Gratitude is more than an attitude
it’s an outlook, a lifestyle choice
it’s a way of being and seeing
and soon more blessings arrive
the world has been waiting
for this recognition
the gift is ours
the time is now
I gather my wildest dreams
words, images, a key phrase
catches my eye and I smile
I sit at the page
or on the meditation cushion
and I follow the breadcrumb trail
The path is not known
The beginning starts with a spark
of inspiration, of intention and creativity
There is no limitation here
just my wildest dreams stretching out to the horizon
Like a colorful, wild meadow
unidentified, undefined
a full expression of what it means to be free
Graves
Do the graves vibrate deep in the earth
when a church bell rings?
Are they untouched,
the final sleep at last?
Do they tremble and quake just a little?
Unbothered by the rumble and undertones
The tombs spread out like a picnic blanket
A quilt of patchwork of names and dates
Important perhaps
Everlasting
Beyond one human life
a remembrance for loved ones
Do they linger and visit here;
or is it a forgotten, sacred land
that outlived its purpose
or its loved ones’ memory?
Why keep a milestone etched
and mark up the land
who once was and never will be?
The purpose outlasted us all
Time is cruel and nonlinear
How can that be?
The river streams and overflows no more
and the dying are laid to rest
We hold their memory
whether we go to a sacred place or not
What is sacred is personal anyway
I like to stand among the stones of lives
forgotten and long moved on
Like a reunion of lives maybe lost
but a legacy of sorts still lives on
The light in the dark
The darkest weeks ascend toward us
The circles of wind-swept dead leaves
approach and scatter as I walk
I tread lightly and look to the sky
The shimmering light of morning sun
dazzled and greeted me
My curious heart reached out
and leaped to meet the current
of light and warmth above
It is a welcome reprieve
The dazzling sunsets will tuck me in
to a play of color and a gift
from the painter in the sky
whose hues and shades and strokes of
pinks, oranges and purple
stir me to a relaxed lullaby
of warm tea, a blanket and a book
We all need to rest and gather
during these darkest weeks
It is a welcome reprieve
Childhood
Childhood is a fleeting state
where joy, and permission to
pretend, and be anyone we choose
becomes our whole world
The real takes a back seat to the imaginary
And this is a gift bestowed to the human race
The world is our oyster and our playground
We try on new personas like a new hat
and we can imagine grandiose lives
and change course on a whim
We suspend reality and just become
the superhero, the villain,
the dancer, the performer
Magic is real and all around us
Pure love and joy can reside there;
sadness and angry outbursts
feel just as powerful.
We are consumed and carefree
To be a child in this world
is a gift to behold
a season in my heart
The heart-shaped clouds of sunset
orange, deep blue and cotton candy pink
pepper and patchwork the sky.
I am in awe
anchored in the here and now
The seasons capture my attention.
some are lighter and brighter
with growth and opportunity;
others in darkness, quiet
a stillness blankets the earth
Like marble that follows its track
towards light or dark,
it doesn’t matter the trajectory.
They are both sides of the same coin;
You can’t have one without the other
A seed can only sprout under pure darkness.
and like the ocean tide,
like the phases of the moon,
we must not forget our periods of
rest, renewal, of turning inward
So that our wells become stocked
with fresh ideas and inspiration come spring
Devoured
Warm chocolate pastries
all night they rested in the cold oven
frozen rectangles on the verge of freezer burn
lay quietly on parchment paper
over the course of the required nine hours
while I slept
they defrosted, rose and grew
to almost 4 times their frozen size!
In that early morning wakefulness,
I stumble into the kitchen to turn the oven on
memory served me and I wanted to get a head start
The oven light clicked on and they began
the final leg of their journey
into fullness, their greatest potential
becoming a reality in my toasty oven
the white pastry dough
became golden like the rising sun
and their baked delight
swam into the air and nestled
into every nook and corner of our walls
If I closed my eyes tight enough,
I could imagine being in my very own bakery
The timer dinged and the baked chocolatey,
ooey-gooey goodness rested on the stove
until it was safe enough to handle
and then they were promptly devoured
by my daughter as she read her fiction book,
crunching the flaky crust
The smell lingered on
long after the chocolate croissants
were devoured and gone
Point of Perception
Reaching into the cosmos
It is a two-way communication.
I am open and receptively aligned
So I receive with breath, with insight
The inspiring words come to me and
I am thankful
Allow my pen and my voice to be
that conduit
that bridge of connection.
There is power here
and there is safety
Breath, mind and heart aligned to receive:
The gift of words
The gift of inspiration
what connects us to share our story
We gather around that fire
our tribe of elders and youth,
parents and mending bones
Broken hearts can be healed
with a heartfelt story
The seeker in me sees the seeker in you
And in this moment we are one
No longer separated by boundary,
flesh and bone
Hearts and minds one
with bated breath we see
and believe that we can be free
to soar, to sing, to create,
to love and to grieve
all parts are welcomed here
in our circle by the fire
Join me
there is a seat waiting
just for you
you are seen and heard,
held and loved,
just by being you
what a marvelous thing you are
to be just one of you in all eternity
your eyes, your hair
perhaps inherited by someone
you never met
- the expression that makes you you -
one of a kind
smile and believe
You are free to be
The Garden
I walk upon the earth
and seek the hidden jewels
planted in the rich soil
not so long ago
The garden of my heart seeks
solace, comfort and belonging
The wildflowers dance in the breeze
a uniform wave of colorful heads and stalks
swaying to and fro
They greet me and the days to come
Companions on this wild-at-times journey
to seek that jewel in my chest
When it’s not really a hidden treasure to be found;
where you need maps and intricate paths,
booby traps, and X marks the spots
It’s a seed of intention that opens the heart
the light that shines was always there
a part of me has always been aglow
The Autumn Breeze
The autumn breeze
loosens the maple’s leaves
- shake and sway -
a unison wave
Then the letting go
Scurry scurry
The squirl hops along
the underbrush
looking for buried treasure
The old, stubbon pinwheels
that didn’t take root
become a tasty afternoon treat
Nature always provides
The breeze rustles the leaves
a bluejay and starling make their calls
gathering their flock for a good night’s rest
sheltered and abundant
Nature always provides
Healing Insights 