White Suspended Between the Blue

At the waters edge she stands
Upon reed legs
Snowy white reflected
In the blue and brown of the slew
Her legs stretch and bend slowly
With purpose
Her movement sends tiny ripples across the water
She is watching every movement under the surface
All at once she lifts up her regal head and spreads giant cloud wings
She leaps and lifts on unseen currents
Into the sky
Gliding
White suspended between the blue
White suspended between the blue

Frost

Frozen in time
Etched onto the path with white feathers
Each line traced
Perfect and lovely
The silver leaf sparkles in the afternoon light
A quiet reminder of attentive love
Bringing death into the likeness of God

Holy Rivers

I woke with a start
To the sound of heavy rain outside my window
And lay in bed thinking of all the things I did not put away
The cushions on the outdoor furniture,
The dryer, all of my wooden baskets,
The towels that were “Drying on the fence”
I have to admit, I panicked a little…
I got dressed quickly and went out into the downpour
Rushing around in the middle of the night
Putting the already soaking things away
With my trusty dog following me from one task to another
Both of us getting wholly wet
Then I paused
Tasks done
And felt the rain on my upturned face
Delicious and cold
Patterns on my cheek
Tears that nurture this brittle dry earth
And waken autumn within me
What a way to awaken in the middle of the night!
With Joy spilling out of the sky
Kissing parched ground
Running Holy Rivers all over town
Filling my soul
To the brim

Clouds and Self Pity Lose Their Appeal

It shown
A small light
In the grey mass of clouds
That distorted and surrounded
A glimmer
A sparkle
Shimmering
Waiting for me to take a step forward
To receive the gift
I had been avoiding all day
While I sank into the darkness of my own making
It stayed lit
Occasionally flickering in the breeze
But otherwise unfazed by my attempt to ignore it
So I walked forward
After fighting with no one but myself
And received the simple gift
Of light
Somehow when the golden flame is near
Clouds and self pity lose their appeal

Moving Blue

We meandered along the green
The last days of summer
Slipping through fingers like sand
We made our slow way East
After an evening meal
Walking along the cliff edge
Overlooking a field of moving blue
We paused and talked along the way
Stopping for moments of silent gazing
Taking in the mysterious depths
Where unseen
The starfish cling to rocky ledges
Where fish and seals roam
Through yellowed fields of kelp
Dancing with the current
The dolphins moved in the water below
Along the base of the cliff
And the moon hung silver in the sky
Leaving silver patterns
Sparkling and laughing
On the moving
Blue

Reflection

I have been thinking about Jordyn's weekend. It all went by so fast and yet we did hold an honoring of change and movement. Not just for her, but for each of the Women who came or wrote, we took the time to pause and acknowledge the passing of time and share the sacredness of the journey. I was amazed by what some of the people shared both in letter and in conversation. The wisdom imparted was inspiring, connecting, vulnerable, and full of thought. In our culture we forget to stop and be present in the here and now in the changes, with growing flowers, and with each other. The gift of the weekend for me was the depth of connection in the space of laughter, tears, and silence. We were able to stop and be present...with a word cut out of a magazine, watching the dolphins, taking a walk, resting on the porch, swimming, or engaged in conversation. Those moments that often pass us by are our life, and we are living it.

Spiders

Spiders
They weave and crawl
In hidden places
And make jeweled patterns
In the trees and in my classroom
Outside on bench and table,
In doorways and across the expanse of our windows
On drain pipes and coat hooks they hold cottony white
And stick to passers by
The patterns shine with dew drops in the early morning
And capture the unsuspecting
Today I swept away a summers worth of work
Home and Table
Caught on the end of my broom
I pushed the workers out once again to the periphery of my world
Wishing them well and gone all the same
They made an eight legged escape over the brush and up the hill
To begin a new Pattern in the trees
Far away from prying bristles
That destroys a summer’s work in a moment

Dolphins

The glide silently beneath the waves
Giving only a glimpse
Of frolic and fun
They gleam
Dark bodies
Sparkling with silver jewels
Then disappear from sight
I find myself
Tense
Standing on shore
Holding my breath
Waiting for the magic
Of gray bodies
To suddenly pierce the vast blue
To catch a glance
Of liquid hope
Dancing,
Dancing,
Dancing
In summer sun

Jordyn Mietzke Turned Thirteen

Jordyn turned thirteen this week and we had a celebration welcoming her into the ranks of womanhood. We rented a beach house for the weekend and women came from far and wide to honor her and to remember pieces of their own journey. It was a beautiful weekend of women sharing and laughing. Aunties and cousins, friends and sisters, mothers and godmothers and of course the grandmothers and a grand auntie came together.
We began the weekend with good food and art. We made a collage of thoughts and picture’s, each person adding to the whole. We shared stories of our own beginnings of our journey as women. We sang and laughed; we walked and stayed up till all hours of the night listening to the sound of the waves.
Each woman who came took some time to be with Jordyn and to share words of advice, encouragement or ways in which they found their peace amid the chaos of daily living, and many women who could not be here sent letters of encouragement and inspiration. Of the women who were there, Yvette gave the first gift, she gave Jordyn her first surfing lesson. Then Grandma Mary shared about gardening, Kako sent a letter about faith and connection and good toe and tooth hygiene that had everyone in stitches, Tam shared quilt making, Alison shared a walk and a beautiful new outfit, Christie shared some poetry and spiritual wisdom, Hiwot shared the gift of a traditional Ethiopian meal, Rachel and Nyrie shared the gift of sisterhood and time, Ama (my Mom) and her sister Sherry shared the gift of laughter and song and my Mom brought most of the art supplies and drove to get coffee in the morning and cooked and cleaned with Mary. Jj shared the gift of Long baths, good smelling soap and massage. I gave the gift of honoring change through ritual, and a midnight swim in phosphorescence.
This is a difficult weekend to describe except to say it was a weekend based in connection. Saturday all day long people took turns connecting with Jordyn, and Saturday evening we drew Jordyn a bath and light candles all around. Alison Jj and I gave her a message while the rest of the women prepared the space where we would gather to have a service of blessing and song. After the message Jordyn put on a new outfit and received a lantern (a gift of light to brighten her path). We then led her out to the circle of women.
Red and purple cloth lay on the ground creating a circle with cedar branches and candles. Jordyn was led into the circle and lit a candle first to her creator, second to the women who came before her third to the women who would come after and forth for the men and boys who love and support her. Then each of the women offered a blessing on her behalf; each lit a candle as the blessing was offered. Then we sang songs and listened to verse and poems and then we all welcomed her into the outer circle.
One thing that struck me about Jordyn during the whole weekend was her unwavering attention and her ability to be present with each person who was there. She listened intently to everything offered at the service and cherished each of the letters that were sent. I was amazed at her grace and watched as she gazed into each person’s face as they spoke to her. I just kept thinking about how amazing it is to be her mom.
We ended the evening with a bonfire and a very cold swim in the ocean where the phosphorescence glistened on us like stars and the waves shone blue against the darkness of the night. It was a magical night and the beginning of a new part of her journey.
We ended the weekend with Jordyn sharing about her weekend and then had a birthday party where her friends from school and their families joined us. The Dolphins showed up in the middle of her party and gave a show jumping up out of the water, racing and turning. It was amazing! They swam about 40 feet off shore for a long time as if they too had come for the party.
During part of the weekend the whales also showed up spouting and slapping the water and their tails rising then sinking into the water. We also had a couple of sea lions come to visit and a little white eyed weasel. All and all it was a pretty amazing weekend.
I wanted to say a special thank you to everyone who showed up and sent letters. It really felt lovely to have all of you sharing your thoughts and time with my daughter and honoring her life in this way. It was a blessing to her and it was a blessing to me. I love you all!

Circle of Light

She stood in the circle of light
Open and receptive
To each of the blessings offered there
From sister and cousin
Aunts and friends
Godmother and mother
And the wise grandmothers
Each held her in their gaze
And welcomed
The beating of her heart
The rounding and stretching of her body
Her life
The change
A gift to each
A reminder of the journey
How individual and connected
We all strive towards the light

Magic Mountain

Okay, so I know that Going to Six Flags Magic Mountain isn't your traditional Anniversary event, but we had a great time!  We were going to go for my birthday, back in July, but there was just too much going on.  Visitors and trips that we enjoyed immensely!  Summer camps, plannig, family, you get the idea.  We also knew that we didn't have the time for a romantic get away, so we combined the two.  We left the girls with their aunt and uncle (Thank You!), and headed for the fun park. 


To say we enjoyed ourselves is a great understatement.  We rode eleven roller coasters in ten and a half hours, stopping only for extravagantly overpriced food and restrooms.  We hit all of the big ones, Superman was not running, don't know why, and we missed X2, which is I think the newest ride to the park.  We might have made it on to X2 but we decided to have some dinner instead. Barbecue sandwiches that  hit the spot!

Next time we're going for the flash pass, it lets you set time for a ride, and then skip to the front of the line when it's your time.   Even without it though we had a great time, The park has done a great job of providing shade for the lines, and keeping you in the shade while you are waiting.

My favorite was Riddler's Revenge, it's a stand-up coaster with a lot of loops and twists, but it doesn't feel like it's throwing you about, or trying to pull your lunch out through your spine.  I think Ang's favorite was DejaVu.  You start by going up a tower and dropping to roll through a series of turns and loops and up another tower then you do the whole thing backwards.  Very disorienting, and Fun!  We also both enjoyed Goliath with it's huge (255 foot) primary drop into a tunnel, and pretty smooth ride.

All in all it was a great way to spend our anniversary, and a break we both needed.

Waiting at the Edge

She stood waiting at the edge
Then leapt into the arms of nothing
Trusting the fabric strapped to her back
To spread open
And sail her gently to the ground

He stood at the edge
Knowing something was about to happened
Still locked into an idea
That would not let him go
He teetered and fell grasping at thin strings
To break his fall
He is still falling
There is no ground for him
As of yet

I have stood on the edge
Many times toes curled ready to jump
Then slowly edged myself away from the abyss
Trying out smaller ones where I was sure I could not fail
Where the fall would cause only minor bruises and scrapes
Where I did not have to trust myself to fate and equipment

They stand on the edge for a cause
Jumping, diving, trusting
Then flying
Arms open,
Knowing that the moment of faith would lift them
In unexpected ways
On the wings of unseen angels

Someday maybe
I will unleash myself from all of these questions
Be able to dive in
Living on faith
Like water

Chase the Crow

As the sand pressed between my toes
I relaxed into its warmth beneath my feet
I watched our dog centered in the joy of the chase
The crow flew before him almost taunting
He ran up the beach and back
Ears flying
Tongue flapping
He seemed to say
This is what it is about
Silly human
Chase the crow
Chase the crow and feel the wind blow your ears
It doesn’t matter if you catch it
What matters is that you experience
A moment of freedom
And live

Dogwood Blossoms

They clung to the branches
Like hope
Reflecting light from the cosmos
On a darkened path
Even on a cloudy night
Their petal white fingers spread
From the golden center
In a gesture of openness
And served as guides
Along the path towards shelter

High-Heeled Shoes

It was the high-heeled shoes
That struck me
As we talked
I couldn’t help looking down at the red
That raised her whole body inches above mine
To where my neck craned to see
The once beautiful
But overly made up face
There was pain
It could be seen
Just below the mask
Of rouge, powder, and plastic
That pulled back skin thinly
And led to a barely noticeable smile
She was young once
Then walked through the middle ground
Like me
Now she has taken
That step beyond
But tries to hold on to an idea
By manipulating and painting herself
Like a doll
Whose countenance cannot show emotion
We all put up walls to confuse or protect
We all think that we can fool
Even ourselves
With this game of charades
As I took her in
I realized that
Adopting red shoes
And feeding the mask
Can only serve
To leave a question with those
Who stop and try
To see beyond
The shadow self
Into the depths
My question
What caused you this much pain ?

Let It Go

Let everything be
For a little while
Quit shaping,
Pruning
and organizing
The plants
So that they grow
Controlled
In the dirt
Never to wander up the fence
With wild arms
This idea of perfection
For which you strive
Is driving everyone
Crazy
Including you
Let everything be
Your presentation
Does not have to be
Perfect
For you to experience the
Hand of Love
Gently rocking your Chair
God loves,
Even your crazy morning hair
And Torn Pajamas
Let everything be
The pressure is only building
Because you won’t let go
Of the idea of perfect

Heart Wisdom

Speak your wisdom,
Oh, heart
With your
Steady
Rhythmic
Beat
Beat
Beating…
Let your
Ebb and flow
Drowned out
The loose cannon
Thoughts
Of the mind
Which run wild tonight
Spinning and reeling
In too many directions to count
Move loudly within
Slowing
Steadying
Being
Beat
Beat
Beating
Until the mind
Is quiet

Fog

In the fog at dusk
I went walking
Through gray mist
Gathered round like hen feathers
Giving a sense of peace
Bringing my childhood to memory

I used to love coming down to the beach
On fogy days
I had a favorite rock
Where
I would stand
Unseen
Unheard
Singing to the sea
Songs that welled up inside of me
Nonsense and longing
Erased for a moment
All of the days
Thoughts that plagued me
I was left
With the feeling of being utterly alone
Yet fully attended by the solitude
In which the holy is present

In the gray
I could empty myself of shame and fear
And immerse myself in imagination
I sang of love and brokenness
Of hope and longing
Memories and desires
Everything I poured out was soaked up by
Surrounding gray
My secrets were safe
They would retreat back into the sea
As the sun burned through the fog

As an adult I felt nervous about being alone in the fog
I did not want to leave the comfort of the sun
For a moment of isolation and spiritual solitude
As I entered
I felt within me
A familiar song

One
Not heard for quite some time
I did not sing it
As loud as I once might have
But it came to me
As a sweet secret
Whispered

Here,I
sacred found
In this space of in between
Hanging round
Like a shroud
Subtle,
Mine to treasure

Lady Bugs

It was a mourner’s beach
I walked this evening
Hundreds of
Red and black bodies
Lay tumbled and forgotten in the surf
Why did they come?
Were they bewitched by the oceans call?
As I looked down saddened
I saw movement
Not all were lost
And I began to gather up little round bodies
In my hands
I started with just a few
They kept wriggling their way
Between my closed fingers
Falling back onto the sand once more
So I went back to my car
Dog in toe and got my coffee mug
Down on my hands and knees now,
I began filling my mug
With one cupped hand over the top
In an hour and a half I collected
Well over a hundred
Lady bugs
Then stopped
When the light had faded
With a full cup I headed back to my car
I drove one hand over the top of the mug,
And the other on the steering wheel
Back to my garden
I set the cup
In the middle
Then watched as they poured out of the top
Red, black, and beautiful
Clambering out into the green
I wished that I could have saved more
Of those precious aphid eaters
It was a mourner’s beach
I walked tonight,
But this is
A thanksgiving garden
Where
Red and black
Fade into
Green

Morning Guffaw

The Blue Jay and the Crow have been at it all morning
Each thinks that he knows
The talk of the town better than the other
So each stand perched
One on the fence
One on the branches of the pine
Yelling at each other
Interrupting and calling out
Their squabble is causing quite a stir in the neighborhood
My Dog is trying to play referee
He is barking at the bottom of the fence
He runs back and forth
Telling them “what for”
Occasionally the birds will
Take notice and pause in their guffaw
They will look down
Stopping their chatter
And he will stop barking
And the sound of little birds singing will be audible once more
Then under his breath the crow will mutter his crow words
And the ruckus will begin again
Why can’t we all just get along?

A Post by Nyrie

Today at school we played kick ball. It was so much fun! I got to be a team captain for the first time this year and I picked a really good team! My teammates were very encouraging and we were very good at working together. I even made two home runs in a row!!! I am very proud. Oh, by the way, my team won! I also turned in an old reading question sheet and that is always good, and I got a lot done on the top that I am making in woodworking class. What a fun day!
By Nyrie Mietzke

Simple Things

Clean Laundry
New plants breaking through garden soil
A tall glass of ice water
Fifteen minutes of uninterrupted reading
Laying in patch of sunshine on my bedroom floor
My children laughing together
A bowl of ice cream
A phone call from a good friend
A found dog
The smell of jasmine flowers
Being home
Being home
Being home

Summer Days Are Coming!

They stood in the surf
Silhouetted by the setting sun
Arms outstretched in defiance
As if they could stop the roaring of the waves
By sheer will power
The waves came one after another soaking them
In their school jeans
Laughing they fell in the water time and again
Only to end standing
Taunting the waves
To do their best

Sometimes, I Would Rather Be a Chicken

We have a chicken in the side yard of our duplex
She has one little chick that follows her around
Learning and stealing bugs from mama's mouth
As she scratches in the dirt the chick watches and follows suit
It struck me
How simply some things are made
To scratch, peck, drink, and lay
Then to get up and do it again
Without the complication of connection
Sometimes I long for the quiet
I wish that I did not wake
With so many thoughts to think
Responsibilities to fulfill
Working, shopping, driving, loving,
It is the loving that makes it all worth doing
But some days I think I would rather be a chicken

Just Like Magic

It lay across the path
In patterned silence
Still as a stick
Blown down from the tree
In last week’s storm
It lay
Patches of brown and tan
Blending
Into the woodchips
Where little feet walk
Every day
Four sets of feet ran right over the top of it
Brushing it
Perhaps
Without a glance
But I looked down at the fifth pair
As they went running by and started at the sight of him
Three feet long
Lounging in the sun
He saw me jump
And we watched as his stick straight body
Bent into curves and slithered off the path
Into the grass and bushes
He slithered in a slow way
Disappearing
Inch by inch
Just like magic

The Journey

It is just a journey,
From beginning to end
From start to finish
The seeds take
From soil to plate
Though the journey is short
It is done with subtle splendor
With a gentle warming and swelling
Then rising towards the light
Unfolding delicate leaves
Growing visibly every day
Bosoms,
Orange, yellow and white
Dance with the bees
And then
Voila'
The fruit begins to grow and ripen
My seasoned hands touch
And pick
Wash and chop
Cook and saute
Dinner

Fair Food

Fair food
Is not as good
As I remembered
It tastes like
Last week’s
Fast food leftovers
Even cotton candy as it melts
Has lost a bit of magic
Indigestion sets in easier
Than it used to
Next time I will bring
An apple

Condition or Conditioning?

I am wanting,
Often longing
For something more
Than what I have
Is this just
“The human condition”,
Or first world conditioning?

I said to my husband last night
Given any circumstance
No matter how delightful
I could find a way
To be conflicted about it

My goal since we moved this year
Has been to live in a place of gratitude
It is often the most difficult task
I have ever given myself

I have to wonder why…
When I am surrounded by love
I have food on my table,
A roof over my head,
I have a good job
Beautiful healthy children
A good marriage
And deep friendships

Why do I always want more?
What more is there to want anyway?
Where does this longing come from?

Longing

I am wanting,
Often longing
For something more
Than what I have
Is this just
“The human condition”,
Or first world conditioning?

I said to my husband last night
Given any circumstance
No matter how delightful
I could find a way
To be conflicted about it

My goal since we moved this year
Has been to live in a place of gratitude
It is often the most difficult task
I have ever given myself
I have to wonder why…
When I am surrounded by love
I have food on my table,
A roof over my head,
I have a good job
Beautifully and healthy children
Deep friendships
Why do I always want more?
What more is there to want anyway?
Where does this longing come from?

Chocolate and Poetry

For my birthday
You gave me a bar of chocolate
And a book of poetry
I partake of these almost every day
One remedy for the tongue
And the other for the heart
The chocolate is almost gone
I don’t think I have ever let a bar last this long
But waking to it made me feel
Like I was also waking
To a bit of our sweet friendship
And that somehow I carried a piece of you into my day
The poetry has nourished me and caused me
On many a day to stop and take notice
Of the little things

How long it takes a snail
To make it's way across the porch
Or new flower buds
That came in the night
Or the licks and paws
That greet me in the morning
Along with the padding of growing child feet
These things I share with you
Dear friend
Across a distance
With gratefulness

I miss my mountain home

I miss my village
High in the mountains
With voices raised in song
Joined by the enlivened creek
Melting snow
And the rush of spring wind through the valley
I miss the constant winter white
Giving way to green and brown
I miss the opening of doors
And the sharing of the wine and bread
I miss the way people would gather in the road
For a few moments of sunshine
Sunbathing on three feet of snow
I miss the rhythm of food and worship
I miss the helping hands
That are always so easy to find
And the joy that is given to
Even the most mundane of tasks
I keep looking for Holden
Out in the world
Of business and Cars
Of shopping, and daily work
It continues to teach me
As I carry it with me every day
One Day I will return once more
To my beloved mountain home
Until then,
I will hold it close in thought and prayer

Rebuilding the Ancient

Pine cones
Pop and crack
They loosen their grip
On the beloved branches
Of the ancient coastal pine
In my back yard
They fall down to the earth
With a thump
That makes me start
Time and again
The wind calls them
Down to the earth
To lay out seeds upon the ground
To rebuild the ancient
From scratch and time
In the rich brown soil

The Skunks

We smelled them
Before we saw them
Up on the hill
Wandering
Black and white
Through the purple flowers
They rooted in the soft brown earth
And would pause
To nibble as they
Meandered
With no particular place to go
I felt a stab of longing
For long summer days
For camping and walks with
No destination in mind
And only the decisions of now
Directing
My moment
Simple, straight forward,
Black and white
Meandering through purple flowers

Carrying Stones

I have been watching her
Thin as a rail
As her dreams
Are starved out of her

She has become
wafer thin
Blowing
This way and that
But trying to
Appear
As if
She is cemented to the ground
“Just like everybody else”

I remember the feeling of
The starving time
How it wracked my insides
Until I hardly knew what was

Up or down
Forward or backward

Then I
Remember
Rebuilding

How heavy the stones were
In
The
Beginning
As I carried them across the distance
To stack them
One
By
One
It was lonely work
Until I realized
The Friend had joined me
And was carrying
Twice
The load I was every day
I thought about asking the Friend to leave
Trying to preserve the sense
“I can do this on my own”
But I was so
TIRED
Tired of the insurmountable task ahead
But the Friend kept on showing up
Day
After
Day
Carrying three stones
To my meager
One
I couldn’t send the Friend away now
I was,
After all,
Beginning to see
Progress

First
We lay the foundation,
Then base for the first wall
Soon the Friend surprised me
Bringing in others
Through my freshly mortared
Doorway
Each picked up more stones
Even though
I still wanted
To resist their help

Now,
I practically have a fortress
I am no longer
Wafer thin
And blowing

I know
For my starving friend
Her
Rebuilding time
Is
Just
Around the corner

The Friend
Is already
With her
Carrying stones

Fortune Cookie

I cracked open my fortune cookie
And in it, the paper read:
Be an ambassador for change
All day it lingered
Like the weight of bricks and flowers
On my chest
It might have been
The charge
That caused me to give
My freshly purchased string cheese
To the man
In the Trader Joes parking lot
With the cardboard sign
Or it might have been that thought
That helped my hands to get
A bag
So that I could gather trash
On my afternoon walk
Or
It might have encouraged a pause
In a long winded lecture
I was about to give my daughter
About not listening
And led me
Instead
To stop and wrap my arms around her
What if all of our fortunes
Gave us this charge?
To simply be an ambassador for change

I Live in a Gray Blue Box

I live in a gray blue box
With kind neighbors on one side
Who don’t normally make noise
But tend to their flowers with diligence

In front there is a cement pathway
That leads nowhere in one direction
And is boundless in the other

There are often noises
Outside my bedroom window
At night
And during the day
Car doors shutting
Big wheels on the pavement
Twin two year olds chattering with the little birds
Who like to sit in the cherry tree

The roots of the cherry tree
Are embedded in the gray smooth cement
With only a small square hole
For its body to fit through to seek the light
And the rain

Rain has come often this year
With its pitter and patter and wind
Last night the wind visited
And covered with her dancing fingers
All of the sounds
The car doors shutting,
The neighbor’s radio,
The dogs barking
The wind lulled me to sleep
And brought me
In my dreams
To my dear mountains in the North
Where the wind charges through the valleys
Like a train

The Local

He came to the beach
Every day at sunset
A beer in hand
To watch the surf
And the sun
As it lay itself
Down in ocean blue
He was a regular
He was friendly
And at times
Inappropriate

When I would come for my evening walks
With my dog
I would often take the long way around
To avoid the banter
Of he and his drinking comrades
Whose names and stories
I do not know

He died this week
Was stabbed by a knife
And bled out on the sidewalk
Long after sunset

There were flowers
That covered the stains on the sidewalk
Trinkets
And beer bottles
Left by other locals

One rock read
“It won’t be the same without you”

And I wondered what it meant
Who had loved and cherished his life
Who will miss him

Maybe from now on I will try
Every now and again
Not to walk the long way around,
Maybe to linger
And hear a story or two
That I would have missed otherwise

Stories of colorful characters
Human beings whose lives are intertwined,
From a distance,
With mine

Good Food and Friendship

Two friends came from a distance
Two weeks apart
To take me out
To two nights
Of dinner and conversation
For my birthday
I Love
Having good friends
Who know me
And love me anyway
Both nights we talked and dined
No subject left uncovered
As we explored our thoughts
Together
Laughed at memories of past
And the trials of everyday life
And dared to speak
Our hopes and fears
Out loud

For my birthday,
I received the gift
Of being known
I have been seen
By loving eyes
As the person I have been,
The person I am in practice,

And the person I shall
Become

Partially because I have friends
Who know me
And love me anyway

Big People Furniture

We got real big people furniture.

Yesterday we took delivery of a whole new living room set and a table and stools for the dining area. (some assembly required... barely) It's kind of cool to have furniture that hasn't had at least two previous owners.

We got a cafe table because the living room set kind of ate a bit of the dining area. It feels like it fits us, and we're no longer trying to crowd a table into a space that doesn't really fit it.

Song of Thanksgiving

We spent the morning
Walking through the tall grasses
The burrs clung to us
As we made our way to the tree fort
In the center of the field

Little feet made a mighty trail
With all of their tossing and tumbling
Purple flowers lay down on the ground
As we passed
Making way for the procession

We found a caterpillar
It climbed first one child’s belly than another
As they watched and laughed
I think the caterpillar got his exercise today
Climbing up
Then starting over
Again and again
Before we made him a cozy bed
In a grass house
Near our tree

Then

We hung swings in branches
And used old logs to sit on
As we ate our snack in the grass

Although we were hidden from sight
I am sure our sound carried
Over the field
As we blessed the earth
With laughter
And our song of thanksgiving

The slugs

The slugs rejoiced in the night
They had a ruckus party in the garden
Way past midnight
At the expense of the lettuce and flowers
Who now have tatters in their gowns

The flowers prefer a full dress
To the modern holey look
That the slugs doled out in the night
I will have to have a talk with them
Or leave out glasses of beer
Where the slugs can drown the flower sorrows
In ale

My prayer today

My prayer today
Let me expand out
Beyond my plans and ideas
To embrace light
In the world around me
To ignite kinship
To be connected
To be

A quick, hopefully helpful, note to a friend.

Open your Eyes...
you could loose everything...

Chances are
That your ego
Is not telling
The truth

Thirty Seven and Counting

The celebration of my thirty-seventh year began yesterday
With a new hairdo
And my family gathered round me
Each telling me something that they value in me

This tradition used to make me uncomfortable
I somehow couldn’t believe
The good things
That are unfolding within me
With each passing year

God has had a lot of patience
With my rascally ways

I found this year
That I could listen
To the kindness
That poured from familiar lips
And I could even see
The outline of my own heart
Set out before me
Through the eyes of another


I am changing
I am deepening
I am still unfolding and becoming
I am thirty seven years wiser
With more thankfulness
To come

THE BEET

The beet grew up out of the ground
Its leafy fingers raised towards the sun
Its ripe red earth belly
Is growing rounder and juicier by the day
I watered and watched
As it ripened and expanded above the ground
Its belly resting on the brown soil
When it was two inches around the middle
I pulled it up out of the ground
Surprised by the length of the root
That had held it there
Thankful,
I took it into the kitchen,
Washed and cut it
It stained my fingers and the cutting board
Red
Then I sauteed it in a pan
And mixed it into my salad
Everything it touched
Was left with a bit of its color
With some of its beautiful red earthy life
Including me

Remnants of time

Remnants of time
Deposited on surfaces
Each depicting a thought
Or a memory
I am a collector of natural things
Rocks and stones
Speak to me
And often find their way into
My pocket
And the laundry
Sometimes when I get home
from a particularly observant walk
My arms as well as my pockets
Are full of longings and ideas
That I set out on the table
Or arrange in a bowl
Or display in any number of ways
Out in the garden along the path
Each item holds a connection for me
Perhaps a link to the past
Or a question about the future,
but the best are the ones that come as an idea
that inspires me into creative action
I love to hold these treasures in my hand
To feel the weathered wood,
Or the smooth surface of a rock
Which has been tumbled in the surf
Each treasure has been transformed
Or has the potential to be

Flight to Now

I walked a thousand steps
Each one held a memory
A scent or a picture
Re-enlivened within
There doesn’t seem to be a bridge
Between whom I was and who I am
That I can span with reason
There are just
GAPS
That can only be filled
By continuing to step forward
One foot at a time
Into the present and into
New experiences
Which create and renew me
It is only in this present moment
That I can live
Feathers unfurled
Ready for the flight
To now

Willow on the Wind

Seeds fell from the willow like snow
White gathered in banks around the garden bed
The children ran catching the delicate cotton
In outstretched hands

Gathering wishes
From the willow fairies
And tossing them back into the air
To be lifted up on the breeze as an offering

Magic came alive today
In downy feathers floating on the air

Carrying willow babies
And our hopes
Far and wide

It is all in the mixing

Today we spent time with new friends
Measuring flower oil and sugar
the perfect ingredients for a friendship
in the chaos of children and life
there was a simple connection
that left me thankful
for the moment and the food,
and even for all of the distraction
simple blessings
often offer great hope!

The Offering

The Calla Lilies came
Almost out of nowhere
Shining white
Against deep green

Their cupped hands
Held water from last nights rain

They offered it as a sacrament
To the earth and sky in unison

With a golden spoon
To stir sacred water

This quiet gesture
Will nourish any soul
That might take a moment
To drink in the sweetness
Of the offering

Calling

Gods Breath

Blew across the trees

Spinning leaves

And cracking branches



I thought I heard my name

Spoken on the wind



It lifted the gull

And sent it rocketing

Out across the ocean



I stood witness

To its resolve

As it tossed blue waves

And turned water into

Sparkling droplets of light



I was afraid to turn my eyes away

Even for a moment

Afraid I would loose the sense



That God was here



Dancing on waves

And calling

For no particular reason at all

Calling out my name

On the wind