Stepping away for a bit

I’ll be stepping away from here for a bit.

 I can’t deny I’m anxious 

 About what lies ahead, 

And I definitely welcome 

Any prayers you have to spare. 

But in the meantime I leave you 

With gratitude for your presence, 

And the blessing of St. Francis. 

I’ve loaded in some old posts 

To keep you company while I’m gone; 

And hope to meet with you again 

On the other side.

Ending and rebirth

Each day comes to an end, 

Bathed in beauty, 

Wrapped in darkness, 

To be born again with the sunrise; 

A promise of hope.

Stretching

We could continue striving 

For what is more, better, higher; 

Stretching our resources, 

Risking a fall to obtain 

What in reality will remain elusive; 

Illusive; 

When what we have right here, right now, 

Is real; as real as it gets.

Serendipity

I’ve spent these last few days 

Watching the hummingbirds sip 

From the tall purple stalks 

That invaded this year’s garden: 

Total serendipity, and such joy! 

Sweet balm to a troubled heart 

As I anticipate the trials to come…

Cosmic reassurance

Those moments when the universe 

Seems to be speaking confirmation — 

That everything that’s happening 

Is leading is leading us to something 

 Much more wonderful; 

A sort of cosmic reassurance of hope.

Solstice

Solstice, a late sunset, 

And the world becomes a painting 

I could hang upon a wall. 

 What could I ever create 

That would be lovelier than this?

Learning to trust

Tucked away in a lavender field, 

The fawn has learned to trust 

Its mother will return. 

We, too, must learn to trust, 

That we have not been abandoned; 

That love and mercy, so long absent, 

Will return to guide us safely home.

A rainbow all its own

As evening falls, the colors deepen, 

Until, by 10:00, the sky becomes 

A rainbow all its own, gently wrapping 

 The sleeping islands in the distance 

In a blanket of warm colors.

Let it be

Whatever these purple upstarts are,

 The goldfinches seem to love them.

 Just imagine: if I’d taken them for weeds, 

And ruthlessly removed them, 

I’d never have had the thrill of watching 

The delight of these tiny birds. 

So sometimes it’s okay 

To let nature take its course…

Even the weeds

This time of year, 

Even the weeds in my garden are beautiful. 

Feeling grateful…

Awakening

When we sound the call to prayer, 

Who will hear that resonance? 

What lives in us that awakens, listens, 

Aches to hear that bell-like tone?

Together

We need to remember 

We’re all on this ship together: 

Whatever our differences, 

 It’ll take each one of us 

And every unique contribution 

 To get us across the sea of life.

Simple pleasures

Simple pleasures are best:

 A single flower in the garden, 

A heart-shaped leaf with a ruby edge — 

Precious gifts to passersby; 

My own heart swells in gratitude.

Nature, trumphant

Like dinosaurs, we wrap our roots around 

The stumps of the shorn giants of the past 

And grow to dwarf descendants 

Of the men who cut our ancestors down. 

What’s lost has served as platform 

For the gains yet to emerge: 

Nature, triumphant.

White birds black

The sun goes down, 

The wind picks up, 

And the seagulls dance before the clouds; 

White birds black against a kaleidoscopic sky.

Generosity unbounded

In gratitude to all who make the time 

To create these gentle, restorative oases 

In unexpected places: 

Generosity unbounded, 

That soothes our aching hearts.

First strawberry

Ah, the joy of seeing 

That first strawberry starting to ripen! 

June is here, with all her promises

 Of fruit yet to come.

Broken and mended

The heart that has been broken 

Shall be mended; woven back together, 

 And in so doing shall become a gateway, 

Opening to a new — and more abundant  — life.

Cloud enchantment

“Age cannot wither her, 

Nor custom stale her infinite variety.” 

How could anyone get bored 

When the clouds are entertaining us 

With their constantly entrancing dance?

Asking for help

Why walk alone when there are friends 

Willing to walk beside us 

As we venture into the great unknown?

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give

Is to ask for help.

The colors of evening

Drink in the colors of evening and rejoice: 

Another day accomplished 

Or simply survived; 

Another opportunity 

 To rest and rejuvenate.

Subtle beauty

There’s such beauty in the subtlety 

 Of reflected glory; 

No need to be the center of attention, 

Circumscribed and bright, 

But free to take your own unique shape 

And dance in the attendant breezes…

Pockets of serenity

How grateful we are to nature, 

And to all those who take the time 

To shape it into these tiny pockets 

Of serenity… 

Water, greenery, flowers and sky — 

All feed our tender hungry souls.

The unexpected crossroads

Picture this (it happens to each of us) 

You’re driving along a familiar road, 

Enjoying the scenery and life in general, 

When you come to an unexpected crossroads. 

Maybe it was there all along; 

You just never noticed it before, 

But now it’s clear you’re faced with a choice, 

And this road you never thought you’d take 

Becomes a clear alternative 

 To the unpredicted roadblocks that lie ahead. 

How will you choose, 

And what will you take with you 

On this unexpected journey?

Brief encounters

Most days I see you passing by; 

You stop, a visual acknowledgement, 

And then move on to go about your day, 

As if we were two strangers on a bus, 

Sharing a commute, but not a friendship; 

Sharing a look, a nod, but no emotion 

Save awareness that this space we share, 

However temporarily, 

Has welcomed each of us in turn, 

But we are simply passing through, 

While it was here before we came 

And will remain long after we have gone.

Curiosity

The morning fog adds mystery 

To my neighbor’s barn and fence,

 Drawing me in, inviting as it teases. 

What is that, in the human psyche,

 That seeks clarity, but prefers 

To have to work for it; 

That pulls us forward into ratiocination?