crows know the hour of prayer

I hear them gather each morning

just above my open window

I wrap myself in fringes

they stand ready in burnished black

and together we open our throats

I seek the heights of Spirit

then fold my tent of Meeting

and move into my day

they soar into the heavens

flit between treetop and roof

observant and open to All that is

crows know the hour of prayer

and when we meet again at twilight

maybe they will teach me to fly

at the edge of the world

the sea abandons all she is

after flinging herself upward

after singing full-throated and pure

like a sigh she subsides

back into herself into fullness

What’s The Difference

*from One With Willows copyright 2020 by Joan Myles*

Okay, I forgot.

I’m sixty years old,

and I forgot Helen Keller was deaf.

You laughed.

I laughed.

And for a moment, I was confused.

But really,

what’s the difference?

It doesn’t change anything,

doesn’t insult anyone,

or disrupt world economics.

it’s actually a compliment.

I didn’t forget Keller’s brilliance,

the way she advocated for blind folks around the world,

her eloquent use of words.

I didn’t forget Keller knew German,

French and Greek; appreciated

the ocean, Socialism and Beethoven.

Deafness and blindness

were sudden cliffs

Keller navigated throughout her life,

the shocking scenery

and heart–stopping challenges

most people find too distracting

to go on living.

That’s the difference—

Helen Keller lived.

Learning another language is interesting on so many levels as you probably know.

One thing that keeps coming up for me is what happens when the correct word in the correct language does not come readily to mind. I don’t go blank as one might expect. I end up reverting to the last language I studied–kind of a default mode I suppose.

So when I was studying French in College, I naturally defaulted to English. That makes sense.

And in Grad school when I was learning Hebrew, my default became French. That was a bit surprising.

And would you believe it–now as I wade into the shallows of Spanish vocabulary and make chart upon chart of Spanish verb conjugations, Hebrew is popping up all over the place.

Oy!

*The perfect expression for puzzlement and frustration in any land*

Keep learning, my Darlings!

Well, to let you all knowI’m learning Spanish
and as I hablo

I learn about me
and the mi that means my
Yes, I’m loving the learning
and I’m less and less shy

and the red box is big
and is under the table
I’ll be rhyming in Spanish
just as soon as I’m able

summer flowson soap bubble currents

spins me like the lace
tiny birds weave into song
and Wonder
reigns

a tiny birdin the dark in the dark
sings the sun to shine

and so aI gather
a spark a spark
and make the brightness mine

*Yes, it’s Thursday once more. So what? you ask.
Well, around here, Thursday means homemade pizza will grace our dinner table…and all its sweetness fwill fill the house.*

Each moment a Feast
by Joan Myles

suddenly I am here

the basil

the cilantro

tomatoes and peppers and onions

and your words are with me

alive with the olive oil

sinking into my awareness

the dough and I have become one

as I am

suddenly present

where you are where

we are together

in this moment

what do the birds knowas the rain gathers

their song remains constant
even behind the veil