untangling the web

poetry about and photography of everyday happenings and sights

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When

I love this poem by my fellow blogger LuAnne Holder and hope you do too.
It is reprinted with her permission.

Posted on  by LuAnne Holder

I ask 
When do I begin? 
When is it time to stop? 
When will we slow climate change? 
When will there be peace? 

Yet, When implies a future 
I should live here Now 

In the Now I can’t predict
if a third world war may come or 
if climate change will annihilate the planet or 
if AI will take over human life 

Now allows me, however, to 
take steps to protect the environment, 
spread lovingkindness, 
be my own kind of activist,  
help others Now 

A doom and gloom attitude 
is not being here Now; 
such an attitude  
is being here When 

When hasn’t come yet, though, 
there’s still time right Now


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Beginner’s Mind

What would it be like

to start each day with

beginner’s mind? To marvel

at a body that functions

without our control, 

that feels and sees

and smells and thinks,

that communicates in a 

language developed

centuries before our

births. What would it be 

like to see each sunrise

and sunset as a miracle,

each wildflower with

new delight, each 

redbud as a wonder, each

bird as a new marvel? 

What would it be like 

to wipe the mind clean

of all thoughts and opinions,

to see the spark of the

divine in everyone and

everything we meet,

and act from a place

of love? Just imagine

what it would be like

to start each day

with beginner’s mind.

Inspired by the daily meditations of Richard Rohr


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Paying Attention

On a cold morning

with thoughts scampering

in and through, words formed

and then forgotten, 

Luna and I walked

and mused, then stopped and 

paid attention. We

saw poetry on a 

twig, in frost-covered

grass, and flashing off 

a mallard’s green head.

We heard it in the

bird song, and sniffed it 

in the sharp, clean air.


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January 4, 2023

A blue jay brings a vivid flash of color to

the reedy branches of a naked bush

beside the pond. Songs of a

robin sweeten the air and

a mallard couple, he with

his emerald green head

and yellow beak, swim

from the shore barely

missing four geese who

peacefully approach. The

heads of the mallard couple

begin to pulse up and down to

their own tempo. Hissing brakes 

of a school bus assault the peace 

and Luna swishes her way amidst the 

pine needles and I wonder what she senses.


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Running Cedar

On this morning’s walk with

Luna, I see the running

cedar scampering through

the woods and stop and

pull up one strand and

then another until my

hands are full, reminding

me of the search for it

and mistletoe so many

years ago. I put it in a tub

of water to soak when

I get home and add some

holly and boxwood, and

thoughts of how to use

them float through my mind.

Now as I lie here I wonder

if I will use them with the 

creche or on the mantelpiece

or maybe on the railing.

Will there be enough?

Will I have the energy?

I really don’t know, but you

know what? It’s okay

if I don’t; I just enjoyed

finding and gathering it.


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Does It Really Matter?

I remember the Christmases

when I made everything…

a boxwood wreath, a kissing 

ball, an apple pineapple tree,

seven different kinds of cookies,

hot fudge sauce, and bourbon

nut bread to name a few…

and one year furniture for a 

doll house. No artificial greens 

dared appear in my home! 

And now at 80,

my large and small trees

are artificial, and the greens

around my lamp post and

mailbox are fake as is one

inside wreath. The one on

the door is real only because

it was a gift! My younger self

would be appalled but my

80-year-old self just smiles

and wonders how I had

the energy to do what I did!


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Anger Thrumming

On a perfect fall day like today,

horror over an unprovoked attack

on a politician’s spouse

fueled by irresponsible political

rhetoric fills me with a palpable fear

over what the future holds

for my children and grandchildren.

As I hear the hum of lawnmowers

in the distance, the response to 

the violent rhetoric by some leaves me

with my mouth wide open. A governor,

my governor, makes a stupid, 

provoking statement and reckless

television hosts continue to repeat

lies so often that they become

“truths” to their hungry listeners.

The visceral fear and anger

thrums through my body, 

gets louder and louder as 

a former president whips 

up his followers and encourages 

more violence if he does not 

get his way. I ask you, if a child calls

people ugly names, makes up 

and spreads lies and excuses,

and bullies others to do the same 

what would you do? What would you do?


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My 80+ Group

(formerly my 70+ group!)

At 80 the body is

more fragile, and

we have organ

recitals when we

gather, but we still

gather. The recent

deaths of siblings

and friends, a small

stroke, and a bout

of vertigo have

made some of us feel

more vulnerable, yet 

some are feeling

happier than they 

ever have, and 

we still gather.

This circle of women

has been through

rough patches and 

we are all weathering,

but we still gather.

We have learned 

to adapt to changes,

internal and external,

mostly with grace

and appreciation, 

(but not always!),

yet we still gather. 

Each of us is 

searching for a

path to acceptance,

beauty, and joy in

the years that remain,

and as we gather we

reveal and share

what really matters,

learn from each other,

laugh and cry,

and feel the pure 

joy that radiates 

from being a member

of a circle of women.

Until life’s end,

whether in person

or via zoom, whether

in nursing homes,

retirement communities,

or our own homes,

may we continue to gather.


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A Time for Shedding

Blue sky, crisp breeze, a new season.

A perfect day for walking and thinking,

for shedding the mantle of sadness

that has enveloped me since

your sudden death months ago.

Now that your life has been honored,

celebrated by colleagues, friends,

and family, I will hold you close

as I accept the reality of this age,

this time at the end of the great journey

when losing loved ones is the norm.

I will look each day for the small

joys that make life worth living,

and take comfort from my circles of 

women who share a great and common tenderness.