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.
Have you ever thought about
how a stream approaches a
rock that blocks its way? It looks
for a crack, an opening,
and then easily finds its
way while making beautiful
music for all to enjoy.
Frost on the ground and a nip in the air,
controversy over Starbucks cups and 114 dead,
twinkling candles in window frames,
Senate blocks expanded gun checks,
trees on car tops and Handel’s Messiah,
14 dead in San Bernardino,
decorations down from attic and wreath on the door,
a friend’s son killed in a crash on I-64,
sun finds diamonds in frost-kissed grass,
irate candidates fume and blame,
soft belly breathing and a bank teller’s smile.
All part of the tapestry of this complex life.
Like sprinkled sugar on a cake,
frost on green grass
and gray slate roofs,
air cold and fresh.
Maple trees display bare branches,
Pumpkins on steps,
Luna prancing,
on morning walk.
Business done, we head home, and
she calmly waits
for food, water.
Such a good dog!
untangling the web 