The magic and the majesty

The grace of finding time 

To commune — however briefly — 

With the natural world 

Lies in these moments of absolute stillness, 

When we know ourselves to be in tune 

With everything that is: the clouds, the trees, 

The mountains, the creatures, and the seas— 

All participants together In the magic and the majesty 

 Of this life and this earth in which we share.

Mystery in the dark

In the dark and fog, familiar shapes 

Take on a certain mystery: 

Distracting details disappear 

 And light becomes alluring…

Making choices

Why take a tree and carve it into art?

 Whether you’re an artist or an athlete, 

A politician or a parent, a coder or a carpenter, 

A sculptor, a surgeon or a salesman — 

 Whatever role you’re playing, 

You’ll need to be making choices, 

So what’s the value driving them? 

Why this instead of that? 

Could it be growth? Or generosity? 

The greater good, or simply greed? 

Too many possibilities to name, 

But it’s good to be aware; 

To be conscious of both the impact 

And the driving force behind your decisions.

Honoring Beauty and Effort

How many things do we walk by in a day — 

Man made or natural — 

Without giving a thought to what it took 

To create them; 

For a tree to grow each tiny little branch; 

For an architect to design 

This circle of glass, this curving wall, 

 And for the brickmaker and the builder 

To create these gentle curves. 

In truth, there’s beauty and effort 

Everywhere we look, 

If only we’d make time to pay attention.

Patterns and connections

You ask me what I see.

 I see patterns, and connections: 

Not just the spread wings of the cormorant,

 But the echo of his posture and his beak; 

Not just the round dots of the bolts,

 But their echoes, the ways that they repeat; 

Not just the verticals of the wood, 

But the stripes lent by the weather, 

By the guano, and by their aging from the salt. 

To me, these things become a symbol 

Of the ways we’re all connected;

 How our worries and delights echo 

Across the span of time and race, 

Gender, nationality, and party affiliation: 

A reminder that we’re each unique, 

Yet alike in many more ways 

Than we’ll ever understand.

Taking turns

I sat and watched the Steller’s Jays 

As they scrabbled for their peanuts. 

And I noticed they take turns: 

One keeps watch while the other performs 

The tricky task of excavating 

 The peanut from the wire, 

And then, as soon as the first bird 

Has the peanut in its mouth, 

The other positions itself, ready to dive in. 

If only humans could always be as gracious…

Into the light

Keep walking toward the light. 

You may not know where the road will take you, 

Or who awaits you along the path; 

Just keep walking, toward and into the light, 

Knowing that you’re where you’re meant to be.