"Take your time"
Such kind words
To speak to a harried postal clerk
Facing a line out the door
They give at least a brief reprieve
From complaints
A moment to breathe
Take your time
TAKE it
Do not throw it away
Into the waste basket of frustration and impatience
Sitting in line at the bank drive thru
The words came back to me
This is time
It is my time
Taking it would mean savoring, treasuring this time
I opened my eyes to see the world
The barren trees dripping glistening droplets
The grey sky with just a hint of blue
The wreath hanging festively on the nearby residence
Joy crept its way into my heart
Beauty enveloped my soul
Before I knew it, it was my turn
I smiled sincerely as I greeted the teller
I had taken my time
She apologized for the wait
No problem, Truly No problem!
As the calendar turns the page, may we all Take Our Time!
Happy New Year!
Cleanse Me
Wipe the crust from my eyes
Clear the windows of my soul
Open my eyes to see
Truly witness
The majesty of creation
The ocean
Powerful mountains of salty liquid
Racing across the surface
Capped with toupees of white
Blown off as they go!
The vastness
Only ocean, sky, clouds
Deepest blue enhanced with grey
Topped by robin’s egg sky
Decorated with mounds of meringue
Beneath that rolling sea
Exists a living world
May it remain
May it sustain
So many lives dwelling within
Plants, animals – microscopic to gargantuan
Baleen whales thriving on diets of tiniest plankton
The miracle of life’s cycle
Played out in harmony
All held within this liquid home
May we treasure it
May we respect it
May we learn from it.
Hope in the New Day
It begins
As mere suggestion
Lying etched radiant orange on the horizon
Giving a hint of early dawn to sky above
The hovering clouds
Black, ominous
Float above
The sky to the south and north still sleep in
Darkness is all around
As the suggestion of dawn whispers
On the horizon across the ocean
The brush stroke of color at the intersection of sky and ocean
Slowly stretches its arms awake
Spreading color above and aside
The black, voluminous mass
Is now etched with brilliant white
The forward clouds defining themselves as soft, white, downy pillows
As the backdrop begins to release the night
The sky morphs from black to grey to slate blue
As orange brushes higher toward the heavens
The dance of dawn continues
As a beam of orange shoots across the sea
Its origin – a globe of brilliance
Radiating light
Announcing the new day
Day has overtaken the night once again!
When our lives are dark,
Morning seemingly lost, unreachable
Let us look to the sky for Hope
That someday, somewhere
Dawn will creep in.
Let the radiance penetrate your being
And illuminate the darkness.
Imagine
Imagine
A world without war
A home without strife
A gun without ammunition
A voice without disdain
A message without scorn
Imagine
A life without hate
A storm without destruction
A highway without collisions
A field without ticks
A rose without thorns.
There are moments
There are places
There are chapters of our lives
When we can imagine
As our path is smooth, our waters placid.
In these times
We give thanks.
Gratitude not guilt.
We give thanks
And absorb the peace we experience
So as to share
To drop our pebble of peace
And lend ripples
To the ocean of the world.
Then there are moments
When, despite the pain
Despite the suffering and destruction
Which swirl around
We still know peace
We hold tightly to that kernel
Of light, hope and love
Which resides
Deep within
Yet fills our being
Quietly, with certainty.
This peace we find
Can also be dropped into the pond.
Pebbles of compassion
Create ripples of love
A healing salve for our troubled world.
Imagine.
Autumn Garden
As I look out over the autumn garden Sadness clings to me Like the petals of the fading marigolds Time for bed Life cannot go on without rest I whisper my thanks As I place a layer of mulched leaves Giving cover to the tired soil I give thanks for our summer mornings together Me observing the growth Helping in any way possible Removing dead leaves, Picking off dangerous insects Awed by the mystery Witnessing seedling, once seed, take root and flourish Soil offering all it has, Rain giving sustenance. Me, supplementing when needed Thankful for clean water And my dad’s hose. But today, The freezer is stocked The Ball jars filled and sealed And the last of the tomatoes Are ripening on their tray As the woodstove takes away The autumn chill Water will not restore health Soil cannot nurture the dying plants The season has ended. With gratitude for all the meals, All the joy I whisper my thanks to the garden As I bid it adieu and good night!
The Gift of Trees
I admire trees The manner in which they bend As winds howl through And what once seemed immobile Sways like a dancer Moving to and fro with grace In choreographed precision With the forest of partners In its company I admire trees The way they stand proudly Naked, grey, their true winter selves Reaching for the sky Ready to bend without notice Housing insects and birds Giving homes for free Arms always reaching out Open and inviting I admire trees Drinking deeply Through their anchored roots Sending messages within the ground They survive Even thrive And offer gifts Their fruits nourishing the world Their shade given in the summer’s heat Their toes holding earth Keeping erosion at bay Their sap sweetening life I admire trees Evergreens, oaks, birch, maple, elm, and beech The list goes on They live together Harmoniously Creating forest abode For creatures of the land and sky They drop their leaves at season’s end Nurturing soil beneath Without complaint They pass through the seasons Death, Rebirth, Creative Life, Waning Days The cycle repeats As apparent death holds life within I admire trees They teach me to trust There is more to life Than my eyes behold.
Shattered Silence
Sitting on cool granite Sun streaming warmth upon me Capturing an image of a stalwart baby pine Relishing the peace The beauty The generous gifts of nature I drink deeply of healing mountain air Startled then Panting Rapid panting A warm body pressed against my back Wetness now on the back of my arm Twisting my neck Only to see a snout, Brindle coat wrapped tightly Encasing protruding ribs She was not seeking attention in the way of other dogs But neither was she acting aggressively She just kept returning Seemingly wanting proximity Remaining nearby A black lab joined her Antennae attached to a collar Hip bones visible through midnight coat Panting Asking for what? Petting seems foreign to them both Neither good nor bad Not insisting upon nor rejecting They remain nearby The lab choosing to squeeze between my friend’s chair and mine Again, and again. Choosing confined space Over the open acres surrounding us on this mountain Eventually she responds to touch Leaning in, asking for more Shyly though Garmin collars banded around their necks Working dogs Digging into wet soil Seeking refreshment A truck barrels up the mountain road Our companions respond to a whistle Back to work Be safe my new friends Be safe Shattered Silence Saddened Soul Did they feel love? If only for a moment Did they know love?
Little Pine
Hey, little pine tree! Growing here upon this granite outcropping Stretching up toward the sun Surviving the wind Thriving despite imperfect soil A beautiful display Of luscious green Bending gently with the wind Your branches speak of strength Sturdiness and resilience Hey little pine tree! What lessons might I learn If I but pay attention?
The Viburnum
My dad kept popping up in my thoughts I was planning a summer picnic More than once, when asked who was coming I included my dad. In fact, I said, “And, of course, dad!” The summer family picnic Was always held in August To celebrate dad’s birthday He loved the get togethers in his honor I was not the only one being “visited” Tom and I were watching a favorite show When he said, “We’ll have to call your dad And tell him there is a new season of Father Brown!” Whoops! Dad had been gone for over a year. So, it was fitting what came to the Viburnum A Viburnum grows just outside the kitchen window It is my favorite of all our bushes In the spring, the delicate white flowers bloom And a beautiful scent wafts into the kitchen Sweet, while complex I so enjoy it as I stand at the sink Or walk by on the sidewalk This gift of nature only lasts a couple of weeks But I anticipate it From the first arrival of the tiny green shoots. The beloved Viburnum offers more than beauty More than its stunning aroma It is the staging bush for our feathered friends Each fall, a chickadee alights upon a branch right outside the window He calls to me until I take notice Asking that I fill the feeder We argue every year I am certain the bears are still awake He is indignant The pickings are getting slimmer as the cold sets in He wants those black sunflower seeds! However, in August There are no feeders out The Viburnum often sits empty But not that afternoon As I stood soaping the pans, My eye caught movement in the bush The male cardinal! He looked in the window at me Lovingly, I swear, lovingly Filled with joy, but ever demanding I silently asked, “Why don’t you ever bring mom?” Further movement a couple of branches away Drew my attention There she sat In all her female bird subdued beauty Pale brown with warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail and crest Black face and red-orange bill She gazed in the window Looking back into those deep eyes My heart lifted further As, filled with love and gratitude Tears dropping into the dishwater I gave thanks “You brought her! You are together” Alleluia!
Choices
The sky beckons My gaze upward The pillows of white Invite comfort Invite peace The blue calls out clarity Purity Fragility The sky beckons My gaze upward The cascading water Calls out adventure Join the fun Take the plunge The waters Join, merge As they frolic Down the riverbed Cool, refreshing Rushing along Going somewhere Jump in for the ride Which way to turn?
Crumbs for the Journey 