A once lovely hibiscus blossom

lies folded and

spent upon the

still thriving leaf.

Soon the leaves too shall fade, but deep

within the soil

the roots remain

and from them will

spring new green. In time, lovely blooms

will come again,

renewing all

with vibrant grace.

                                                            JDG

The weeds in my garden grin green

as though they know

I’ll soon tire

of our game and

give up the field to them. This year

I tried again

for victory

and won, at first,

an early skirmish or two. Still,

my triumph was

short lived and I

was soon played out.

                                                                JDG

Being at the top of our game

is good, but the

question remains –

who and what did

we leave behind and in what state?

Life’s artists know

the figure isn’t

more important

than the surrounding ground. May we

 all arrive with

integrity

and love intact.

                                                    JDG

What do you do with a golden

frog? If you’re young,

adventurous,

and perhaps not

wise, you, as the photo I saw

recently shows,

give it a lick.

Still, how many

of us, older and more wise, die

without such a

 bold attempt to

 know life first hand?

                                                            JDG

My heart has led my hands and now

I loosely hold

all that’s gold. There’s

no need to clutch

or cling. I hold with tenderness

all life brings and

offer up a

thankful song for

gold in all its forms. Sometimes I

even know I

too am gold in

life’s tender hold. *

                                                      JDG

*inspired by a card I made in a SoulCollage workshop. For more information about SoulCollage, go to http://www.soulcollage.com.

Deep in the heart of nature lives

a tiny owl

waiting to see

if I’m open

to the medicine he brings. Called

forth, he comes and

before he shows

himself, he speaks

his name. Knowing how much I need

this medicine

of his,  I turn

and greet Wise Heart.

                                                                      JDG

When the young man, wheel chair bound, could

not see the stage

when others in

the audience

stood, two men stepped forward, lifted

him up and held

him there in heat

of one hundred

degrees. Who they were, no one knows,

but their act shows

America

at its finest. *

                                                  JDG

*inspired by a KMBC  news report of an incident at a Blake Shelton outdoor concert recently in Kansas City

“Put down your pen,” he said, “and give

me a pat or

two. Toss a ball

instead of words.

Scratch behind my ear. This game of

yours may seem like

fun, but it’s no

fun for me. Grab

my leash. Let’s take a walk. We’ve got

stuff to stalk, things

to sniff , places

to ….. well, you’ll see.”

                                                             JDG

In the gray-blue early morning,

before the light

breaks fully through,

against the hum

of insect song, the owl’s soft hoot

sounds gently in

my ear, muting,

for a moment,

nighttime’s fitful thoughts. Slowly then

the day unfolds

accompanied

by natural tunes.

                                                   JDG