Dark thoughts

Dark thoughts, 

Triggered by minor pains 

And lack of sleep: 

Is this what life has now — and will — become, 

This constant vigilance, aware 

Of what each irritation might presage, 

No longer freely enjoying productivity, 

Reaching out and giving, 

But inward, watching each and every twinge; 

Dependent on the solicitude of strangers? 

Is this what will precipitate the end, 

Or yet another round 

Of medical interventions? 

Yes, I’m getting better, 

But will I ever be at my best again?

Rest, protected

It’s so much easier to rest easy, 

When you know there’s someone else 

Who’s got your back; whom you can trust. 

Bless all those who’ve watched over us 

And our rights all through the years, 

Family and friends, teachers and founders, 

And all whose call is to serve and protect, 

That they, too, may find rest.

Living in the moment

To sit and watch the sunset; to dream; 

To imagine that we’re traveling 

In those ships on the horizon, 

And to know that here and now 

Has a grace and flavor all its own 

To be appreciated, is an art unmatched: 

Each moment a precious opportunity…

To be a cat

O, to be a cat; to climb 

To the highest spot in whatever room 

My beloved owner sits, and drape 

Myself so confidently there, and rest 

Serenely, knowing when my One is near, 

I’m safe, and all is well, and so it shall remain; 

No anxious thoughts to trouble me, 

 No mice to chase, to just, simply… be.

To lead but not to rule

To lead, but not to rule: 

That is true power.

Reflecting goodness

The only way I can show you 

 How red the sun is this morning 

Is to show you its reflection 

In my double-paned window: 

When focused on the sun itself, 

My camera paints it white. 

Perhaps that’s like the way we see goodness: 

By paying attention to how it reflects 

 In community: what is right, good, and true 

May not lie in what we say or how we look, 

But in what we do…

The divine spark

After days of being serenaded 

By the mournful lament of foghorns, 

 Sunsets obscured behind a murky haze, 

The gray mist lifted briefly yesterday 

To reveal this spectacular striation: proof 

The sun still lives behind the clouds, 

And (I choose to believe) 

The divine spark still resides beneath 

The darkest of hearts…