I’m a beginner,

that’s for sure. In my practice

today, I was asked

to bring to mind someone who

irritated me

and to specifically name

the irritation.

” She always believes she’s right,”

I thought and then had 

to laugh out loud, knowing she

 is me. I sent us

both some loving kindness for

this trait we jointly share.

                                                                   JDG

They’re right when they say,

“No matter where you go, there

you are.” When I moved

my office, sure enough, there

I was, neurotic

as ever, well, maybe not

as ever, but with

work still to do – reminding

me to practice what I preach.

                                                                       JDG

Tired of riding

inner merry-go-rounds which

have a whole lot of

movement but take me nowhere.

And what about that

familiar inner seesaw,

not to mention the

collective roller coaster?

What is it going

to take for me to finally

leave this unamusement park?

                                                                     JDG

Unable to see

the oasis right before

us, lost as we are in a

mirage of fear and

discontent, we curl up in

a closed off ball of

disconnection and miss what’s

green and thriving just ahead.

                                                                       JDG

I don’t know what he

was trying to say, but that

woodpecker kept on

pecking at our window. I

tried telling him “no”

but, like telemarketers,

he kept coming back

until our cat, Murphy, had

had enough and glared

at him through the window, I

wish she could FaceTime

those other frequent callers.

Who knows? We may find a way.

                                                                             JDG

Is the grass greener

over there beyond this hill?

Is that why some trek

to distant hills while others,

content with the green 

before them, stay behind… or

are they answering

a call that has nothing to

do with either food or green?

                                                                     JDG

I didn’t quite know

what to make of that crow’s strange

behavior today,

but my granddaughter said she

was sure I’d find some

meaning, deep and profound, like

I always do if

I’d give myself half a chance.

~

There was no tasty

morsel enticing him, but

he, knowing we were

 approaching in our car, just 

kept on strolling down

the road in front of us ’til

he was ready to

move to a lawn near by. No

hurry, no worry, 

alert with no agenda.

~

Was he modeling

a way of being we should

adopt? Granddaughter’s eyes roll.

                                                                                       JDG

When the light shines through

the white blossoms on that tree,

I celebrate light

while honoring the dark earth

that holds tight the roots

and once cradled the seed from

which that white blooming tree grew.

                                                                                  JDG

There they stood, Murphy 

the cat, Jimmy and Toby, 

the dogs. They clearly

 had weighty matters on their 

minds.“What?” I asked. First 

Murph and then the others glanced 

at their empty bowls

and then back at me. “I just

 got home,” I said. “Cut

me some slack,” but they were not

in a slack-cutting

mood. “I’m just here to serve,” I

muttered as I filled

their bowls and they began to

feed. On that we all agreed.

                                                                          JDG

Suddenly I saw

what I couldn’t see before.

When my gaze was fixed

within, I couldn’t see your

outstretched hand pointing

  to that baby squirrel digging

so determinedly.

Then I heard you ask if I

had joined the squirrel

in a never-ending search

for something below

the surface, something sensed, but

unseen. I looked up and saw.

                                                                                   JDG

.