Category Archives: serious stuff

While Sitting on the Porch

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While sitting on the porch
of the rustic cabin in the quiet pine forest,
I sense the faint beginnings
of the restoration of my soul.

Ochoco

 

I scan the wooded vistas,
seeing so much farther than
the usual confines of my restricted horizons,
seeing so much deeper into the reaches
of my self-forsaken heart.

ochoco4

 

Listening to the magpies
and the ospreys and jays, and
those pale green birds with the
beautiful songs that dance across the air,
I feel my inner voice begin to hum,
seeking out that melody that has for far too long
been scorned into silence.

ochoco3

 

I inhale deeply of the fresh forest air,
and I am finally able to exhale, long and slow,
releasing the toxic fear and tension
that I have been holding inside me
as if it were my last dying breath.

ochoco6

 

I can abide comfortably for once
among the trusted few that accompany me.
A light joke, a sweet hug…
fists and jaw and heart unclenching
like a leaf unfolding into new growth,
I open to the freedom that is offered
in the security of this sacred environment.
It is the quenching of a thirst long overdue.

ochoco2

 

Amidst the stillness of nature,
my own nature steps tentatively forward,
and I welcome my reawakening soul
as one would welcome the arrival of an old friend…

while sitting on the porch.

ochoco5

In Work

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plow

In Work I am co-creator with the One Creator,
co-creator with all in the One Creation.

In Work I sow seeds for the Harvest.
A touch, a smile, a benevolent word…
all are seed for Creation.

Yet, what is the fruit of my work?

When I dance on the shore and add my voice
to the songs of the waves,
can I know today that my song will touch a soul
months, years, centuries from now?

Can I know the steps of my dance
will be remembered and retraced,
long after their mark has been washed clear of
the sandy beach?

If this is so, shall I not rewrite the song?
Make the tune more melodious, or the
words more noble, perhaps?
Add a swift spin or an elegant dip to the dance
in vainglorious tribute
to me…

But then creation Work will have ceased
and ego work commenced.

And if my singing is lost to the uproar of the sea,
if the imprint of my dance disappears
with the sweep of the next tide,
do I withhold the song, refrain from dancing?
For Whom am I Working?

If I cease the Work of sowing, I cease being a co-creator.
And then what am I?

In strained faith, I continue to sow.
The harvest of my work I leave
to the Harvester, Who knows when fruition is complete.

Zen Garden

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afloat

Tall vertical stones
with their leaning rock consorts
float within a sea of
white sand and gravel
raked to perfection into
rippling waves in
a contrastingly
calm, even plane.

This little garden,
an oasis of zen energy,
unassuming and nonsanctimonious,
helps keep me afloat
when I find myself
tossed by waves of
undisciplined thought,

reminding me that I - 
like the garden -
am an amalgam,
not of sand and gravel and rock,
but of body, mind and spirit;
and that I, too,
am perfectly patterned
for my own even plane of
unassuming and nonsanctimonious
existence.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Afloat

Daily Triumph

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Triumph - noun
1. the act, fact, or condition of being 
   victorious or triumphant; victory; conquest.
2. a significant success or noteworthy achievement; 
   instance or occasion of victory.
Sometimes a triumph is feted with 
a fanfare of blaring trumpets, 
a clamorous parade, and perhaps 
even a flaunting display of 
the coveted “spoils of war.” 

And sometimes...
it is met with a soft sigh
as the coolness of evening settles in,
and one can rest in the knowing
that they have survived -
nay, triumphed over - 
yet another day.

asphalt

Photo #20 for Blogging U’s Photography 101 course. Subject: triumph.

Young Minds

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young minds

What do you see when you 
gaze at me with those 
trusting new eyes?
Who do you believe me to be?
Who do you believe you are to me? 
Or does it even matter?
Perhaps we are both the same entity. 

You have so much to explore 
and discover and learn.
I have so much to share and recount
and unlearn.
We can teach one another 
life lessons
along the way.

We will both grow older
but there is no rush.
You’ll learn to walk, then to run,
then to soar.
I’ll learn to slow down,
and to breathe more deeply.
I’ll learn to notice more details
and to be more appreciative, 
even of the little things.

When you close those 
curious new eyes at night,
where do you think I have gone?
Where do you go 
in that fresh young mind? 
Maybe you are already 
walking, running and soaring.
I’m already slowing down 
and breathing more deeply,
and appreciating life more.
Especially the little things…
like you.

Photo #10 for Blogging U’s Photography 101 course. Subject: mystery.

Accompanied

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Often alone, seldom lonely.
My thoughts are with me wherever I go.
They bring creativity, wonder, awe,
memories and wisdom.
And sometimes they bring pain,
sorrow, guilt and fear.
I accept them all, they are what they are.
After all, one can't always be good company.

solitude

Photo #5 for Blogging U’s Photography 101 course. Subject: solitude.