winter's near

First Snow in Aspens

Our Share Cropper

He's been planting sunflowers all over the garden, so I guess he deserves one cherry tomato.

First Snow: Cedar Breaks

10-30-2015

First Snow

There's snow on the mountain,
White and cold in the morning light,
A change!
Summer's warm grasp on the world
Has been broken,
And we slip from the sun
Into the gray and cold.
We will remember,
We will long for summer,
As we put on jackets
And bow our heads before the rain,
Wondering at the snow on the mountain,
Marking the end of summer,
On this autumn morning.

Cool, Wet, Quiet

It is quiet this morning,
As the storm settles over us,
Cool, wet, calm, quiet.
There are no dogs barking,
No children playing,
No birds singing,
Just a quiet, cool and calm.
The only sound this morning,
Are these words singing
In my mind.

pinion pine cone

red

alien worlds at my feet

Focus

Looking
At deer tracks
In the wet, red clay,
I did not see
The eagle
Overhead.

The Ocean

A Matter of Faith, I Guess.

I stayed home when Jean saw a tarantula.
I went out later, for more than a week,
Looking for one,
But never saw one.

I was driving when Ryan saw a roadrunner,
I kept my eyes open for one along the road,
The rest of the trip,
But never saw one.

I heard a neighbor saw a mountain lion,
That scared her and her dog.
I have kept my eyes open while out walking,
But never saw one.

Bigfoot, UFOs, ghosts have been reported,
Sometimes right in our home town,
And I keep my eyes open, I do,
But I never saw one.

in Cedar Canyon

brothers and sisters

treasures

Dust

I remember
Light rays shining
Through the curtains;
Dust particles,
Appearing there
Tiny stars floating
In the light beam,
disappearing
In the shadows.
I remember
The awe I felt,
And the wonder,
As if secrets
had been revealed.

Oak

The Tree in Our Yard

Planted in the center of our yard,
It grows alone in the lawn,
It should be in a forest.
Its roots and branches never touch
Others of its own kind,
It should be in a forest.
But it is here in our yard,
It will thrive or whither alone,
It should be in a forest.

untitled

Just an empty book,
unwritten pages,
promises to me,
reflects my own mind.
I am yet a child,
all these many years.
Pencil in my hand,
I will make my mark
on paper and soul.

To Build

Sometimes
a hammer,
or a drill,
or a saw,
screwdriver,
a paint brush,
a pencil,
or a pen.

Sometimes,
just a smile,
or a word,
and a hand,
or humming,
a shared laugh,
or a tear,
or a hug,
being there.

Sometimes,
any thing,
at all
can build.

With Blinds Closed

OK,
sometimes I do close my eyes.
Sometimes I don't listen.
I know I am missing,
a whole world out there.
But I just needed it quiet,
and dark for a while.
I needed to rest,
Just for a while,
OK?

Here

It is still here,
above my head,
beneath my feet,
around me, here.

I see it, hear it
breath it in,
exhale it,
taste it, and hold it.

And still it eludes me,
hides in the shadows,
flies with butterflies,
sails with the clouds,
sets with the sun.

Here, it is still here,
quieter than a whisper,
hidden in the greens,
the blues, and browns.
It lies in my empty hand,
it's in my eyes,
and in my blood.

It is still here...

In the Balance

How do I judge things?
What balance do I use?

Today's rain that waters
Our thirsty desert soil,
Relieves our eyes and souls,
Flooded California yesterday.

The lettuce I eat today
Was someone's labor,
In the hot sun,
His sweat, his sore back.

The clothes I wear
Were sewn in distant factory
A woman worked through the day
Sewing shirts that I wear.

My comfort, my life
Rests balanced on others'
Is it fair, is it just?
How can I judge?

morning light

How brave I am

in the morning light!

I can face the world,

search for God,

look forward to the future.

How brave I am!

A Wall

brick by brick
a wall
tall and high enough
to keep the world out
brick by brick
this wall
tall and high enough
to keep me in
brick by brick

Thoughts During a Concert

(for Shaye)

The voices brought me to tears,
I have heard great music.
I have seen great art,
And thrilled at others' genius,
Sat in awe of athletic skill,
And dancers' graceful motions.

And I have see others' triumphs,
Towers built into the sky,
Rockets launched into the heavens,
Highways that cross continents.

And acts of kindness,
Crossing borders and generations,
Tiny gestures of love and care,
Have also brought me to tears.

I have seen beauty, mercy,
Justice, love, and kindness.
I am blessed, truly blessed.

On Saying Goodbye

It is easier to leave
Than it is to watch someone go,
Easier to ride a train,
Than to watch it leave the station,
Or to take off
Than to watch the plane take off,
To drive away
Than to watch the car leave.
It is easier to watch the stars come out
Than the sun go down.
And it is easier to live the life
Than to watch someone's life.
It is easier to say goodbye,
If I am the one leaving,
Than to to watch you go.

Letting the Sun Go Down

I don't want the sun to set,
I want more of this day.
But I am not holding on,
I am letting it slide down
Into the western horizon.
I feel a bit melancholy,
But I know it will be back,
And tomorrow is another day.

Elements

The Sun shines
down on the Earth.
The wind blows
the rain falls
down on the Earth.
The seed spouts
up from the Earth.
I eat the plant
grown of the Earth,
the rain, the Sun,
and I am
also on the Earth.

a simple prayer

oh...
I see.
May I accept this,
with gratitude,
amen.

This Day

My bones are earth,
My blood the sea,
My flesh is grass,
My breath the air,
My life the sunlight,
My mind all I see.

Search

Search the world
For a moment of peace,
Just one peaceful spot,
Search the world,
Search the faces of others,
Search your own heart,
Then look beneath your feet,
There beneath you soles,
It is right here!

the child

the child I see
open heart
hungry mind
growing body
is also the child
within

Letting Go.

I have tried to hold on
To things,
To moments,
To memories,
To sunrises, sunsets,
To lunar phases,
To ocean waves,
To children,
To parents,
To family
To friends,
To a single day,
To my life,
To my plans and schedules,
To everything,
To anything,
With the tightest grip,
I tried to hold on,
But couldn't.
They simply slipped away,
To my lose.

So I learned
To let go,
To let everything,
And everyone,
Be.
And
I find myself
Here and now
With them.

And I learned
To smile
And laugh,
And cry too,
With everything
And anything
That freely graces
My moments
And my life.

Letting go,
I have become rich.
I have become
Me.

Grandkids Are Here!

No time
to rhyme...

What Shall I Tell You

What shall I tell you?
I point to the clouds
You point to the stars.
I point to the trees,
You point to the forest.
I point to the mountain,
You point to the Earth.
I point to the future,
You point to eternity.
I point to you,
You point to me.