river washed stones
sunshine touches my cheek,
dog’s collar tinkles
submerged stones
form perpetual whitecaps
near the boulder
the breeze carries scents
charcoal and lighter fluid
from down river
my hand lies
in the river’s steady flow
bits of river grass
filter through my fingers
purged, my worries float away
the crow
follows the river
upstream
fly touches down
walks across my knee,
ticklish mind
this prayer
has become a song
for me
I let go
my separation narrows,
atonement
Venus blinks
locust canopy remains,
September eighth
open eyes
soft leaves wait for sun,
one more breath
stillness
allows me to worship
inside out
I noticed
the squirrels romping
this morning
garden cosmos
stands on the shoulders
of the marigolds
spruce roots
leave the sidewalk
topsy turvy
Cigar Tree
catches a single
sunbeam
the dog's
alive with energy
this morning
on the ground
I witnessed the raven dying
cat clawed?
why is my heart
so alive in this act?
two black squirrels
one peers from behind the spruce
the other is climbing
greeted my neighbor
she’s at war with Juniper’s
but tends her flowers
dog runs free
school children now in class
perfect timing
I remember Jim
his broken sidewalk remains
a blessing
how quickly
we judge our own weakness
in others
it is not pride
that asks the father of your soul
to unlock your doors
and invite your nobility
into the sunshine
someday
I hope to know the wisdom
of my dog
unseen forces
vie to me use me as a tool,
I choose my master
this morning
I exhaled a week of dreams
strange this fear
that I will never again
draw a sustaining breath
the tree
shares this year’s harvest
with us
honey locust
each fern-like leaf dances
morning stirs the air
God has been
gently shaking me awake
these eight years
five am
fireworks blossom
before my eyes
strangled upbringing
this estranged brother and I
making amends
pinching myself
hoping I am really here
and not dreaming
iPhone pocketed,
deep breaths feeding
my quiet
looking up
I see Jupiter reflecting
morning light,
in the midst of arriving
I breathe into curiosity
can you feel
the fierce love
in your middle?
fullness leaks
again this morning,
tears on my cheek
does it hurt,
this necessity
to let us suffer
stillness
is when breath
becomes prayer
momentarily
a sunbeam brushes fingers
on roadside flowers
the patterns
of my meditations
elude capture
they cannot be photographed
only painted with my mind
the sunflowers
will fade in coming weeks,
still bright today
the neighbors’ cat
climbs and shakes the screen door,
porchlight glows
falling leaves
make no sound until earthbound,
they scatter