Alleluia! Another day has emerged From the dark of night A brilliant blood orange globe climbs From its birthing bed On distant shore
Its beauty grows As it rises Its image reflecting off The morning looking glass Repeating from shore to shore Its beauty enhanced With strings of brilliance Like blinking Christmas lights Strung across The tiny ripples frosting mid lake
Ethereal wisps of moisture Waft across the lake Dancing a minuet In celebration of dawn
The dam dribbles water Creating a background choir Of bubbling and gurgling To this morning show
Aha! The feathered section Has now awoken Spilling out their joy With chirps and tweets
A turtle head pops up To peer at the sky A masterpiece of creation
Waah, waah, waah resounds As a bird flies low over the water Rhythmically creating air turbulence With her mighty wings The loons gliding across the water Hunting for breakfast Do not shout alarm The mighty bird must be friend Not foe.
All else is still People wrapped in blankets Hands warmed By chosen morning drinks Sit in reverent silence Upon the end of their dock
This morning production Is never shut down It changes daily But always is gift
I breathe deeply The cool air Of Little Lake Sunapee And give thanks for creation For life For peace In this little corner of our world This heavenly space.
Through an opening in the forest A C-shaped swath Of sky is visible From my front row cot Inviting me to connect With the night sky
Sleep evaded me There was so much to hear To see Coyotes howling, yipping and screaming Barred owls calling out But most of all The backdrop The silence of the forest
The stars emerge As our eyes adjust They decorate and illuminate The night sky One by one Then hundreds Thousands They light up Diamonds glittering against black velvet Twinkling even Then closer flashes appear Darting amongst the vegetation Fireflies Join the midnight show
A different light Moves across the sky At an unhurried pace It traverses the canvas Made by human hands The space station Plays its cameo role
Joy overtakes me My chest expands As I lie under the stars On this summer night Beside the love of my life Who lies also enchanted Filled with awe Absorbing The glorious gift Of this starry arch This nocturnal show
Then The Grand Finale A streak of light Shoots through the sky A meteor in its swan song A shooting star!
Can life get any better than this? Insomnia never felt so wonderful.
We live Here in the United States of America In a time of uncertainty A time of rancor And division. We know not who to believe Who to trust Neighbors seem to turn Upon each other So staunch they may be In the beliefs they hold
There is an energy Of fear And even hatred, Blaming and shaming
Many are exhausted Worn out By the negativity Polluting our world.
Pull yourself away From the news The arguments And dwell in creation
Sit and listen to the breeze Flowing through the trees Psithurism Rest by a river Experience the endless Sound Of water tumbling, Flowing Susurrus
Walk through an art gallery Witness creations Borne of a tiny spark Of inspiration And belief
Read a book Of poetry Ride with the authors On their journey Through Creation to peace To truth To hope
Spirit in Creation: Two Women, One Vision Finding Peace and Truth in Creation
This new creation by Marjorie Burke and Patricia O'Connor can be ordered at patocwriter.com or purchased at many independent bookstores in NH
Book #2 is complete. Only a few books have been released, but more to come within days!!! The book launch is June 28th!! Please come!! If you cannot come, just send me an order for the book on my website http://patocwriter.com Details below!!
We are honored to host the Launch Party for this wonderful collection of poetry from two local women!
Join Us to Celebrate!
Saturday, June 28 at 1 pm
Marjorie Burke and Patricia O’Connor Their newest book, Spirit in Creation; Two Women, One Vision Finding Peace and Truth in Creation was conceived spontaneously. The two women, who had met briefly years before at the bedside of Marge’s ill husband, reunited in a serendipitous manner. As many do, they said, “Let’s do lunch!” But they actually did. That first lunch, Pat picked Marge’s brain about how to go about completing and publishing her book. Marge encouraged Pat to go to the Chihuly Glass Museum in Seattle during her upcoming trip to Alaska.
During their second lunch, in sharing their experiences of the glass museum and Glacier Bay, Pat, recognizing the spirit which had overcome Marge as they spoke, spontaneously proclaimed, “Marge, we have to write a book together!” Marge said, “Yes!” Then Pat gave it a name – we will call it Spirit in Creation. Again, Marge agreed wholeheartedly. And so, it was conceived!
For the next 15 months, they adventured to places of creation throughout New England. They spent time silently sitting and writing in nature and places of creations made by people. Then they would return to MainStreet BookEnds in Warner if near enough and sit in front of the fire and write more then read to each other. As they would read their eyes would widen every time – as what they saw, felt, witnessed was so similar though their writing styles individual!
They found in each other kindred spirits, sisters and friends. They each grew in ways unique to each as the year traveled on. In their escapades, they found escape from the pain existing in the world, but more importantly, sustenance and perspective. They found joy.
By the end of 2024 (their goal!), the book was complete – well, version one! They spent the next 6 months paring the poems down (the original manuscript was over 400 pages!) along with their ever-faithful editor, Susan Brown.
The creation which was borne is a testimony to all creation. A gift to all who wish to find peace and truth in their own lives and a peek hole into friendship, endurance and the Spirit of Truth by any name.
Marjorie is a young octogenarian who approaches her life with a sense of adventure and purpose. She was one of the first women to graduate from the MCP. Early in her career she worked at Pediatric Hospital. She lived outside of Boston with her husband, Donald where she raised her two sons. During this time, she was active also in the Episcopal Church having been president of the Episcopal Women for many years. She traveled extensively giving talks all over the world. She was president of the Weare board of education.
She began her writing career with an Alzheimer’s Trilogy she began with her husband, Donald when he became ill with the disease. She has subsequently written four other books.
Her life is filled now with writing, volunteering at her church and in the community, cooking, canning, modeling, family, and, sometimes, soaking up the peace of her home in Weare which she built with her husband, Donald.
Patricia is a retired nurse practitioner who has written throughout her life in order to slow down and feel the pulse of the world she inhabits. She spent over five decades in health care, much of that caring for people at or nearing the end-of-life. This has informed and inspired her appreciation of the preciousness of life. This appreciation and gratitude are woven into the fabric of her writing. She spends her “work” time teaching, leading retreats, story-telling, and writing. Her leisure time is spent enjoying New Hampshire from her kayak, her hiking shoes, or her perch by Little Lake Sunapee where she inspects boats to keep NH lakes free of invasive species. She takes delight in her children, their spouses and her grandchildren when she gets to spend time with them. She loves her life with her husband, Tom!
Silently sauntering down a side street Enjoying the sunshine Heretofore hidden for days Feeling the beams of light Filtered through nascent Leaves of spring Penetrate my winter skin Smelling the sweetness Of the pink petals Encircling yellow center The Rugosa Rose Beach Rose Thriving in the sandy soil Of this coastal community My foot freezes mid-step My breath Filled as it is with the freshness Of new spring ocean air Catches in my throat My eyes stretch open Trying to better take in the beauty Of the oak tree Towering over 40 feet high Set against a cloudless sky The virginal green leaves of spring Outlined by A watercolor blue backdrop The tree stands alone Each branch seemingly A separate entity A village Connected Through the rock-solid trunk Of the majestic oak. My eyes fill With tears of awe As I gaze up at this wonder of Creation Am I one of those branches Clinging to the vine Source of all love And life Separate, unique, alive While a part still Of a greater whole All working together Creating beauty Creating life.
I would like to announce that I am working with New London Barn Playhouse here in New London, NH on a different way to help people gain comfort in having difficult conversations. Come and join the premier “performance” and see what this is all about. The actors are professional improv actors – they are fantastic!! It’s Free!!
Prayer Is for me A unique type of power Prayer Is a lifeline A means of disentangling The vines of worry Within one’s head A way to empty So as to focus To fill With a semblance Of peace
Prayer germinated peace Is a peace Beyond the reach Of worldly woes Worldly worries A peace which grows From faith Out of the Heart of Love
Peace fed by faith And truth Is not of this world But is present in this world It can lend clarity Commitment And courage To our walk Upon this earth.
I pray to a God of Love To the Spirits of Love Those gone beyond Who loved deeply Gave dearly And, I imagine May now weep At the evil Present in our world.
Can Love from afar Change the hearts Of those living in the flesh today? Please let it be so
It is my prayer that all hearts be opened even a crack that a beam of Light might enter to warm and soften to stifle fear and nurture compassion
Prayer Deep, quiet, wordless prayer Entering the presence of Love May it soothe our souls Renew our Spirit And inform our paths
May prayer Heal the United States of America May prayer Bring love, compassion And truth in action To our fragile World.
Luminous white Dinner plate Glows like a torch Against the tarry night sky A smattering Of twinkling stars Join in the illumination The snow blanketed earth Reflects the light Like a quilt embedded with a million precious diamonds
Night marches on The moon Resplendent in its fullness Rises westward into the sky As the wee hours of morning arrive A dark curtain With a rounded edge Creeps across its face From east to west
As the curtain Advances across the celestial body The color of the orb Morphs from fullers white To a red-orange color In muffled horizontal stripes Of varying hues and intensities
As I gaze upon this blood red body A thought arises Unbidden Am I seeing The Sacred Heart of Jesus?
The rays of the sun Are blocked By the umbra shadow of earth The blue light from our solar orb Scatters easily The rays must now filter through Earth’s atmosphere As during sunrise And sunset.
When the full-spectrum light of the Sun Is blocked By the earth The red beams remain
This Blood Worm Moon Heralds Winter’s end And Springs awakening A time of renewal And rebirth
When hope seems gone And evil blocks the light Let us look to the sky And remember Love endures Love persists Love grows When we reflect It out!
The trees Bend, swirl Flex and resist They shed branches, needles But still, they hold Their ground Roots planted deeply In Mother Earth The once undisturbed Blanket of white Littered now with debris Covers the tender soil The moon watches over From the west As the layers of pink clouds Resting in the eastern sky Give notice Of the rising Of the sun The air is filled With the howling of the wind And the crying out of the trees As they protest the assault Gone is the peaceful Muffle Of a snow-covered world Hold your ground Soldiers of the woods Shine your lights Orbs of the sky And wisdom Please come to me Come to us Courage Please take up residence in me Come into all of us Instruct and inspire me As I dwell safely now In my warm home How might I resist? How might I Protect the vulnerable Defend our country And stand tall Like the lady In New York Harbor?
Marjorie Burke and Patricia O’Connor
Crumbs for the Journey 