The seawater spray sends a kiss my way
It tumbles and roars onto the earth
with such a gentle touch after a loud turbulence
The waves make smooth curves as they roll onto themselves
over and over
a never-ending resource of give and receive
They make their way to soft land after a long journey
and the spray is an exhale like the great humpback whales
Category: Connection
Stories connect us
the way of love – a poem to Jeff
the way of love is not peaceful
when it knocks on your door
It can take you by surprise
and knock you off your feet
your core belief and identity
can get shaken
what you thought you knew fades away
and what you now behold is the only thing that matters
It’s not a small, trivial thing
when love knocks on the door
sometimes you solicit and put yourself out there
- so many closed, cold doors it hits you raw -
sometimes it’s a smile, an invitation,
a small gesture or a sudden happening
you get your morning coffee
knowing that there is someone you plan to meet
that just might change the trajectory of your life
and it’s not a small moment, because it ripples out
shaping all future time and space
the way of love is not quiet
it burns deep, warm at first
but passionate and raw
your exposed vulnerable heart
aches to not be hurt,
just be loved as much as it is to give
the way of love is as unique as your fingerprint
it is not a predictable journey with marked paths.
It’s the great mystery. It’s the juice that makes life
worth living and to share these moments
with another is a cherished gift
so when the way of love knocks on your door,
greet it in. Offer it an ear, an embrace
love is not to be squandered or stowed away
love is there in the air to share,
to embody spirit in pure joy
love what may come, but don’t chase it away
just when the vulnerable wings appear
on the threshold, you will find the strength to
uplift and transform on a journey to the way of love
[ Today I am celebrating 16 wonderful years of marriage to my loving husband Jeff ]
The Moon – part 2
The moon is my companion that circles and
visits at regular intervals. Its own cosmic journey
reflected toward mine. It’s a dance of give and take.
It’s the silent watch of a devoted partner
always on my side with a bright smiling face.
There are shadows and crevices worn with age and experience
but reliable a friend as any
lighting a path in the dark
reminding me I am never alone.
I send up my own hello and smile.
I know the wild nature of life is never this precise,
predictable and reliable as the moon
Seeing the world with fresh eyes
I.
Baby sparrows, so tiny and small
There’s three of them
hopping along the grass
The dew glistens all around
A new delight to discover
with every peck and nibble
Their tiny bodies wait
Their parents know what to do
while they frolic and play
They gather up their fill
to feed their new flock
The babies are distracted
and wowed at every step
II.
The baby robin follows its mama
hopping along, just two steps behind
Is it learning how to hunt and gather?
or is it just playing as it moves
along paths discovered and replayed
by ancestors that have no name;
no memory but their habits remain:
When to leave, when to nest
Where to go year after year;
It isn’t even a question
but a shared understanding
a survival of trust and knowing
We are all on the same path
of discovery, of remembering
our true Nature is never buried
for long
It lives in these bones, and this blood
that shares the same shade as you.
Trees
With steady patience
they are the shadow
and the light
They fuel dreams
and fill bellies.
They are the life givers to so many
I tend to you and
You tend to me
This tender, loving act
This dance with the trees
I sway in the breeze
and smile at the leaves
Not just today
but for all my days
on the Earth
New growth of spring
Tender shoots of light
greens and pinks
They burst open
bright and wide
to receive nourishment
from the sun
Though no rain has come,
I know it will wet
and glisten the earth once more
and all of nature will rejoice
Stand still in that warm sun
let the breeze come and go
as a smile forms on your lips
and the corners of your eyes
upturn like the bird now
in the sky mid-flight
Where does it go?
Where does our joy, our pain, our sorrows go?
They are tender shoots
deep inside
that need some tending too
It’s a fine line we walk
as transformation weaves the path before us
I am curious and cautious
with gentleness I choose my way
feeling gratitude for my choices
knowing the energy in my heart
will be the guiding force
The center of my creative life
The center of my creative life
begins at my belly, just like all creation
It was once a knot
full of hurt and broken butterflies
There is a light inside of me
that has a stronghold of resilience
It can be easy to forget that
we all have this inner reservoir
Awareness
I am aware and awake
no longer hijacked by
the sympathetic nervous system:
Always putting out fires,
filled with distractions, agendas and othering
Can I offer myself some grace
in just the remembering?
To be aware when I am distracted and be gentle
and even offer a warm smile?
And when I am putting out the embers
and reacting to others’ agendas,
can I pause for just a beat?
The emergency can feel more important
than giving myself three S-L-O-W breaths
no one will notice
the air that fills my lungs
brings with it a promise and a knowing
That I got this
That even when I make mistakes, seem forgetful
– careless even –
this very moment of breath is true:
What is present and grounded,
steady and resilient within myself
forgiveness is not a passive attitude
forgiveness brings presence,
awareness, and the belief to try again
And to remember that we are innocent
and worthy of our own grace
The Starlings are back!
The smell of fresh rain brings
the promise of warm weather
on the way
The fragrance lingers and plays
with my nostrils and skin
Without delay, the blackbirds returned.
Their sparkle of turquoise and purple
peeked out from their dark feathers
At first a small flock appeared
of juniors and their parents
they toss and search under the brown leaves
leftover from autumn to find a tasty treat
hidden behind each leaf
More starlings arrive.
They are slender with less winter fluff
than the hardy, native birds
the birdfeeder welcomes one and all
Hark! Spring is here!
Let’s shake our coattails
and revel in the promise of spring to come
And come soon!
I am weary of this long, grey
winter and its biting chill
“Arrivederci!” as the Italian say
Healing Insights 