The silence. The stillness.
The solidness
of ancient boulders.
The cold raw air.
Mountain after mountain
like gentle waves
rolling in.
A mind cleared
and a soul stirred.
Oh! The breathtaking
beauty of it all.
May we here today
save it for the
generations to come.
Before a curve in the path
this morning, I turned
and looked
and saw only beauty.
A good way to
start the day.
Sun shining on golden leaves,
Frost on the ground,
Four geese flying over,
A frosty bite in the air.
In this moment, in this space,
All is well with the world.
by BHW 2 Comments
I sit on a wooden bench
at water’s edge, face lifting,
sun warming, Luna exploring,
pond shrinking, drought continuing.
Noticing new growth now exposed
to the light, sounds coming and
fading, the humming of a machine,
loud roaring of an unmuffled car,
Luna panting, twigs snapping,
dragon fly buzzing.
I sit in stillness and
feel a rush of gratitude
for this place, this moment,
this body, this bench, this dog.
by BHW 3 Comments
Waves go in, waves go out,
Sea gulls fly over,
Clouds heap up like meringue,
Children laugh and adults smile.
Luna sniffs her way along water’s edge,
Timid at first, then a bit braver.
So many new sights and smells,
So much gratitude for what this world offers.
And yet somewhere, someone
Is thinking about shooting innocents
to satisfy a growing loneliness,
a burning hatred of all who differ.
Leaders across the globe heap blame,
never taking accountability for what
their ugly words might awaken
in the dark depth of their followers.
And yet, a woman sees a flyer in Starbucks
That inspires her to give
A kidney to a stranger.
Waves go in, waves go out.
Waves go in, waves go out.
This is not the world I wanted
for my offspring,
my grandchildren.
A world where mass
shootings have become the norm and
hatred is spewed
by tweets on a
daily basis.
Where are the leaders whose choices
are not ruled by
money, hubris?
Please step forward.
by BHW 2 Comments
A wounded tree on the bank’s edge
leans precariously,
seems ready to fall.
Slowly it stretches its roots
across the creek
and hugs another tree.
The bridge between the two
seemed impossible at first,
but those two trees
could teach us a thing or two.
by BHW 3 Comments
The question now is not how do
we want to die,
it is how do
we want to live.
Do we hold on to life’s regrets,
cling to grudges,
or welcome all
and cultivate
“don’t know” minds, bring our whole selves, find
places of rest,
see what’s sacred,
die into life.
Inspired by Five Invitations by Frank Ostaseki and my 70+ Group of Wise Women
I
Periwinkle on the side of the road
elicits childhood memories.
Family hikes on Lewis Mountain,
walking like Native Americans,
heel toe, heel toe.
Fairies hidden under rocks
and in the roots of ancient trees.
Mounds of leaves to jump in
and tall bonfires with smoke
winding through the neighborhood,
marshmallows toasting on sticks.
Bicycle rides from the top
of the street to the bottom,
all with no hands, such
a feeling of freedom!
by BHW 4 Comments
Listening, listening is his
key to learning,
said my grandson.
He is just 12.
How do you balance the sins of
the past with the
evolving now?
Forgiveness, he
said. He is only 23.
Young people with
a passion for
social justice
do the hard work in public schools,
synagogues, and
non-profits; mindful
meditation and
compassion classes are expanding.
In this world of
ugly tweets, blame,
do we dare hope?
Inspired by a conversation my son had with his son and by the program at the 25thanniversary of the Chrysalis Institute, now The Center for InnerWork.
untangling the web