Every Living Thing

It pains me 

to share this quote.  

It caught me off guard and gave me a jolt.

Then I realized the seriousness of our situation.

I believe in the hand of grace...

I hold it close always...trusting it's power.

May it bring an end to hostilities wherever they reside.

May the seeds of discord that have taken root 

become deracinated...uprooted to be replaced

with seeds of goodness and harmony.

 

Poem To The Future

There is so much I love about this poem.

We all might benefit from a chat with the future, don't you think?

"I keep hoping we’ll get to celebrate you."

I'd offer the future a rich cup of coffee with lots of cream.

Granola with yogurt with plenty of cinnamon.

Along with something sweet and delicious from Bent Willow.

Darn, Bent Willow is gone with Past.

Wait.  What about a conversation with Now?

Now. Welcome! I have some questions.

First of all, please don't mind the mess.

I do apologize for all the trash in our oceans

and the wilderness that's gone missing along

with more creatures than I can name or count.

Can you make your way through the bodies?

Navigate the detention centers?

You're young and healthy aren't you?

Because man oh man, if you are sick

there might be a problem getting proper help.

Please sit down and tell me this can all be fixed?

That crews of helpers who are, this minute,

doing marvelous things to bring some order to the chaos?

It would be great if you'd make them a bit more visible.

Explain to me how you are sorting things out to

bring us back to balance and graciousness?

That the countless unsung and scarcely witnessed

humans and more than humans working

like mad to renew our trust and faith in each other

are not working in vain.

That the wood wide web is not destroyed

and is still able to send out waves of medicine to

help heal the ravaged places.

We need a detailed map.

Please?

 

The Earth Is Alive

"the world does not 

think of itself as a miracle."

The world does not think of itself at all?

Perhaps that is why animism  

is a stretch for so many of us...

We aren't practiced in an entity who 

isn't thinking of itself.

"The tides move in and out, speaking of loyalty. 

The trees keep reaching  toward the light, 

speaking of hope, and possibility. 

Like this it goes."

This is the wonder of it...the constancy...the dependability...

this is what helps keeps us sane, if we notice, in an often insane world.

We can trust this when trust seems to be evaporating.  

It seems vital to be able to trust something.

"...on in persistence and determination. 

Through the minutes and the seasons. 

Through the years and the decades, 

inscribed by a history of revolt and opinion. "

It keeps on doing what it does...

despite revolt, despite opinion.

Would that we could adopt these qualities

and keep our world and ourselves

honorable and respectful.

"And still, it remains created 

and positioned.

Still, it tilts and turns. 

Still our stories weave

on the great loom of now, and the earth, 

not thinking of itself as beautiful, 

nor sad, not marvelous, not joyful, lives."

May it continue...may it outlive

the current revolt and opinion.

May our Earth be resilient enough

to outlast our bungling...our mistakes, 

our mismanagement, our disregard.

We could have been better stewards...

I could have been a better parent...

yet, the earth and my children endure and continue.

Can you imagine not thinking of yourself as 

beautiful (or not), as sad/happy, as marvelous,

as joyful but simply alive...and relish that?

 

There Is A Place Beyond Ambition

Thankfully, we have all kinds of people...

those who attend to the busy town

and those who sit by the river and listen.

What's especially wonderful is when

those who sit by the river and listen

write poetry or songs 

to inspire those in the busy town

to do peaceful work.

 

Vocation

 

Cracked And Imperfect

"If it doesn't have to be pretty, or profound or perfect

maybe it can simply be true."

Do you feel the relief I do when I let go of

being pretty or profound?  I'm not going to say

perfect because that, we already are.  

Prestigious and prominent are two

more P words its a relief to release.

"And what is true?"

No need for deep thinking.

Although questions might be in order,

to scrape off the false conditioning

covering our authentic truth.

And then there's the choice

to be kind and considerate

rather than blunt and insulting.

That line where my truth

meets your dignity is significant.

Blunt could be necessary

in certain situations

with yourself and with others

but insulting needs to shift into silence.

And a word about perfect...

and imperfect for that matter...

I resist applying either to myself

and am learning not to apply it to others.

It's one of those judgement words

that implies one person's opinion

is more accurate than another's.

Who gets to decide?

That's not to say perfect isn't appropriate

for certain things like circles and right angles

and other mathematical, load bearing entities...

I'm thinking nuclear reactors, parachutes, bridges, 

airplanes, high rises and such 

where life depends on no cracks.

Meanwhile, let's carry our 

cracked perfection with 

humble gratitude and dignity.

 

Human

I love this and I love the people she's describing.

They exist everywhere. What a treasure.

Even the messy, uncomfortable, inconvenient, confusing

happenings are most often due to us caring about and for each other.

We fall all over ourselves to help out when we can.

We must not let anyone steal our joy.