Before the morning guests arrive,

while the moon’s full

light is held by

stilled land and pond,

before the sun shakes itself free

from horizon’s

grasp and rises

to greet the sky,

this time outside of time harbors

a hush of peace

undisturbed by

concerns of time.

                                                                                               JDG

When all is still,  the dark outside

invites the dark

within to speak

and speak it does.

Does anyone ever wake up

 at two or three

 with happy talk?

I wish I did.

But, no – that’s the time when regrets,

past failures, and

undone to-dos 

have their full say.

                                                                                          JDG

That young child held nothing back

when he let out

penetrating 

wails of protest.

Might he have a thing or two to

teach us about

the value of

self-expression

Or should he learn the sturdy worth

of self-restraint?

Our choice reveals

more than we think.

                                                                                                                     JDG

Not in the heat of the moment,

but later, when 

the fire’s banked

and the smoke’s cleared,

before warmth and light fade away

leaving only

memories and

ashes grown grey,

let us turn to each other and

in the gentle

glow of embers

begin to talk.

                                                                                                              JDG

Relational creatures we well

may be, but this

Sunday morning

with not one cloud

in the sky and the sun bright and

full upon the

trees, I bask in

momentary

solitude, choosing to relate

just to the sun,

the cloudless sky,

those arching trees.

                                                            JDG