lotus

worlds apart

she still tugs on my heart

younger self wanders the halls of memories

flood waters rise up to receive her tears

fire consumes old flashes of pain

and there are still stories

she has never told

for when she utters the truth

the skin beneath is so raw, so exposed

the elements might rush to stain what was left unguarded. 

time spiraling into a palace of spinning words

ways of seeing the past are complicated by dense emotions

complicating what she wanted to be simple

still, flowers grow from the mud

lotus ascending

never ending

and love swoops in

picking up the pieces fallen so long ago, they have become

part of the floor, the garden, the house, 

stomped into the ground

until they don't make a sound. 

birthday poem 2025

unraveling the mysteries

she unfolds like origami

delicate, patient, strong, shaped by divine hands

invoking the oceans, the rivers, the streams

the waterfalls, the down pours

cancer season gives all the reason

for water to flow

like tears you know

faith in the blessings and miracles that will bestow

upon the ones standing outstretched, 

hearts open and raw and healing with the process

of unfolding 

unraveling the mysteries, 

the wounds and shadows 

no longer holding her back

dancing along the borders and outskirts and in liminal spaces

swirling around amidst images of familiar faces

down tunnels leading into the deeper places

unraveling the mysteries

savoring the sauntering pace of grace

unfolding

light gleaming from her practices 

from her solar plexus

from her heart

knowing some secrets from the start, 

true gratitude flowing

with love that is glowing, pondering about

something eternal that cannot 

be adequately, accurately named, that 

powers the electricity in the body, 

making the heartbeat, the blood pulsate,

the breath rise and fall, 

uniting us all.

moments

 flooded with memories

her mind stretches to cover the content

She cannot find words

to capture the patterns 

flowing from source

filled with remorse

nothing left to say

it could be night or day

so, she put her arms around him

as he sobbed, she held his hand

as his cries softened

and it was one of those moments

that truly mattered

amidst so many moments that 

were meaningless

love creates spiraling movement

that gives depth to flat surfaces

gives power to a certain weakness

sit for a spell here, 

stay awhile

Peace is not boring

 So many think that

violence is exciting

and that peace has nothing to offer

But violence is chaos, it drains us

and peace restores us back into sanity

So much beautiful art and love is made

within the vibrations of peace

So much harmony is ringing in the chorus

of peace

So much room to grow

So much information to know

From above and from below

Upon us it will bestow

blessings that reverberate out and all around

with a calm and gentle sound

Peace can do more with less

violence just makes a mess

Within peace, healing grows and glows

we become strong, we emanate truth

and justice, we bow to that which makes us whole

we are given back what violence stole.

what we borrow

 how many times can I hold you close

our two skeletons dressed in human cloth

pressing into each other for a

deeper comfort than words can give

we give each other reasons to live

how many times can I 

petition the loving ancestors

standing just beyond the veil

asking what is this all for anyway?

and why did we borrow their blood, 

the breath of Spirit, 

the movements of sun, moon and wind

how many times 

can I claim love

without ever defining it?

How many times can we

visit the oceans within each other

without almost drowning until 

remembering how to swim?

How many times can I teach you

you have already learned 

all the answers you need

until new prayers arrive

on the shores 

of what is yet to come?

If you are called

Years ago,

I was called to live with Spirit driving me

I was called to live with love leading me

I was called to breathe in, breathe out, burn sage

and release all that doubt. 

now, in present day reality

I am called to listen as much or more than I talk

I am called to walk the walk

especially if I am talking the talk

I am called to offer comfort and a hug 

to anyone in tears,

to offer them some of the wisdom

of these years

or just a space to cry, 

safely without having to explain why

I am called to have reverence for nature

of which I am an integral part

and for anyone who is called, 

loving nature is a place to start

I am called to know that all of us are chosen ones

there is no false hierarchy of beings, 

we are spiraling in and out 

not above or below each other

we are spiraling in and out 

of time and place

letting go at just the right pace

I am called to look you directly in the face

unflinchingly, with compassion that is healing, 

for whatever you are feeling.

A beginner

It seems like

everywhere I look

I am reminded of the abundance 

The beauty and the bounty

There is so much. There is plenty 

And still too many go hungry, are overexposed

to the elements 

How can we rest until the needs are met?

Until the plans are set

To lead with compassion and love

to let these drive our leadership

and not allow these to be drained from it

by corrupt agendas

and incorrect priorities

we come upon

knife to the neck urgency

bleeding out on the street urgency

problems vibrating at a fever pitch and still we

manage to get through our days

without sobbing with grief at every atrocity

we build walls within to help us get 

through, out, over, under or alongside. 

I have not mastered this. 

I am still a beginner, 

running laps around the question

of what do I do, beyond what I already do?

and I know this is temporary

but this does not excuse me from the efforts

to make it better, to soothe, to calm, to hold tight

until the nightmares have become

beautiful, peaceful dreams

woven with safety and star dust.