deep, and breathe, and breathe again, 

And let wisdom find its way into your heart.

What if a door?

What if a door you’d always thought 

Was closed to you were suddenly to open? 

What if the answer to your prayers 

Lay just inside, and all you had to do 

Was knock, or push, or pull? 

What if the key were right there in your hands: 

What then? Would you hesitate,

 Or boldly step right up and in? 

Or — and this often happens— 

Would you fail to even notice the opportunity, 

And walk on by, lost in a fog 

Of past and future imaginings?

To gently guide

Each of us, grounded as we are 

In layers of experience, 

Crafted over time into stories that we tell, 

Has a unique opportunity 

 To be the rock; the guide, the firm foundation 

 For someone else’s journey; 

To help prevent missteps or gently offer 

Encouragement for those who stumble. 

That said, we must stay humble, 

For that journey is still theirs, 

And theirs alone.

Choosing when to leave

From certain points on your path, 

However rocky it might be, 

The cost of entry to make a change 

Might prove extremely steep. 

Perhaps, in such cases, 

It may be wiser to continue as you are 

Until an easier exit presents itself…

Those who prepared the way

How often do we remember to thank 

Those who create, smooth, and protect 

The paths we choose to travel? 

Perhaps we could take a moment today 

To honor the efforts 

 Of those who’ve gone before us…

Fostering blooms

Whenever I forget to water this plant, 

She throws off flowers — 

A gentle reminder, perhaps, 

That the best way to support another 

Is not to hover, but simply 

To be there when you’re asked or needed, 

Giving them the space to bloom on their own…