Moonslide

Like my camera, the branches 

Attempt to capture the moon, 

But only briefly succeed 

Before she eludes their grasp 

To begin her long slow slide into the sea.

Mountain revealed

The delicate pastel shades 

Of the mountain in the morning 

Are a gift to all who might chance to be 

Awake at that early hour, 

As the mountain disappears shortly thereafter.

The echo of old songs

I see this ship pass by, 

In the silence of an evening sky, 

And that phrase, “A thousand people, maybe more” 

Comes into my head.

It takes a minute to remember where it’s from, 

And that, no, It’s TEN thousand people, maybe more, People talking without speaking, 

People hearing without listening… 

Amazing, how those lyrics 

Still echo through the years…

Good morning!

When morning gilds the skies… 🎶

Alone together

After the sun has set, 

And cars in the overlook drive away, 

There’s always a moment, however brief, 

When that silver lining at the base of the clouds 

Glows with a rosy blush, 

As if at last we are alone together, 

The sky and I.

Autumnal bliss

Afloat in a sea of autumnal bliss...

Patience

Some days, you really feel

Like you’re going somewhere, 

While other days, it’s hard not to feel 

That the world is passing you by. 

The trick is not to get caught up in either sensation; 

To rejoice in the blessings, 

Both when life speeds up 

And whenever it seems to have slowed to a crawl.

Heading for new possibilities

The path ahead may be lined with thorns, 

But I trust it will bring us 

To a place of grace, a greener land,

 Blessed with new possibilities.

Peaceable kingdom

May we all find a way to co-exist; 

To forgive, to respect, to trust and enjoy 

Our fellow creatures and bring about 

A true Peaceable Kingdom.

The invitation

The invitation’s always there: 

To step away from a busy day, 

To sit at the edge of the sun-dappled lawn 

 And watch the waves roll in 

To refresh the thirsty beach below; 

To look beyond immediacy 

To the islands in the distance, and dream…

The eve of destruction

My husband took this picture 

(I feel honor bound to say) 

Of yet another branch (Our third this month) 

The deer have broken from our trees. 

And, sure enough, guilty but unrepentant,

 This handsome miscreant told his friends, 

And all the leaves on the branches 

And the apples that had fallen

 Were all eaten by the end of the day; 

I guess this means autumn’s on its way.

Craving consensus

The stark contrast 

Between the white buildings 

And the dark sea and sky 

Is so pleasing, so riveting. 

I wonder if it satisfies 

Something in us that craves a world 

In which black and white, 

Right and wrong, 

Are clearly obvious to all…

The path you choose

Most of us know that feeling: 

To be outside looking in; 

To know you’ve something to offer, 

But folks are listening to someone else; 

The prophet unappreciated 

 In his own home town… 

The path you choose — 

 To speak up anyway, to leave, 

Or to pull into yourself — 

Will frame not only your future, but theirs.

The best way to heal

Sometimes the best way to heal 

Or even just to deal 

Is to be still, and to remain in light; 

To quietly appreciate 

 The warmth of a summer’s day 

And to trust, however briefly, 

That, for the moment, all is well.

Tangled web

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave 

When first we practice to deceive” 

Is what my mama used to say, 

And never has it seemed so obviously true. 

What does it tell you, that when I see 

This tangled mass I think of politicians?

When bullying fails

Here’s a photo I never expected to take: 

 Two hawks on a madrona branch. 

 But, like a fisherman, I wish you could see 

The one that got away, because 

Before I could get my camera out, 

The hawk on the left was chasing a squirrel 

 In circles around the base of a tree, 

Wings out, and screeching. 

Luckily, the squirrel was able 

To escape into the bushes — 

Which may be why the hawk’s now hiding his head: 

His bullying tactics have failed.

Asymmetry

My artist mother always preached 

The importance of asymmetry, 

Though she never explained why. 

So today I took two pictures — 

One with the boat centered, 

And this one, with it off to the right. 

And now I understand 

 The deeper significance of asymmetry: 

It’s not just that it’s pleasing to the eye; 

By moving the boat off to the side, 

 I give voice to the clouds and the sea. 

By centering the boat, we force the viewer 

 To focus there and miss 

 The beauty that surrounds it — 

Just as a leader who chooses to keep

All focus on himself

Devalues the gifts of those around him

And the organization he serves.

You’re not alone

You’re not all alone 

On the deep blue sea: 

The clouds and the islands 

Bear you company.

Sweetness awaits

No matter how much pain we’re in, 

Or how worried we are 

 About our children, our country,

 Or our future, 

Nature keeps sending us love letters: 

A beautiful sunset, the scent of rain, 

A garden of flowers, a gentle breeze —

 All reminders that life is larger than our concerns 

And sweetness awaits those who watch for it.

Morning blessings

What a gift, to wake up this morning 

 To a sky so full of color!