A prayer for some good weather

We keep these walls
around our hearts,
but without
some conscious maintenance,
there's always a chance
that with time and a bunch
of sunny days
to weaken the wood,
a good strong wind
might come along,
blow through the cracks.
and split those walls
wide open...

Gliding into the future

We are on an unchartered boat,
gliding through this infinite universe.
Sometimes that boat's so small
we hardly fit.
But today,
with your presence here beside me,
and your hand on the oar,
the boat is huge
with all that's seen,
unseen,
been seen,
and will be seen.
Trail your hand in the water,
beloved friend,
and feel the cool breeze of hope
caress your cheek.

Ode to Joy

 

Breathe.

Breathe in,

and open your heart to joy.

Breathe.

Breathe out,

that deep, self-emptying breath,

and let your joy

spill out into the world.

Not an Obstacle

At first glance,
the obstacles we face
dominate our vision:
we become obsessed with them,
and miss the beauty that surrounds us --
sea, and sky, and all the glory in between.
Look again:
Look again, and see
the wealth of possible avenues --
over, under, around and through --
and, when you see,
does not this fence
become a thing of beauty,
a chance to find new textures
in the pattern of
your lavish, luminous life?

Boehme's Illumination

First, desire, yearning,
a deep, magnetic hunger;
then the stirring up,
the agitation that longing brings.
Then the ache, the stinging anguish
of not having what's desired.
and in the friction, in the tension
between want and cannot have
a flame of self-awareness must ignite.

Such illumination then gives birth
to the True Self -- first an other-
(and then Other-) awareness rising:
which transformation then awakens
next a gentle kind of resonance:
let's call it Love.
And when that love is spoken,
expressed through act or language
new worlds -- yes, new worlds --
come into being.

Labor Day

Morning,
and the gulls cry
while those who labored rest.
A day of stillness, to reflect
on all that's gone before,
prepare for what's to come,
and breathe the wonder
that is now:
blue water,
dappled sky,
and a golden boat
to mirror back
the promise of tomorrow.