Circles intersect
Like fingers interweaving
Such are these moments
Words tumble and fade
Echo in our minds and hearts
Float beyond grasping
We will touch again
Feel warmth of breath and body
Passing between us
For now we withdraw
Into autumn’s realm and wait
Silent and open
So maybe you’re wondering what’s new with Bucky, the big, big dog in my life by way of my daughter. Well he has been working hard to overcome the trauma of being shifted from home to home during the first year of his life. CC and her husband have managed to leash train him, and have even eased him into unpanicked interactions with neighborhood dogs and their people during daily walks. Cats are still a trigger for loud barking…but I understand that one.
As far as visiting with Bucky, J and I are among his favorite humans, probably thanks to the treats we readily dispense on command. He knows our ring-tone so well in fact that whenever I phone to chat, he runs to the window expecting to see our car, and whines when he doesn’t.
And if you think that is the sweetest thing, just listen to this…
The last time we went to visit CC and Bucky, we had no sooner settled into our places on the patio, than Bucky came over to where I sat, stood up on his hind feet, and gently wrapped his forepaws around my shoulders for a hug.
*sigh*
Yes, I’m in love !
Of course nothing will ever replace Ari in my affections. Ari was one of a kind, full of empathy, courage and play. But Ari definitely paved the way for Bucky. Ari revealed to us what Canines bring to human existence, taught us to see beneath the fur coat and animal antics into the heart of a living soul Whose only purpose is to love and be loved.
So in honor of Ari and Bucky and all the Canine teachers in our lives, I wish you Sweetness and Love, my Darling Friends!
When I am little
Again I walk on raindrops
I slide down sunbeams
And ride wind current
Stallions through forests of time
To recover myself
we hang suspended
between the mystery of beginnings
and questions of ultimate meaning
ripening to sweetness
only honey bees recognize
…or so we hope
*The Jewish calendar marks this time as the start of a new year, a fresh beginning, a space to turn inward in an effort to reflect upon personal shortcomings and the possibility of change. This is a spotlight moment to realize the importance of life, the value of meaningful interactions with friends and loved ones, with Nature and the planet, and certainly with Divinity. The ancient cry of the shofar (ram’s horn) opens our ears and hearts, calling us back into meaning, the meaning of this season, this moment, every precious moment of our precious lives. Wishing you sweetness on your journey, darling friends*
Today is new
Can you feel it?
Right now
The sun is cloaked in shimmering clouds
And the sky is streaked in pink and orange
But just for a moment
Because now the wind is pushing past
And snatching away the clouds
The cloak
Revealing the sun
And all it is
And you are new
Can you feel it?
Right now
You are cloaked in clouds as well
In yesterdays streaked with sadness and delight
But just for a moment
Because when you hear the shofar
Its ancient blast Will snatch away your cloak
Revealing all you are
*I am delighted to share this podcast with you, Darling Readers, a discussion about poetry and life and everything in between with my dear friend Patty. Please take a listen, and join in the discussion by leaving your thoughts in the comments. Wishing you love and sweetness always.*
In this episode poet Joan Myles chats with us about her life as a poet and more.
| https://www.buzzsprout.com/1285364/5502538 |
Darling Friends,
You don’t need to be reminded how difficult 2020 has been. So many people around the world have suffered the loss of loved ones. Somany have lost jobs, their savings, their sense of security. Here in Oregon, forest fires have ravaged town upon town, uprooting families from their homes, then consuming those homes entirely. People gather at churches, colleges, the State Fair Ground. They gather their children, their animals, their energy and strength and push aside fear and loss to simply move forward.
They are not remarkable by any means. They are people like you and me and that guy over there whose name you never learned. We are all just people trying to find meaning during a time of incredible confusion and upset. Maybe we cling tighter to our religious traditions, to our prejudices, certainly to our loved ones.
And there is something even sturdier we might find, something deeper in ourselves, something truer about reality.
Light.
I’m not talking about the light from the sun or the stars. Sure, sunlight chases away our night fears and makes our gardens grow. We can all identify with the quiet devotion of a sunflower turning its face to follow the sun’s path. And starlight is a universal source of inspiration and strength.
But there is another light, a light inside each one of us, a flickering flame of uniqueness bestowed to the world in our name and image. It is a source and strength no other human can bring to this world. It is your light, your essence, your blessing for this world, this time, this moment.
And amid all the ash falling to earth, amid the financial and personal losses of these days, your light is vital. Your light can pierce through the smoke and red haze claiming Western skies. Your light can soothe and heal and enliven. In the solitude of your home, your room, your thought, your light is a blessing to everyone.
You need only to shine. Shine with the hope your breath inspires. Shine with the voice which is yours alone–in words, in song, in squeals of childlike joy. Shine with all you are, this moment.
And the light that is you and me and that nameless guy over there will spark something new and fresh and living, a wave of light opening the path forward.
Wishing you love and sweetness, my dazzling friends.
When we breathe again
Will our hearts be clear or worse
When ashes disperse
Got the Martian sky blues
Ashes down to my shoes
No fresh air in my face
No sunlight anyplace
Fires ablaze all around
Houses burned to the ground
As we huddle inside
Refugees lives collide
We are all refugees
Fleeing hatred unease
Side by side
in the street
Voices raised
on our feet
Chanting:
Liberty
Equality
DJ’s defeat
*A strange day here in Salem, with delayed dawn, reddened sky, and a kitten who tried to adopt us. Only after the sky lightened, and the air cleared somewhat did he venture away. Wishing you all sweetness and love as we navigate these trying times, dear friends*
Blood sky lost kitty
Callie ashes fall like snow
Trees and passions blaze
