The ceremony
of innocence is not drowned.
Our young overflow with conviction.
They call out to us,
“Help stem this blood-dimmed tide
that is loosed upon the world.”
Will we have the courage,
will we have the will,
to prevent that rough beast of darkness
from being born in the Bethlehem
of our collective heart?
A revelation is at hand.
JDG
Many leaders now
have forgotten how to lead.
Instead, they are led.
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
Reluctant to leave
without offering a gift,
Winter hurriedly
produces a present wrapped
in white ribboned loveliness.
JDG
I loved this poem by Dennis Ference and I think you will too.
Happy is the goose
that does not waste its days
trying to be a duck.© 2015 Dennis Ference
Photo:© 2015 Lily Brock
Lost in thought, I almost missed the soft touch
of that small hand
upon my
arm. “Could
you
help
Nana
zip her coat?
Her hair’s gray too.”
Nana and I smiled and got to work.
JDG
It wasn’t until I paused
and took a breath
that I saw what was set before me –
a banquet of tiny, bell-shaped flowers.
pink with leaves of rusty red –
a petite visual treat.
JDG
Trees – some evergreen,
some budding, some still bare – form
a living lattice:
playground and feeding station
for acrobatic squirrels.
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
Inconsistency –
is that all we can count on
in these constantly
changing times? Or is there more –
something beyond what we see ?
JDG
aholdingplace 