Gifts of the Magi
What is dissolving:
seeking/searching, trying/effort,
judgment, belief, expectation,
attachment, separation,
language….
What remains:
Love    Stillness
Presence
12/21/11

Miracle
Once, while
walking in the
early early morning
on a forested
mountain path,
I heard a sudden
thundering of hooves
above me.
A split-second later,
a large antlered deer
all-but-landed
on my head
as he leapt
the trail and
hurtled
down the mountainside,
leaving me
breathless
in the wake
of his
magnificence.
12/10/11

Surrender
Beneath the darkness
of the never-ending cosmos,
within the brightness
of uncountable multitudes
of shining suns and stars,
flows an infinite
river of golden light,
which holds us forever
in its love.

May I dive ever deeper
into that current,
allowing it
to entrain my heartbeat,
fill my soul,
and carry me
home.
12/9/11

Perennial Hope
Each frozen February,
tiny tips
of tulip and daffodil
push aside
frost-hardened soil
to reveal
the green promise
of spring.

Braving snow
and frigid air,
they persist
and endure
until
the new season
welcomes
their flowering.

We too
hold on
through adversity,
turn our faces
to the sun,
and,
finally,
celebrate
the return
of light
to Earth.
2/27/10

Peace Lily
Golden-green eyes that held
the luminous light of love.
Charcoal-gray fur,
silken to the touch.
One small white spot
above the heart,
signifying divine purpose.

Miracle cat of unstoppable intent,
patient teacher of harmony and peace,
you shared life’s ordinary
and sacred moments
with us
for 22 years.

In your last hours,
you were still teaching us:
“I am present now,
Be present with me.”
And we were.
We are.
1/14/10

Gardener
Standing silent,
I breathe in,
imagine myself
invisible.
The green world
continues
without me:
ladybug explores
leafy skyscrapers;
bumblebee naps
on zinnia petals;
spider spins
webs of silver light.
Exhaling,
I reappear.
The flowers lean
toward me,
trusting, confidential.
I look down.
My fingers
are
green.

9/5/08

Blue Heron
Tai chi artist,
master of intent.
Absolute stillness,
frozen silhouette.
Quick flash,
beak breaking
water mirror.
Fish becomes bird
becomes sky
becomes
stillness
again.
8/31/08

Atlantis Revisited
We are landfree, timeless.
Days merge
into the appearance/absence
of sun/clouds—
dolphins.

The sea surrounds us—
infinite blue consciousness
in which I float/dive,
one cell among
many.

When they come,
we move to join them,
weaving fluid patterns
of trust, serenity—
dolphin dreamtime.

In their ancient eyes,
I travel to oneness.
For a moment
we are pure
light:
mythic star spirits
swimming together.
7/10/99

Empty
For twenty-six
consecutive springs,
the robins and wrens
returned
to nest
in the trees
near my parents’
house doors.
Word had gotten out:
here are safety, quiet—
friends.
My father
posted a sign
blocking the front walk:
Birds nesting—Use backdoor.

Now, a neighbor
says the new owner
has cut down
all the evergreens,
planted easy-care grass
instead.
Those empty spaces
hold my mother’s death
like a lingering memory
of fullness
and life.
Without her,
my father, the birds,
and I
can no longer
come
home.
4/13/97