Economic Blackout Day

 I won’t be here on Friday,

but I’ll be back Saturday with a report.

Painstakingly constructed

Like this little gazebo, our government 

Is a painstakingly constructed edifice, 

Built to stand the test of time 

And shelter those who need it. 

To destroy the work of so many 

Is a brutal tragedy.

Dismantled

Watching the dismantling 

 Of the systems put in place to protect 

All those less fortunate than ourselves 

 Creates an unassuageable ache in the hearts 

Of all who were once proud to have been 

Part of a country founded on the principles

Of inalienable rights and equality. 

What will it take to rebuild?

Maintaining focus

There’s still clarity and beauty out there, 

It’s just hard to detect 

When so much is happening in the foreground: 

The reflections of our own thoughts and fears, 

The raindrops of our tears,

The light all the pundits try to shed, 

And the flag waving of both sides — 

All obscuring what we know to be true: 

 Compassion and hope must prevail.

Artist as poet

It took me sixty years 

 To discover I was an artist, 

And I may spend another sixty 

Exploring what that means,

 But I always knew I was a poet; 

I just didn’t know I could be both; 

That I didn’t need to choose between the two, 

Or that the rhythms found in one could be 

Reflected in the other…

Creative tension

The question is this: 

What do we choose to focus on? 

The fierceness of the storm, 

Or the colors in the sky — 

Or can we hold it all in creative tension; 

That both are true, 

And therein lies an opportunity 

To express what needs to be birthed 

 At this particular moment in time?

Be watchful and brave

Despite the high winds, he climbed 

 To the topmost branch of the tree, 

Then crossed to a neighboring branch 

That swayed in the wind, 

Then climbed back down 

To a stabler place 

And settled in to watch the deer. 

We’ll need to be equally watchful 

 And brave in the coming months: 

There’s a lot at stake.

Living on edge

It seems we’re all living 

Life on the edge these days. 

Somehow we need to find 

The beauty and possibility in that 

And not become paralyzed 

By our fear of falling…

Morning greetings

It’s morning, 

And the mama and her yearling 

Are here to greet me as the day begins. 

My heart sings, 

Rejoicing in our connection.

Resilience

The iridescent moss 

Clings to the trees and rocks 

Just as we cling to the old ideas 

Of honesty, integrity, humility, and compassion. 

 May such values prove resilient 

And as hard to eliminate 

As that ever-present moss…

A sedentary day

And now, a chance 

To sit in peace and appreciate 

The quiet of a sedentary day; 

The trees, the hills, the fog, the sea — 

All reaching out to calm our troubled hearts 

And sing a song of peace.

Surviving unexpectedness

Gliding into port on a gray and rainy day,

 I looked beyond the barriers 

 To the strange day that awaited us —

 So many cries for help: 

A forgotten purse, a misread schedule, 

A child’s grief-stricken act, 

Unexpected turbulence, 

A crack in the wall, and a frog: 

 And yet — it all worked out. 

Surprised, and grateful.

A Sunday kind of sweetness

Morning, 

And the moon hovers in the blue mist 

 Overlooking the water, 

Spreading a gentle glow below 

Her delicate lavender blanket. 

There’s a Sunday kind of sweetness in the air.

Don’t miss it!

The beauty of the day may go unseen 

If we’re busy locking horns 

With some annoying adversary. 

Be sure to step away from anger and irritation 

Long enough to appreciate 

 The glory nature has to offer.

Happy Valentines Day

It’s hard, in the dead of winter, 

To imagine things looking rosy; 

It’s hard, when love’s been lost, 

To imagine finding it again, 

And hard, when so much is broken, 

To imagine it will ever be fixed, 

Yet still we remember kindness, and Spring, 

And trust that they will come again. 

 Happy Valentines Day!

Pay attention!

Pay attention! 

The dawning sun has briefly clothed

The mountain and the sea in stripes today:

 Look quickly, as they’ll fade; 

Watch closely, as the clouds step in 

To gray and wash away those glorious colors, 

And remember how things looked 

Before the charming differences 

Were whitened into bland.

Small town life

The quiet charm of a small town 

On an early winter’s morning, 

Untouched as yet 

By the heartless machinations 

Of those in power far away 

Is what we’re longing to protect: 

People caring for one another, 

Sharing in communities; 

Human stories lived against 

A background of natural beauty.

Morning moon

Having awakened

To a beautiful moonlit morning, 

I face the challenges of the day 

With renewed vigor and joy, 

Enchanted by that golden ribbon of light.

Breathe in solidarity

That sinking feeling when you realize 

A minor dusting of snow in your own backyard 

Is a white-out blizzard elsewhere, 

And you’ll need to drive through it 

To get to that doctor’s appointment 

You’ve waited six months for: A minor challenge, 

Compared to what’s happening elsewhere… 

Just breathe, and stand in solidarity 

With all who are afraid.

The larger family

They still travel together, 

This father and son, 

And squabble from time to time,

 Locking horns and then licking 

Each other and grooming; 

Greeting us mornings 

As if glad to be part of 

This larger family we share. 

We’re honored, as well, 

And grateful they’ve welcomed us here, 

 As they were here first.

Fond memories

A dear friend in Paris visiting the Cluny on holiday

Reminded me of a visit there 25 years ago, 

When I took this picture, which I still love, 

Which I named Boisterous at the Cluny. 

So many years, and still the photo 

Brings back sweet memories: 

The blessings of photography; 

So precious; such a blessing.

Art imitating life

I tried to paint using blues and whites, 

But somehow when it dried 

Great swaths of brown appeared. 

So to relieve the brown and give it character, 

I added tiny marks, but now 

I’m seeing insects, and they bug me — 

 Like so much else that’s happening. 

 Once again, Art’s imitating life…

Snow job

It’s a snow job, right? 

False flattery on the one hand, 

While the other systematically destroys 

All we hold dear? 

So confusing, and so very white, 

We can’t seem to see familiar landmarks any more… When will it stop, 

And what will be left when the sky clears again?

Breathe, and breathe again

Resting my heart In the evening’s alpenglow 

Dusting Mount Baker with its rosy blush, 

I take a deep breath and breathe again 

 Releasing the worries of the day, 

Hoping sleep will give us strength 

 And courage for the battles that lie ahead.

Seeking restoration

While we were busy arguing, 

Someone else was quietly 

Removing food from the table. 

What will it take to return our rights, 

Or are they gone forever?

Where’s the eagle eye?

Where’s the eagle eye 

That should be watching over us, 

Preventing the wholesale takeover 

Of all the systems put in place 

To protect and defend us? 

And how can we best respond?

Trust and continue

I take heart from my fig tree, 

Which already boldly bears 

Next summer’s fruits; 

Whose imperfect branches have already begun 

To sprout next year’s extensions. 

We, too, must trust and continue 

To birth into the future 

What is crying to be born in us: 

Compassion, hope, and mercy for all.

Not all downhill

It’s hard not to think 

Things are all downhill from here 

But we have to trust that at some point 

In the hopefully not-too-distant future 

The road will rise up to greet us. 

The question now is what steps can we take 

To help make that happen?