Gnarled hand claws
its way down
searching for
the source of
sustenance
Searching
Author Archives: BHW
One Solitary Puff
One solitary puff of white
against a pure blue sky
appeared on a day when
nostalgia grabbed me while
driving along the James
River where I used to
stroll. With windows open
so I could hear the water,
I drove past the Z-dam
which used to enthrall
my grandchildren and
by the river rocks which
were so often filled with
the young who joyfully
offered their bodies to
the sun. Memories of
bygone years when I
lived a stone’s throw
away inundated my
thoughts. And yet those
years are barely a
blink in the vastness
of time just as that
small cloud is lost in the
limitlessness of the sky.
My Angels
Angels surrounded me
after I broke my femur
in a freak accident at home.
A neighbor who called 911,
the kind, cute EMTs who
responded and took me
for my first ambulance ride,
the x-ray technicians who
encouraged me to curse
when they moved me,
and then asked “Is that all
you’ve got?,” the operating
room staff who said
“We’ll take good care of you.”
And of course family
who gathered around,
whose presence helped
me get through the
difficult days. More angels
came to visit, brought meals,
called, texted, and emailed
and visiting physical therapists
put me through those exercises
that are hard but necessary.
Life is so fragile. One misstep
can throw a wrench into your
life and cause your daily routine
to come to an absolute stop,
make you dependent on others
to eat, dress, and do what most
take for granted. I miss walking
my dog, driving my car, hiking,
yoga, pickleball, tai chi and
gathering with my women friends.
But, I will recover.
What about those whose path has
no improvement, who have to put
up with daily frustrations until their
last day. Think about them and the
strength and patience they must
have to make it through each day.
Appreciate what courage and perseverance
it takes for them to live like that.
I am in awe.
Opening to Life
Emerging tightly coiled,
fiddlehead fern gently
responds to the light of
the sun whose warmth
beckons it to unfurl
and release to the world.
(photos taken in woods behind my house)
Impervious
scum on the surface
makes the depths
impervious to light
just as hardened hearts
create resistance to
truth and compassion
(Photo taken by me on a walk by neighborhood pond)
Surprises
In the dead of winter no one would
suspect that out of an old tree trunk
smothered with vines, a branch
of new beauty would emerge.
Pay attention to those of us now
covered with spots and wrinkles.
Perhaps we too have something
worth noticing, something that
may amaze and delight you!
A Day Like Today
On a day like today
my heart swells as if
if it will burst from
my chest, spiraling
upward in the flawless
blue sky where it
will get a bird’s eye
view of the dazzling
redbud and cottony
Bradford pear, the
tiny green puffs on
budding tree limbs,
and the mighty James
as it journeys eastward.
Then it will flutter
down to peek at the
petite grape hyacinths,
tulips and daffodils,
the violets hiding in
grass, and the hot pink
flocks spilling down
the hill, all the while
accompanied by the
Carolina wren warbling
its “pretty, pretty, pretty.”
On this planet
people
are destroying
each
other
as well as the
earth and yet,
and yet,
there is still
such beauty
and we must
relish it
while there
is time.
Words I Thought I’d Never Hear
What does it mean
when the Secretary
of Defense proclaims
“It takes money to kill
bad guys.” Think about
that. Think about that.
Billions of dollars to
murder human beings,
sons, daughters, mothers,
fathers, sisters, brothers,
grandparents, friends.
Billions that could be
used to help survivors
of tornadoes, of floods,
of hurricanes, people who
are hungry, people who
need medical attention,
schools that are falling
apart, the homeless.
“It takes money to kill
bad guys.” Think about
that. Think hard.
What about the greatest
commandment? What
about compassion?
What about kindness?
What about the belief
that each human being
is sacred? Consider that.
Morning Surprise
All night long tiny creatures
have been busy decorating
bushes, trees, and grass
with intricate designs now
highlighted by shafts of
sunlight for the early
morning walker’s delight.
A Day of Hope and Peace
I look up into the
clear blue sky when
I hear the sharp cry
of the Cooper’s hawk,
stopping to feel the
warmth of the sun
on my face after so
much cold, so much ice
that I almost forgot
how delightful a day
over 30 can be when
the grass is beginning
to peek through the
patches of snow and
the road is clear for
walking and spirits
are lifting and the
monks have finished
their journey through
ice and snow and cold
and have brought
hope and joy to the
entire world. May all
be like them and vow
to make each day
a peaceful one.
(Photo is AI generated)
