The Natural World
Presence/Presents
Gifts of beauty
arrive on the wings of hummingbirds
white foaming waves, and
best friends holding you in their arms
while you cry
By the window
On the beach
With you
I am floating out to sea
Snails and mussels in their delicately patterned homes
accompany me
as I am carried back to shore
Standing up, foam at my feet
I turn
towards inspiration
and hope
Gifts of beauty
arrive on the wings of hummingbirds
white foaming waves
And
Best friends holding you in their arms
while you cry
July 2023
Homecoming
The first time
I brought a pillow and a suitcase
I lay down beneath the stars
and found my sacred place
Drifting off to sleep,
as evening breezes tickle the treetops,
bullfrogs sing me lullabies
Deep in the woods,
pine scented dreams dissolve
The misty morning sun
slips between the trees
Vigorous fresh air days
hiking through lush landscapes
Swimming in cold clear water
Hearty meals cooked over a crackling fire
Smoky scents from windswept flames-
linger
Arriving a burdened visitor
I bring light and gratitude away
Holding them in my heart
returning again and again to my new found home
August 2024
Morning
Petals of sunshine
dancing in the breeze
Bright yellow greetings
climbing up the hillside
to my back door
My spirits rise
with their ascension
Winter Joy
A wish
released
floating
through chilling air
Falling lightly
freezing overnight
glistening on rooftops
Early morning light
illuminates white, powdery mountains
shimmering with sunbeams
Tree branches bow
weighed down by wishes
made in the dark night
Breaking trail
crunching upward
through tall white corridors
Inhaling pine scented
clean, crisp air
Fresh footprints
in heaven sent
pristine snow
sacred solitude
dream come true
Ascending
crystalline vista
clouds hovering above
frozen water spread out below
Swaying in the wind
heart soaring, spirit taking flight
poles dug in
holding me on the ground
February 2024
Taste of the Sea
Immersed
Salt. on my tongue
Mind. Body. Rocking
in gentle waves
Grasping. smooth wet handfuls
of swirling.cloudy sea foam
Reach. Pull. Breathe
In constant repetition
A moving meditation
Air. moves through.
Me.around me
Fuel for my journey
Feet. splashing
In synchronicity
Propelling. forward
With each stroke
inhaling. I see the sky
Ospreys. seagulls
Keeping watch
Energy. courses
through. me
I.am strong
I. am alive
Algonquin Journey
One small boat in the vast expanse
Swelling wind and steady rain
Moving forward in a trance
Whipping swirls of gray inviting me to dance
Stroke, stroke, stroke as my muscles strain
One small boat in the vast expanse
Powerful paddling makes the boat advance
Pushing through wind and pain
Moving forward in a trance
Far from the safety of the beach
Crossing lakes across the chain
One small boat in the vast expanse
I am stronger than the wind,
mightier than the rain
Moving forward in a trance
Fight the fear, not the storm
My strength does not wane
One small boat in a the vast expanse
Moving forward in a trance
January 2022
Forest Feast
A cornucopia of green
shapes shifting in the gentle breeze.
Ancient trees coax me down a woodland path
Wisteria blooms mingle with sweet peas
sweetening the salty sea air.
Soft grasses dance.
Ferns wave greetings to the chattering birds
filling the treetops.
Warm spring sunshine
illuminates wondrous sights
casts shadows on private paradises.
I lie down in the ivy.
The five pointed foliage
tickles my aging skin.
Rocking gently on the forest floor,
rustling leaves shift my gaze upward.
Inhaling blue sky
drawing it to the ground.
Exhaling stillness.
June 2024
Afterglow
A woodland path
on a curvy cratered road
opens to the sea
Decomposing leaves nourish sandy soil
Phragmites line up
like oceanic guideposts on a feathery gateway
Gentle waves carry tiny aquatic creatures
into marshy tide pools
Phragmites survive winter
storing their color beneath earth
Beginning each year anew
What will emerge from my detritus?
Shedded homes,
Donated artifacts
Abandoned traditions
Accomplishments checked off
Greening reeds rise from stillness
Ideas and inspiration bloom
Pen in hand, words, tumble together
into verse
Energy flows through my roots
feeding my passions
Cultivating kindness
Ripples of change
break through
Tenacious Phragmite
reaching for sky
December 2023
Rising
Salt air and scrubby pines
call me away
from familiar conversation
light laughter
And close held hugs
Rising
from the comfort of my favorite chair
I walk in the woods
To grassy beaches at low tide
Glimpsing water through the trees
Following muddy paths downhill
The bay spreads out before me
Sea grasses dance in the breeze.
Lazy days
Spent waterside
watching the seasons change
Sunshine winking in the gentle breezes
Sparkling on the water
Seabirds flying overhead
Diving for dinner
I capture these moments
in ink
and watercolor
With my feet planted firmly on the ground
Held
by my steady breath
April 2023