Water cascades
Leaping off rock ledge
Falls effortlessly to the
Still deep blue pond below
Lush green ferns grow
In fertile soil
Around the water’s edge
Drinking deeply from the source
Sit quietly as the water
Wait for the sun
To raise each drop of water up
To sit among the clouds
Only to tumble once again to earth
To cascade
An endless stream
Flowing into itself
~

On my wall, hangs a simple frame
It holds no image, no colour, no
painting,
No photograph
No story unfolds on canvass, between the wooden corners
No history is hidden beneath the layers
Instead, it hangs against the white
To embrace nothing
When I sit before it
The universe leaps out at me
I see the endless rolling river,
With its winding shores,
As the sunlight sparkles and dances on the water
And blossoms grace the air
My heart sings, as I am cradled
In this moment’s deep breath
~

The old patterns play against the wall
And a deep sigh escapes my lips
The sound echoes through this empty house
I think of the gardens outside, flowers
Wilted and gone for another season
Strangely, I do not mourn their loss
Or my own
I know they will return,
With the birds, and spring breezes
For now they lay sleeping, waiting,
While I sit waiting for you to say something.
~

Standing in the meadow
The mist swirls around me
With every step, my trail is barely marked,
the grass and wildflower barely move
– the past and future obscured
I am only here in this still moment,
I hear nothing, no rustle of the field mouse,
Or the call of the redwing blackbird
Only the beating of my own heart
And every breath that I take.
Quietly, I sing….
“as the blossoms fall down around me,
my face turned towards the sun
light outward, light inward
merge as one
tears and laughter join the stream of love
that flows from the heart
only one, only many,
still only one….”
As the last notes fade into the mist
I sit, embraced by the stillness, enveloped by peace,
time and space dissolve to nothing
as the mist fades in the morning sun
The meadow turns its face toward me, towards the sky,
towards the mountain, towards the ocean
In the quiet of dawn, I wonder, did I sing for the meadow,
Or did the meadow sing for me?
Lotus leaf floats
Drifting towards me
As I pass by
We two are caught
Swirling in the current
Time stops, and then disappears
As it flows into itself
And streams swell
From with in
The river breaks its banks
And floods surrounding lands
No mark of where it ends or begins
Flowing inside time,
Time inside time
Feelings, sublime
Washing through me and you
Somewhere, a child sings
A heart full of tears,
“somewhere, over a rainbow,
skies are blue, when I wish upon a
star, it seems that life is always far behind I hear the music rise with the wind
Off the water, its ripples gently rock me
I hear a flower unfolding, as
Light breaks through the clouds
And my heart sings
As lotus leaf floats
Drifting towards me,
As I pass.Waiting for you to say something
As if a dream has cast its shadow
Warping space and time
A spiral with no beginning and no end
Just endless turning
Outside the sun sets on another day
A few flakes of snow begin their slow
Descent to the yet unfrozen ground
Carried by an errant breeze,
Until they find rest
It is in this stillness, as darkness spreads
Across the sky
It is in this quiet moment,that I watch
The candlelight and shadows dance
In a slow lumbering waltz
And hear the flow of river water
And feel the pounding of my heart
~

The wind blows cold and hard
Against the window
I hear the ice crack, as it bends,
It encases the ground and trees
Branches thrash against the gale,
As I watch from the stillness of my chair
Stream from the cup of tea beside me
Curls up into the air, in a slow spiral,
While outside, the snowflakes whirl in the maelstrom
Stark contrast
A quiet laughter bubbles up from deep inside me
From deep inside my heart
As I sit awake
Watching the glowing flames in the fireplace
With a happy sigh, I drink my tea
~

Down to the river’s edge
I walk, to sit and watch the water flowing by
Restless, I follow the winding bank,
Over rough rock and smooth stones,
To finally stand barefoot in the sand,
Where the water is quieter, and the song of the birds can be heard
Ankle deep in the water, I stand, feeling the current
Drawing me in…
The water holds me, in a moment’s deep breath
As I slip under the surface to swim with the fish
Iridescent blue green aquatic jewels
Flow past me, flow with me
I rise to the surface, and turn my face towards the sun
It warms me as I float,
Along the banks on either side, I see people working and playing,
Children laughing and splashing in the shallow water, as I pass unseen
Then the river narrows,
Willows on either side bend their branches low to drink the sweet essence
As I move through, their leaves brush my skin, and get tangled in my hair
In this cool calm water, I rest
The stillness wraps around me as I share this moment with
The silent great blue heron who stands waiting for a meal
To swim around his legs…
Sudden splash, like lightning he strikes and eats
The wind rises off the water to move me on
Passed the trees, to faster water
The sun warms me again,
As I tumble in the strong current
The river prepares itself to merge with the great ocean
Somewhere beyond the horizon
While I simply am carried on
In the river’s arms
In the distance I hear
Quiet laughter
~

In this stillness I sit
Overwhelmed by serenity
Tranquility
Silent pond
Birds have folded their wings
To sleep cradled in the tree branches
Flowers bow their heads to slumber
In the cool night air
In this stillness I hear
The singing of my heart
Each note reflected in the bright mirror
The moon in unmoved water
Clear sparkling silence
With eyes closed, heart open
I see you joining me in my heart
Interlocked for eons,
Now I have found my way home
When the winds blow,
Or waves rise up
I take refuge, inside
~

I walk while the sparrow calls
From the trees high above
Leaves wave in tenuous flight,
Quiet stream flows here,
Careful certainty,
Crystal rippling joy
Stones turn in the current
Gently shaped, smooth, round
I lean against an oak tree,
And watch shadows cast by the sun
Eyes closed, I dream while
The stream gurgles and giggles beside me
With careful certainty
Breeze whispers through the leaves
In this moment, the wind lifts me
And carries me like the wings of the sparrow
I come to rest gently on the water
I feel the currents move me
I find myself tumbling with
the stones at the bottom
rolling water’s laughter fills me,
awake, I see the sparrow, head tilted
watching me, then she is gone
I stand to walk again
Along the sun-laced path
~

The rain falls gently,
Steadily over me,
While I am walking
I do not run from it, find shelter
In a doorway or go inside
Instead each drop soaks me to the core
Running over my face in tiny rivers
Through my hair, over my skin, to my feet
Umbrella lies forgotten in my hand
While I stand to watch the puddles grow,
And water stream down the street
Lifting my head up, I see through
The raindrops, a little bit of sky
As the clouds fall away
And reveal the sun
The light fills the emptiness
Left by the rain
And I continue
Walking
again
~

In my heart, I feel you
Unfolding, part by part,
Your song mingles with mine,
Two rivers merging,
The song eternal, of a million voices
Rising clearly through the darkness
Tears stream with rippling joy
Of light
As we kneel together on the shore
The ocean surf pounds in our ears
And waves crash around us
Over us, through us
The boulder melts to a stone
The stone smoothes to a pebble
The pebble to a grain of sand
Sun warms us
In silent embrace,
While the heart sings
~

Angel
Bright blessings
As love unfolds
Embraced by this light
Gossamer wings
In a gentle breeze
Free falling
Floating freedom
~

I have never seen your face, but I
Have seen the colour of the sky through
Your eyes, and felt the sun warm
Against your skin.
A mountain stream flows from high rock,
To ocean floor
It cools the burning touch
Cleanses the heart and makes it full
The mango tree sits alone, on a grassy
Hill, branches laden with fruit,
In its shade, I sit, caressed by the heady
Breeze that curls around me.
I see you sitting on the branch above me,
Your legs dangling down, like the tail
Of a monkey. Tell me, how can I not smile?
Or laugh, when the fruit stains my shirt?
Our hearts embrace each time, like fingers
Interlaced and strong.
I breathe in and out, close my eyes,
In the soft grass to nap, while you watch me from above.

~