THERE IS ALWAYS BEAUTY

Sometimes…

I think I want more

 than the life that I have.

I sense

I am being engulfed by sameness.

I find myself yearning for something different…

something new.

Something appears…

Does it matter what it is?

I have found an escape from the web of sameness.

A youthful joy is aroused in my breast.

Joy leaps toward newness

even as old fears surface…

doubts assail.

I am overwhelmed as joy sings to me of hope,

as doubt and fear do their best

to dampen Joy’s enthusiasm.

It doesn’t take much:

a little compensatory beauty will do the trick.

I have learned well the art of redirection,

and though I can feel the ache

of joy’s diminishment…

I show her the enchanting dance

of a young night heron

feeding on the grassy bank.

Dear little joy;

she does love nature’s creatures…

and the camera is fun.

She smiles at the back and forth sway

of the young heron’s fishing dance

as I take a picture.

Together…we can almost forget

what might have been.

ONE SMALL MOMENT

I CANNOT KNOW

WHY THIS ONE SQUIRREL

ALLOWED ME TO COME CLOSE.

I ONLY KNOW

MY GRATITUDE, MY WONDER

AND MY LOVE.

THIS IMAGE AND MY MEMORY

OF ONE SMALL MOMENT IN A DAY

ARE ONE AS THE SQUIRREL IS ONE

WITH THE OAK SHE CLEAVES TO

SO COMPLETELY.

WHY WOULD SHE LEAVE HERSELF

BECAUSE A PASSING WOMAN

LIFTS A CAMERA

AND WITH HELD BREATH CLICKS THE SHUTTER

TO DECLARE HER LOVE?

CLOUD REFLECTIONS

DRIVING DOWN EAST BEACH ROAD…

OLD POSTS AND PELICANS.

AND THEN…THERE WERE CLOUDS.

CLOUDS CAN BLESS PELICANS

AND CLOUDS CAN SING LULLABYES TO BOATS.

LET THERE BE CLOUDS…

Perceiving Pearl

Pearl, the tiny cat I discovered in a shelter cage, has taken over the largest space in my home. Her perspective on life has greatly expanded. Her demands that I join her in her merry romp are persistent. She is the most vocal of any cat I have known. I don’t mean yowls for attention. This tiny creature has an enormous vocabulary. The fact that she speaks in a different language does not make her any less clear in her desire. Says Pearl:

I require a certain amount of exercise (and so do you). It is definitely more fun with a companion. The best kind of exercise feels like play, Cat toys work beautifully for this. A wagging dog tail can be inspiring, but your dogs have gotten a little slow on their feet. Poor aged beasts. Now I know…you perceive yourself as aged these days. Physical infirmities have loomed large in your life of late. But really, sometimes you just have to move through the pain, and this is done best by focusing on cat cuteness. Or, if you will, on feline beauty. You know you have a weakness for beauty. Just look at me. I can fill up your world. It’s all a dance.

You see… She is very persuasive…persistence in small cat form. I am frequently won over. For example, This photo was taken while on my back. I aimed the camera over my head and shot. The image was upside down at the time. I often find myself on the floor…on a level with Pearl. And she appreciates my efforts.

Yes, Pearl has her moments of affection…mostly when she is satisfied and pleasantly tired.  I think she likes me. She came close to an Eskimo kiss the other day. And occasionally – in the night – I wake to feel the soft, warm weight of a sleeping cat against my back. Her favorite place to sleep – at least in the daytime – is in the cubby of a cat tower which, during Sunny’s reign, was used as a plant stand. Even for Pearl, an expanded life can become overwhelming. We all need havens for repose.

Magic Hour

Walking alone

at a time when others are safely inside

and encounters are rare,

I pause on the  road

to peer through the overgrowth

blocking my view.

I part the brambles

ever so slightly

to reveal the magic of the evening hour…

that my heart might see

the lone bird standing

in the dying light.

Sometimes

we have to stand alone

to know who we are.