As daffodils fade and wither,

and pink flock and cherry blossoms pale,

red bud on River Road catches my eye,

and grape hyacinth stops me in my tracks.

Today I stopped.

Sat on the bench

by the pond, told

Luna to sit,

and closed my eyes.

Felt the cold wind

on my face and

listened to it

whisper, then shout

through the pine trees.

Watched a flock of

six geese swim by,

lift their wings, and

swiftly fly off.

Today I stopped.

Dawn is here.

Nip in air,

mist on pond,

wet green grass,

geese honking.

Tears streaming,

heart breaking

for old friends.

Tragedy

has shattered

peaceful lives.

The question

is why? WHY?

Formed by ancient glaciers and seas,

these mountains and

valleys soothe my

tired, troubled soul.

Their strength, their stillness feed me and

I delight in

their secret treasures,

striped wintergreen,

jewel weed, Indian pipe, and

spotted mushroom,

monk’s cap lily,

and spongy moss.

When it seems as if the world is

     breaking and a

        new horror hits

            the headlines each

                 day, and hate and fear encourage

                     further madness,

                        trauma, heartache,

                            and hopelessness,

                                we MUST go back to the basics,

                                      model respect

                                              for all beings,

                                                     spread love, not hate.

My personal spiritual authority does not come

from creeds written by men of power

hundreds of years ago or from TV preachers

with clay feet pontificating on

shoulds and should nots, from people

who think they know what

I should or should not do,

believe or not believe.

It comes from moments of being totally present

to all beings, all creation, all experiences,

when I say yes to each thought, feeling,

and emotion that crosses my path,

when I open myself to mindful surrender,

let go, and allow loving kindness,

gratitude, and appreciative joy

to permeate my whole being

Those moments when the world stands still,

the heart opens,

the curtain is parted,

and I sense something beyond…

something that I sometimes glimpse,

that sometimes eludes me

but I know is there

in the deepest part of me

where all chatter ceases

and authenticity and compassion reign.

(with gratefulness to the Chrysalis Institute’s leaders for the 2015-2016 Spiritual Paths: Carol, Kay, Philip, Susan, & Vicki)

The path to the final destination

is a meandering one with many steps.

There are no short cuts and help

comes from unexpected sources.

Sturdy roots help along the way and

a strong sense of right and wrong

helps you through the impediments

that block your way and to ignore the

easy short cuts promoted by the ego

and shunned by the Self.

The further you go on the journey,

the clearer and richer your perspective

as you approach the last step.

When narrative mind twists old hurts,

stories into

tangled balls of

twine that roll and

ricochet, sapping energy

that could be used

in ways that move

one to wholeness,

Take a deep breath, feel the air move

from nose to toes.

See that twisted

twine float away.

(with thanks to mindfulness meditation teachers Kay and Phil Davidson)

Have we forgotten that all creation is one

glorious outpouring from the womb of the Divine?

Early bird song and emerging light,

the rhythmic crashing of ocean waves,

a baby whale leaping with its mother,

and peony buds unfolding their delight.

The solid silence of mountains,

the gurgling of streams,

the fecund smell of wetlands,

and sunlight on bare sycamores.

Green daffodils shoots pushing up,

warm puppy body curled up in the night,

and oh that sweet smell of a baby.

All created things

breathing together.

Have we forgotten we are one?

What would happen on this planet

if all humanity remembered?

Stop, stand still!

Do you feel the hush

enveloping the woods?

Do you sense bare branches

waiting patiently for the

first flakes to caress

their outstretched arms?

Smell the cool freshness,

hear the crinkling as

flakes hit the hood of

your coat, and watch the

path slowly disappearing

as you and your dog head home.