Spring Voices

Cherry blossoms sang

pink and strong inspiring

dogwood and redbud

to carry on as their own

sweet voices began to fade.

                                                                            JDG

 

Prayer Flags

New leaves, trees’ green lace –

May I wrap myself in your 

strong and tender faith.

                                                                                                     JDG

A Saving Word

It must have been beginner’s luck.

It certainly

wasn’t skill or

experience,

but as I sat with my sangha,

eyes closed, breathing

in and breathing

out, struggling 

with heavy feelings of despair,

a purple and

pink “Hi” appeared

and made me grin.

                                                                                            JDG

Bird’s Eye View

Rising sun filters

through new green leaves, igniting

cherry trees beyond.

A line of crows sits across

the road cawing harsh critiques.

                                                                                                         JDG

Necessary Conversation

When even the smallest task seems too much

and my shoulders

hunch beneath

so much

weight,

I

turn to

my body

and softly ask,

“How can I help?” The reply, when it comes,

overflows with

relief. “I’m

glad you

asked

and

didn’t

just give up.

If we keep on

talking, I am sure we can work things out.”

                                                                                                                       JDG

Clarion Call

When even small birds

know who to listen to so

that all of us can 

soar, you’d think we humans would

take note and not let

entrenched interests rule the roost

and soil our nest with fear.

                                                                                                                 JDG

(The reference is to the small finch that  landed on Bernie Sander’s podium as he spoke in Portland, Oregon Friday.)

Little Boxes

In an effort to be tidy

they clipped forsythia’s golden wings.

She stands now, rigid and straight,

her flow surrendered

to the tyranny of row and square.

                                                                                               JDG

Along The Way

I don’t want to make 

too much of this, but it’s true –

Every day on my 

way to work I pass by several

cemeteries. Though

I know they haven’t just sprung

up, my awareness

has and with it, a heightened 

sense of all life’s joy

and all life’s suffering, of

all that once was and

 all that is no longer -the

poignant price of being mortal.

                                                                                                                                     JDG

To Whomever It May Concern

A blanket of white

questions covers that green field

punctuated with

purple exclamations –

a lively letter from Spring.

                                                                                            JDG

As Fate Would Have It

Full moon chases sun

across the sky. It’s not their

destiny to meet.

                                                                               JDG