Pause to Ponder

Awakened to the present moment
I take a deep breath
and choose to simply look around

Between the present moment
and eternity
I find myself in community

Wonderfully enlivening, you River of the West
particularly in early mornings with pen in hand
how you have helped me write!

Soon nestled among the trees on Whidbey Island
I will fondly remember these years
drinking from the river of grace, drunk on joy

Band members of Strong in Song got a lovin’ spoonful of magic reuniting to offer music for residents & staff at Clatsop County Memory Care

In the middle of our set a resident who seldem ventures far from his room came in dancing and singing along! Yes, the magic of music is amazing!

In the quiet of my writing space
heart-felt poems, songs, and FaceBook posts
unearth for the soul what’s life-giving and eternal

Mushrooms accomplish much
in our Brenden Woods while seemingly
doing little but being low and open

Mushrooms teach me that by not considering
anything beneath me, I can gain everything, availing myself to vast wealth available to me

Like mushrooms, I belong to a vast community
rich in growth potential and lasting worth
able to give and receive beyond all I can imagine

Giving thanks today for those whose lives
have left me clear markings to follow
for life and a future with hope

And so I pray what I leave behind
will help mark the way
for others who will follow

Like Whidbey Island bridged to solid ground
across turbulent waters, I give thanks today for the marvelous way friendship saves me from loneliness

Space has its place in human evolution yet
there are millions of secret, down to earth places
readily in reach

So much to see, so many unwrapped gifts,
wonderful surprises within and without
all absolutely free!

Mother Earth is strewn with treasures
a moon rocket might miss, riches from the same
generous hand who connects us with the stars

What power and grace
fully present in the moment!
Giving and receiving surprisingly alive!

A stone to my windshield
rocked me for a while
and in a fit of anger I cried out,
“How often is this going to happen to me?”

Like the daily news
this single stone reminded me
how frail life can seem
and how vulnerable we are to tragedy

Pausing to breathe, I released my vain attempts
to gain defense against the unpredictable
and through the crack in my window came
the light of my life and confidence to journey on