Contradiction

What is it about us humans, 

That we treasure the opportunity 

 To collect that which is rare

 (Like waiting for this light to turn red 

When it mostly glows white) 

Yet are so quick to demonize 

Whichever folks are rarest 

In our communities; 

To pound down whichever nails 

Appear to stick up or stand out?

This island life

It seems idyllic, this island life; 

To sail amid the gulls and whales 

And live the quiet rural life 

Away from the busyness and noise 

Distractions and demands the city brings, 

Until the disadvantages — 

The lack of jobs and health care 

And other limitations 

 That can complicate island existence — 

Begin to overwhelm the joys: 

 What then?

Try a little tenderness

I watch the tenderness of the doe 

With her now five-month-old fawn 

And it awakens the same tenderness in me 

That I feel watching my daughter 

With her new kittens, replacements 

After her beloved old tabby passed: 

That longing to see humanity 

Caring for other humans 

As thoughtfully and gently 

As we care for our pets.

Loving fog

I love the otherworldliness of fog; 

I always have: the way 

 The inconsequential becomes mystical 

And distracting backgrounds disappear, 

And how I always seem to have that beauty 

All to myself, while the rest of the world 

Shelters indoors...

Tender reminders

After several days of fog — 

You can still see remnants of it, 

There on the right — 

It was doubly glorious 

To see the mountain revealed again

 At the base of a magnificent sunrise, 

As if we’d met someone who reminded us 

How strong and blessed we truly are 

And brought out the best in us.

Perception

What catches your eye? 

The criss-cross of power lines, 

The mountains, or the trees? 

Each has a role to play 

While masking the lagoon 

That lies hidden in their midst. 

What seems obvious to one 

May seem less so to another 

Or pale compared to facts not known to all…

 I’m grateful for the journalists 

Who care more about the truth 

Than sensational self-service.

Look east!

Yet another gentle reminder 

To take a moment to look east 

When the sun is setting in the west. 

Nature, like a magician, 

Often allows the showy stuff, 

The sparkles and sequins of the natural world, 

To distract us from her subtleties 

And sleight of hand…

A change of attitude

What if we were to greet 

Each person, place, or thing that we encounter 

As a treasure; a gift meant to bring joy, 

A possible adventure Or a learning opportunity 

That only needs to be unwrapped to be revealed?

Tried and True

I know.

 I’m a little banged up, 

A little rough around the edges, 

And my ropes are a bit frayed, 

And badly stained, 

But I can still get you wherever you need to go, 

Just as smoothly as I ever did. 

And have you noticed how much beauty 

There is in the tried and true?

Love letter from the wild

Upon seeing the shapely curves of this wild weed Displayed among the grass and thistles, 

One might mentally complete 

Those gracious arcs into hearts 

And see them as a love letter, 

Carved by nature and intended 

To reward all those who take the time 

To appreciate the humble beauty in the ordinary…

Return to center

This is it, the center, 

That deep and quiet place 

Where we take ourselves 

When we need to get in touch 

With what is right and true; 

When we need to nurse our wounds 

Or send out comfort for the wounds of the world. 

Sit here a while; rest, and restore.

Autumnal flowers

As autumn colors steal into the trees, 

We drink in the simple pleasure 

Of wildflowers by the waterside 

And grasses grown green again, 

Fed by September mist and fog, 

All signs that winter waits 

Just around the corner.