Sometimes a certain sadness comes

to call and I 

have learned to let

her in.  All she

needs, she says, is a quiet place

to lay her head.

I offer her

my shoulder and

there she rests as we, together,

sit without words

and rock. Thus held,

she seldom stays.

~

Sometimes sadness is joined by fear

and her constant

stream of words won’t

let us rest. No

matter what we say or do, she

won’t stop warning

us of  all that

could come our way.

Only when compassion comes can

fear settle down,

take a breath, and

find comfort too.

                                                                JDG

When the sun springs out from behind

the clouds, something

in me springs up

too.  It’s not just

the light that lifts me up, it’s the

warmth with which the

light’s received by

 pond, land, and trees.

What before was only clear is 

now also warm and 

bright on this brisk,

cloud filled, March day.

                                                                         JDG

In defiance of the cold, grey

day, those four small

daffodils in

the median

lift their yellow trumpets and start

to play. The geese

respond in kind; 

Spring’s orchestra

is tuning up as robins take

their season’s seats

among tiny

shoots of first green.

                                                                 JDG

Some trees, eager for Spring, burst forth

in pink, looking

with pity on

their slower, more

prudent friends. Seizing upon warm

invitations,

these eager trees

don their gowns and

attend the dance only to be

caught by surprise

when it’s cancelled

due to weather.

                                                          JDG

When cold winds cease and the sun peeks

from still darkened

skies, hunched shoulders

ease and a slow

gentling comes to fast beating hearts.

For a time at

least, peace settles

in, taking us

into its large arms,  quieting our

troubled thoughts. What

tomorrow brings

we do not know. 

For now, we rest.

                                                       JDG

Trees overlooking the highway

stand rooted, limbs

outstretched, watching

the cars speed by.

Whispering among themselves, they

seem to wonder

what the hurry’s

for. These big wheeled 

creatures down below seem to draw 

energy from

a different,

unearthly source.

                                                                 JDG

The full moon can’t promise to stay,

yet I take heart.

Though shortly it

will wane, I know

it won’t be long before it’s full

again. Maybe

 Frost was right when

he said nothing

 gold can stay, but even though gold 

fades, still, it can

in time return –

as does the moon.

                                                   JDG

I awoke today with the words,

“Happiness grows

on a Mulberry

Tree,” running through

my mind. Though the sound was pleasing,

the meaning was

unclear until

I read that this

tree puts out no growth until all

danger of frost

is past and then

the buds burst forth.

                                                                                JDG

There are questions words can’t answer

which are still worth

pondering. They

can nudge and shake

us toward awakening, open 

resisting minds

and stubborn hearts,

and point to a

wordless path of deep compassion

for ourselves and

all others, those

here and those gone.

                                        JDG

When our very being is set

trembling and

no longer can

we go on as

before, we can take refuge in

surrender and

offer up all

we think we know.

Into this newly opened space

can come a flow,

ever-changing,

yet always there.

                                                         JDG