Coming to terms with what?
The weather?
My lot in life?
My past that always seemed
to have a trip wire making
me stumble, stop and think,
choose the how not the why
Of course today,
that ever present present,
still has its trip wires.
Knowing that, I can take my time,
Avoid the stumble; still stop, think
and make better choices
not perfect just better.
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language,
and next year’s words await another voice.”
~ T.S.Eliot
Everyday I confront
the edge of the world
in this season of ice and snow.
Somedays it is
crystal sequins decorating
trees, eaves, hedges and cars.
Somedays it is
thick bumpy ice that
coats sidewalks and streets.
Somedays it is
the warm sun that melts
and pools snow and ice.
Somedays it is
watching swirls of snow,
frantically waving tree branches.
Somedays it is
the ever changing winter sky,
elegant clouds in a low slung sun
———
Most days I stand
on the other side of that edge
daring myself into the frigid weather
Most days, I dare myself to
stay inside to muddle through
one more winter day.
Most days, I am willing
to stand on that edge and
give myself time to be.
“I believe in one day and someday and this perfect moment called Now.”
~ Jacqueline Woodson, writer
Riding waves of nostalgia
seems never to end
tiring,
exhausting
This metaphor of being
washed up on a beach
in this winter weather
is a tricky one ~
but it does feel
warm and gritty.
As the surf dies down,
life returns to the normal of now.
“The present moment is all you ever have.
There is never a time when your life is not “this moment”.”
~ Eckart Tolle, The Power of Now:
A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
At a bus stop, cars, trucks buses, and one bicycle pushed aside muggy afternoon air. My mind wandered to ~ 'tires'.
A sentence fragment scrolled through my mind: “I spend a lot of time spinning my tires over the slippery ground of ‘what if’…
Barely had I made a note of it when my bus rolled up, my mind trying to stretch that fragment to ‘why me and why not me?’.
‘What if…..’ gives my imagination
a boost into story and poetry
‘Why me or why not me’
only rates a parental ‘just because’.
For each time these questions are posed
by my wondering, wandering mind I feel
free to get on a bus and ride,
or walk down a sidewalk,
always to stay where my feet are.
“A mind not agitated by good questions cannot
appreciate the significance if even the best answers.”
~ Mortimer Adler, philosopher, educator and author
(Dec1902 - Jun2001)
Which was it? Snow flakes drifting past my nose in cold afternoon air? Or the cozy warmth of a coffee shop,
women’s laughter and conversation swirling over the length of the table? Was it the careful stride to my walk
to the bus stop over icy asphalt
powdered with snow? Each has strength in the moment. Finding joy in the present is a choice.
“Wherever you are, be there totally.”
~ Eckhart Tolle
Ordinary moments surround me,
dribbling down my back from the heat of summer, lifting my hair in time to the rustling leaves on the trees, bruising the blue sky with clouds, while thunder rumbles a meaningless threat; then I know there are few ordinary moments ~ when I stop, look, listen and feel the present as if
it were specially made for me.
“There are no ordinary moments.”
~ Dan Millman
Purpose is only to
find direction in life.
Have I done enough?
Can I do more?
What is the purpose of me?
When will I know?
Could it be as simple as
sharing our stories?
Could it be as simple as
being alert to life around us?
Could it be as simple as
taking care of family bonds?
What is the purpose of me?
When will I know?
Have I done enough?
Can I do more?
Purpose is only to
find direction in life.
“‘I want to make my mark,’ he says.
‘But what target are you going to hit?’”
~ Cecil Castellucci, Boy Proof
Vastly bigger than life is the energy from a person’s soul ~ an aura only felt as
the brightness of the sun
a tightly closed door
a request for distance
a feeling of calm
a swirling chaos of fears or worries
presence
sensations to challenge description
“The quality of our presence is the most positive element
that we can contribute to the world.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Sit
**Author's note: Today is one year to the day when the COVID 19 pandemic was declared no longer a global threat by the World Health Organization.
“Until we know where
the dandelions grow,
beautiful buttercup yellow
glowing under our chins,
making tea from roots
grown deep in the earth,
blowing gauzy parachutes
that float on the breeze,
in the past there was future
and the future will pass,
we just might forget
how we arrived in today.
“If you find yourself worrying, go outside,
take three breaths, address a tree and quietly say,
‘Thank you’. If you can’t find a tree, a dandelion will do….
Nature is magic.”
~ Robert Bateman
Felix the Cat wanted nothing except a soft bed to curl up in. And food of course. When he was indoors he knew where everything was. Outdoors was rather difficult. Other cats wandered his neighbourhood that caused him trouble. Yet he always had a bed beside the flowers in the deep leaves. As long as the sun shone, he could hide himself and wait for some little mouse creeping along. Sometimes he stayed outside and dismembered the poor mouse; sometimes he gifted his friend Rick with it, although it was never appreciated. No matter, either way he was fed and loved.
“To him, even the momentary was momentous.”
~ G.K.Chesterton, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Ghosts of Christmas’ past
vie for my attention like a child’s tug o’ war ~
soft glow and fond memories of family, food and fun,
against gray grief
and angry angst that seem,
each of their own accord,
to want a solid win.
To date, no concrete decision!
honour bound, each finally bows to the other’s need
the struggle, the tug o’ war, is a draw:
one cannot survive without the other
The Winner: Christmas Present
“Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause
and reflect on the important things around us.”
~ David Cameron
