We share the earth
its riches and gifts
the very air we breath
all for the taking
Not for the hoarding
the I, me, mine
has gotten us to this
pinpoint in time
to really make a shift
in our thinking, in our eating,
in our hearts and words
To walk in this world
we must become the stewards
to respect and replenish
Earth’s many gifts
The future depends on us
though we may not see what
lies ahead
There is power and empowerment
There is sorrow and horrors
like on this blood red ground,
ashes and cinders
where homes, schools and businesses
once stood proud
ready to serve, learn and relax
The fire burned out of control
like when we fire back
unspoken utterly ruthless
gutting thoughts
It’s hard to take those words back
But this too is a turning point
We can ask for forgiveness
deeply apologetically
And take the lessons gained
Lessons learned forward
to our future encounters
our future endeavors
To walk in this world
we must become worldly
not shy, timid or stretched
too thin with productivity
over commitment
we must dig deep and fill our well
so that there is an overflow
of good enough
of a shared right to the Earth’s gifts
Our own gift of peace can turn the tide
Try it. To walk in this world
say hi to a neighbor or heck
even a stranger
If the world feels unfriendly,
be the friend you wish to keep
If you get shut down or ignored,
it’s all part of the warming-up process
our warm hearts and hands
hold you and your beloveds.
Come take a walk with me.
Tag: fire
California and Coffee
Yosemite
I didn’t know it could be like this.
Towering ancient beings
shaped and warped by time
by water, brook and pine.
They spill and topple over.
A waterfall so powerful
you could lose your place
or a misty rainbow catching the light.
I never knew such magnificence.
Now the fires are raging.
The Andes winds howl and roar
through angles of valley and stone.
Fear pierces into all our hearts.
Helpless to change and put out the embers.
We watch attached to our screens
a tether to destruction unseen
over here in the quiet of winter.
For once the winds have softened.
For once the sky looks pale blue
hovering above the trees’ branches.
All life hangs on a delicate balance.
What seems so certain and steady.
– a fabric of time –
Now worn and bare with use and misuse.
I pour my mug of coffee and taste its flavor
gathered by hungry hands
from other lands around the globe.
Here, the steam starts to rise
and I am no less for the weary.
My heart goes out to the bean gatherers
who climb treetop and limb.
Their work is not unseen.
Not knowing their hardships and woes
Just to give my morning meaning
and energy to face the day.
My heart goes out to those that are burning,
whose lives and all they hold dear
so fragile and near.
Near to loss, near to fierce blazing embers
who hangs on by a thread of safety,
neither real nor imagined.
What’s good?
“What’s the good word?” Anthony, my coworker, asked. I paused a beat. Took a breath and thought: what is good right now; right at this moment?
“The sun is out today,“ I said casually. It had been a rainy stretch of days.
“There you go! I knew you had something good to say instead of the grumpy replies I usually get: same shit different day.“
We then talked about framing our perceptions and choosing. Do we choose to see the positive or the negative?
When we’re caught up in the negative chatter, it can feel hopeless. Like we don’t really have a choice. Life is just happening to us and all around us. And we’re just helplessly bouncing around at whatever life throws at us.
It can be hard to change that framework when you’re in the depths of a hurried life, feeling unfulfilled, and sensing lack at every facet of life. Hearing and seeing it as true and never asking if this is all there really is? Is there really not enough?
Scarcity abounds when the media is filled with images depicting lack.
“The world is on fire,“ Jeff said to me in the evening right before bed.
Is it really?
This year the Colorado River and Hoover Dam is dangerously low. Lack of water. Drought. Too many people tapping into a limited resource. Last year California was literally on fire with the great evergreens near Yosemite ignited and raging.
How do we put out the fire? Why is it either raging or empty? Where is the middle? The balance? It must be here somewhere.
In the end, it all comes back to perception. How will I perceive today?
Today I choose to see abundance as my creative words flow. I appreciate my breath, my A/C during this heat wave, my loves enjoying their summer. There’s enough to go to summer camp and take our vacation.
If we look for the good: What can I appreciate now? What is lovely and beautiful? What is the meaning and lesson without being bogged down with the nitty-gritty cycle of scarcity and lack?
I can see potential. Problem-solving becomes easier. And I don’t feel so alone in my suffering or joy.
Healing Insights 