Sunday, May 31, 2015

Formed by the journey

 

"To be formed by the journey of being alive,
we must let the wisdom of ending
ground the intoxication of beginning
and let the freshness of beginning
soften the poignancy of ending." -- Mark Nepo

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Welcome life's embrace


Our goal for today -- and any day:
to welcome the weight and power of life's embrace 
with childlike trust and joy.

Friday, May 29, 2015

The lesson of the flowers


To be flexible without being a pushover;
to be firm without being rigid;
to be fully alive and radiant one day
and unafraid to drop your petals the next --
such is the lesson of the flowers.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

A lesson from Gilgamesh

 
Be kind to the obstacle in your path:
It may hold some vital gift
That will pave the way
To a future alight with joy.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Reaching for the light


Everywhere we look
we see creation
reaching for the light...

Monday, May 25, 2015

The Wisdom of Unknowing


Speak to me of certainty,
and I will share the wisdom of unknowing:
those moments when we seek the flame
that burns within our hearts
and find nothing but ashes --
perhaps we'll find a truer path
while stumbling through the dark.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

The Buddha in my Yard

We moved last week, and as we begin to meet our new neighbors, I find I'm feeling somewhat self-conscious about the Buddha in my yard.  What assumptions, I wonder, are they making? And then of course, the next question is for me: Why DO you, if you know yourself to be a Christian, surround yourself with statues of the Buddha?

Because (comes my response) the closest I have come to the living Jesus has been through prayer and meditation. These statues serve as a reminder to stay centered, non-judgmental, and serene...

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Tethered in the moment


What do you see? The battle scars?
The wounds, the bumps and bruises of a life well lived?
Or the simple dappled beauty of her lines;
the way her purpose seems to glow from within;
how, tethered in the moment, 
she's still so clearly built to sail before the wind?

Friday, May 22, 2015

Clear skies ahead


I sit, and thoughts gather
like clouds on the horizon.
Come, breezes of compassion, come,
and blow this self away.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

From this perspective


What we see depends so much on where we stand.
If today you're seeing red,
perhaps it's time to take a few steps forward --
even if it means forging a new path...

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Seek out the light


There is One Light that burns in each of us --
good or bad, rich or poor, powerless or mighty.
Seek out that light, in all you meet,
and find a way to encourage it to shine.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

A safety net


As new growth begins to unfurl in us,
we watch, and see how what has gone before
informs our progress, and provides
a safety net, to catch us if we fall.

Monday, May 18, 2015

More like the water


Help me to become more like the water:
To absorb what falls into my life
Rather than break, fracture, or shatter.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Life's unfolding


Over the course of life's unfolding,
Hearts open like petals,
Eager to welcome the Light.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Be patient


We share this common habitation, earth --
you, so young, and crisp, and pink,
and I so wrinkled, green with age:
we drink its showers and streams together, 
and bask together in the warmth of our shared sun...
Be patient with my slow and thoughtful evolution
and I'll be patient with your eager rush to light.

Friday, May 15, 2015

The roots of stress


It's not the list you carry round
of all those tasks, all needing to be done.
It's the time you spend in worrying,
avoiding and procrastinating,
planning and regretting
that causes all the stress.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Let the world go


How long will we, like children,
Fill our pockets with dirt and stones?
Let the world go.
Holding it, we'll never know ourselves;
Never be airborne. 

-- Rumi

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

A luminous balance


In the luminous balance
of both dark and light reflections
we find peace.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

There will always be light


Though the path ahead 
may lead you into the woods,
don't be afraid, but trust: 
there will always be light 
to guide you on your path.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Dancing into the light

A warm sun, a cool breeze,
and the wild iris lifts her skirts
and dances into the light.
You, too, can become the iris;
you, too, can be filled with light!

Sunday, May 10, 2015

On Mothers' Day


"The choice is always ours. Then let me choose
The longest art, the hard Promethean way.
Cherishingly to tend and feed and fan
That toward fire, whose small precarious flame,
Kindled or quenched, creates
The noble or ignoble beings we are,
The worlds we live in and the very fates,
Our bright or muddy star." -- Aldous Huxley


 This Mothers' Day, let's celebrate
all those who nurture and protect
the innocence of the world...

Saturday, May 9, 2015

The Web of Being


From time to time our focus shifts,
and we no longer see our differences --
only the web of being that unites us all.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Only one oar


I've been paddling with only one oar,
and I'm tired of going around in circles,
so I think I'll tie up here and rest
until the fog lifts...

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Cradled in the arms of light


Know this: that you are loved;
that you are watched and guided,
protected from the storms,
and cradled in the arms of light
with unimaginable tenderness...

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Keep watch


 On the days when the clouds loom, 
dark and full of menace,
keep watch and don't despair --
at some point they may part, and give 
a momentary glimpse
of heaven...

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Take what you need


Take what you feel you need to survive --
just remember that the ripples of your choosing
will spread farther than you know or can comprehend...

Monday, May 4, 2015

The time is right


Though the path seems clear,
there may still be those moments
when the next step isn't obvious,
when the connection's not secure,
when one false move may send you tumbling.
But look: the time is right --
the tide is out,
and there's not that far to fall...

Sunday, May 3, 2015

What drives our choices



So much of what we choose to do
is driven by fear of loss
or hope for gain.
But what is it that is gained or lost?
Appearances? Approval?
Possessions? Power?
Serenity? Safety?
What's driving all your choices today?

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Let the light shine through


The wind blows, the curtain rises,
And then it falls again.
As life flows by, we lift and fall,
And lift and fall again,
Yet still the light shines through...

Friday, May 1, 2015

Smile like a flower



Today I smile like a flower: 
not with my lips, 
but with my whole being. 
--Rumi

Transitions



Transitions can be so difficult. 
Sometimes we just want to curl up on a rug 
and sleep through them...