left behind

I hear the first yip-yip-yip, there

barking from the South, chuckling to the East

coyote summons North with one syllable drawn

into an impossible vowl, and the West

is brought into circle by laughter and yodeling

sliver of moon takes its time with the night sky

near and dark winter, these voices

like ghosts circle in waves

make galaxies overhead a cathedral

awaken me from deep sleep

pull that long note from four directions

here the long quiet night interrupted

season of departure and darkness, season of death

winter is a time of hibernation, restoration and beauty

why take the dark to mean anything other than this?

why make incubation and birthing, deep winter

menacing, humankind at its own center 

questions where to fit into the cycle of life

when you kill yourself, do you take my love with you?

do you take your love of the sea and your blue eyes?

do you kill yourself for relief or to inflict even greater pain?

does killing yourself make you happy?  When it comes

to this, all I can say is I love you

this drowning will pass

22feb08LPC

soft rain, sitting and a pot of soup

looking out the window I see crystal clear drops on everything

rain is constant, branches and sky and rooftop and fence  all grey

tread softly so it is possible to hear the vireo's whistle, crow's distant call

not even the red shouldered hawk making any extra noise

soft muted day prepares me for the coming noisy spring

filling out a form for the gym trainer today... how many hours do you sit every day?

never, I say.  oh, it takes me an hour every day to drive to work and back.

that's sitting.  I am sitting right now, and blogging can take another hour.

oh, this winter I subscribed to Netflix.  eek, that is two hours, every night.

Gilbert Grape was worth it, I could've run away with Mr. Depp.  Meditation

is another 1/2 hour, sometimes an hour, then there is prayer and reading.

Sometimes I sit for an hour and stare out the window, like every other poet.

Lately I have been examining the word "allow."  periodically I use it in a sentence.

I allow you to show me you.  I allow that I live in a friendly universe.  I allow

beauty to enfold me.  I allow love to fill every possible cranny in this sometimes

convoluted mind.  I allow this day to unfold moment by moment.  

It has occurred to me that I may have never experienced this before, this allowing.

The soup pot simmers with chicken Italian sausage, potatoes, carrots

some beans, corn and tomatoes I dried this past fall.  Divine smells waft

from the kitchen stove.  The broth becomes rich and savory.  I allow

this heavenly moment to nourish every particle of my Being.

21feb08LPC

Gratitude

from Stanley Kunitz...  "...That work is not an expression of the desire for praise or recognition, or prizes, but the deepest manifestation of your gratitude for the gift of life."

The Buckeyes have their new green umbrellas out

they leapt past unfurling, that being too slow

I imagine in plant-talk, the Buckeye shouts

Spring Is Coming, Yes Yes Yes!

and I drive by on my way somewhere

important, on time, delivering or picking up

going to work or home again

I see you!  Your green is not wasted on me

soon I will walk right down this road 

take a picture, and post it on my blog.

For now we will enjoy the flowering quince.

18feb08LPC

coyote call

Hope is revolutionary patience.   Anne Lamott

it is quiet tonight, Saturday night

not even the frog's chaotic calling

rippling this dark stillness

deep silence echoes itself

calls to and enfolds into itself

I am waiting for the first yip-yip-yip

barking and pause, barking from the South

wait, I know it's coming

barking and chuckling from the East

from the top of the ridge, overlooking

this small house

there, there is the laughter 

bark, yip-yip-yip has another joined

this banter?  now the howl

one syllable drawn into an impossible vowl

if I have a ruff, it stands up hair by hair

North is summoned

to the West is the river

muddy from rain weeks before

to the West is the run-off pond

where the frogs call until footsteps pad close

and the chuckling and barking 

take up circular yodeling

this dark winter these voices

like ghosts, circle in waves

make the galaxies overhead a cathedral

awaken me from deep sleep

pull that long note

from four directions

I think about the patience it takes

trusting Buck Eye to burst green

then Mayfly to fill the sundrenched spring

16feb08LPC

 

A Day to Say I LOVE YOU!

My work is loving the world.    ...Mary Oliver

This is our work, to love without reservation.  Don't hold back.  Pour your love into every cup in your cupboard.  Find extra cups, the ones you hide in the back because they are chipped.  Get them out!  Fill them up!  Cradle them, chips and all, filled to the brim with your full-blown colorful love.

Love isn't for bargaining.  Love is for giving away.  Love is for embracing, accepting, absorbing, allowing. Love is for sharing, passing around.  Love is for unfettering, unfurling.  Love is expansive.

Breathe in Love.  Breathe out Love.

Use Love as your favorite ingredient, your favorite noun, your favorite verb.  Use Love as your favorite destination, ambition, goal, heart's-desire.  Use Love as your guide. 

Love is flexible,  mallable, indestructible.  Love is fluid, fills up cracked armor, mends broken hearts.  Love is available.  Right now.  Right here.

I love you.

14feb08LPC