A bridge is easier
To build over
Calm water than
Water roiled by
Personal slurs,
Lies, and
Exaggerations.
To All Elected Officials
This Moment
After the sun burns
through the clouds
and wipes away
a rainy morning,
we venture out
with others eager
to enjoy clear weather
while it graces us
with its presence.
On a walk I see
delicate patterns
in the sand made
by seaweed and shells
as they are dragged
to and away from
the water’s edge,
sea oats gently
waving on the dunes,
pelicans lazing on
a pier, and curling
waves tipped
with white foam.
There is nothing
else I need in this moment.
Morning Walk at Kure Beach
The sun suddenly bursts
forth from pink clouds
as people in chairs
and on walks stop
to breathe it all in.
A tall, lean man with
white hair, jeans,
a flannel shirt,
and old sneakers,
leans over a fishing rod
to bate it for his wife.
Another man stops
to admire Luna and
tells me about his dogs
and how COVID has
impacted his small business.
I find a five dollar bill
in the sand with no owner
in sight, a good luck sign?
In the distance sitting
on the beach with her dog
is one of my daughters.
She joins in the stroll
and then her sister and
her new lab puppy join us.
We make out way back
to the house, hot coffee,
and toasted zucchini bread.
The Heron
Heron lifts up,
flutters her wings,
and glides.
I want to ask her:
do you have muscles
and joints that ache?
Is your mind full
of clutter? Are
you thinking about
where to land next?
Or are you simply
enjoying the thrill
of the moment.
Early Morning Memories
This morning I cooked
bacon in an iron pan
and scrambled eggs
the old-fashioned way.
The smells, the crackling
took me back to
an earlier time when
there was no microwave
and these smells and
sounds were a morning
ritual as my mother
cooked for us and
we begged for a piece
or two before we all
sat down. Funny how
smells and sounds bring
back childhood memories
as I play mother again to
a daughter post-surgery.
Belonging
Deep in every human is
the yearning to belong,
to be loved, to be safe,
to be accepted as they are.
By accident of birth,
some are born with
unearned privilege,
and remain totally unaware.
By accident of birth,
some are marginalized
by others because of their
race, culture, or sexual identity.
Young children do not see
race, or color, or sex,
they are inclusive until
taught to be exclusive.
Mother Earth embraces everything.
different colors, textures, sounds,
the animate and the inanimate,
and therein lies her beauty.
Imagine a world where
people embrace and celebrate
difference, welcome diversity,
a world where one is
judged by the content of your character
rather than by the
color of your skin.
by the way you treat others
rather than your sexual identification.
A place where the dignity of
each being is equally valued.
In a world where fear and ignorance produce
hate, denial, and blame
rather than self-reflection and compassion,
we need those who help
move us in the right direction,
who stand up for inclusiveness
and support the right of others
to be their authentic selves.
Tonight we honor one
I am proud to call a friend,
an awesome human being
passionate about creating
a culture of belonging and helping
us to do our inner work,
our own fabulous, fantastic MT!
(Written in honor of the recipient of the InnerWork Center’s 2021 Spirit Award)
Who Belongs
Who belongs in this country?
The natives who were here first?
The descendants of the first
Europeans to set foot on its shores?
Or the enslaved Africans
stolen from their homes?
Or the descendants of the
indentured servants who
worked for their freedom?
Or those crossing the Mexican
border as I write?
In Mother Earth’s world
everything belongs.
Different colors and textures,
the animate and the inanimate,
all beings large and small.
The peep of the sparrow,
and the hawk’s raucous cry,
the prickly gumball
and the smooth moss.
The heat and the cold,
the mountains and the plains,
the rivers and the oceans,
the raging tornado and the morning dew.
6:00 a.m., March 4
An insistent bark
beside my bed
no longer ignored.
Clothes thrown on,
stumbling out.
Cold air on
sleepy cheeks,
moon through
bare trees,
sun behind
a bank of clouds,
cedar tree
across the path,
the sound
of rushing water.
One lone goose
flies overhead.
Daffodils pushing up,
tender green grass,
woodpecker’s
rat-a-tat-tat,
a dove’s
coo, coo, coo,
distant roar
of a truck.
A green bench
at water’s edge.
A pair of mallards
leap and skid
across the pond
at our approach.
Beginning in the dark,
ending in the light.
January 21, 2021
There is a lightness in my heart this morning
and hope, like new blossoms, is budding.
Yesterday the wind blew out the old
and the sun welcomed the new.
Leaders from opposing sides gathered,
the Constitution held,
a young woman spoke poetic truth,
and America, although unfinished, is
once again strong.
I hope for our country
to once more be a beacon
where diversity is celebrated,
discourse is civil, and
broken relationships repaired.
A place where all creation
is seen as precious,
hearts are open,
equity established,
past wrongs addressed,
and truth is spoken.
I hope for a world
where together we win
the war on COVID 19,
where ALL children
are healthy and safe
and thrive and grow
into world citizens
enriched by differences
and committed to
the preciousness of
the earth, the air, and
every human being.
For Joe and Kamala
May you have courage and strength,
because you will need it.
May you have energy and good health,
because you will need it.
May your spouses be strong
because you will need them to be.
May your advisors tell you the truth,
not what they think you want to hear.
May you listen to all sides
before making decisions.
May you work well together
and respect each other.
May you form good relationships
on both sides of the aisle.
May you reunite this country
because you will have to.
May you surpass your own expectations
because the future of our country is in your hands.
untangling the web 