Tuesday, March 28, 2023

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.

Monday, March 27, 2023

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.

Sunday, March 26, 2023

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.

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Welcoming spring


As we welcome the first daffodils of spring, 
Our hearts begin to soar 
At the thought of warmer days, and sunshine…

Friday, March 24, 2023

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.

Thursday, March 23, 2023

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.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

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.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

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.

Monday, March 20, 2023

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.

Sunday, March 19, 2023

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.

Saturday, March 18, 2023

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?

Friday, March 17, 2023

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.

Thursday, March 16, 2023

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…

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

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.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

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!

Monday, March 13, 2023

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.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

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?

Saturday, March 11, 2023

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.

Friday, March 10, 2023

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.

Thursday, March 9, 2023

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.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

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.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

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…

Monday, March 6, 2023

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.

Sunday, March 5, 2023

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.

Saturday, March 4, 2023

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…

Friday, March 3, 2023

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?

Thursday, March 2, 2023

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…

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

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.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

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.

Monday, February 27, 2023

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.

Sunday, February 26, 2023

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.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

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.

Friday, February 24, 2023

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…

Thursday, February 23, 2023

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.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

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!

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

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?

Monday, February 20, 2023

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?

Sunday, February 19, 2023

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!

Saturday, February 18, 2023

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!

Friday, February 17, 2023

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.

Thursday, February 16, 2023

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.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

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.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

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...

Monday, February 13, 2023

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.

Sunday, February 12, 2023

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.

Saturday, February 11, 2023

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?

Friday, February 10, 2023

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.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

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…

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

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…

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

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…