Ravens

Ravens

I find simplicity

outside my window

where a pair of ravens

strut, stand, & stomp

across a blanket of

crusty, crystalline snow.

Like pilots of a plane

they look up to the sky

thoughtfully flap their

distinct fringed wings

and fly up to the

naked maple branches

landing with a silent flutter

and anchoring themselves

with a firm steady perch,

like acrobats on a high wire.

A conversation ensues

solving complicated problems

I’m sure.

Without warning these

dark, shiny black figures

leap from one branch to another

their wedged-shaped tails

propel them into the late

winter gray skies

free-falling like bungee jumpers

with confidence and grace.

Shiny black feathered friends

glide and soar in and out

above and below the forest

performing aerial stunts

joining in the simplicity

of what the day has offered up

reveling in joy!

I have a change of heart.

I know longer see or feel

their “unkind” reputation.

I see the beauty and simplicity

Of their existence.

A sculpture, a painting, a poem or a piece of music can arouse a feeling of joy when it becomes apparent it is something more than just a chunk of marble, a canvas covered with colours, or words or notes on a page, he said.
“It’s something bigger, something that speaks and touches your heart; it carries a message and lifts the spirit.”  Pope Benedict

I love a Good Paddle in the Rain

It was the first time I paddled in the rain

as mid morning showers swirled around

my kayak in concentric circles and

bounced off the hard surface of my kayak.

Breaking the silence of the cove, high in

the treetops a bald eagle warns his mate

of oncoming potential predators and she

swoops down

                        SWOOSH,

SWOOSH,

SWOOSH,

A full wing span cuts through the air delivering

her to a nest of branches and her two fledglings.

The rain picks up and I paddle to the edge and seek

refuge under an umbrella of hemlock branches.

In the distance I watch a mother loon carrying her

baby on her back.  Suddenly, the dad pops up from

the depths of the lake and joins them. They swim

and bob on the waves made by an aluminum boat

 piloted by two old fishing buddies.

As I make my way around a small island I hear

screeching from high above.  Eagles. I look behind me

 and I see the family of loons close by.

I worry about the loon chicks, will the eagles

decide to attack and swoop up the little one?

the male loon breaks its silence and sends

an alarm with its signature tremolo.

I make my way to the other side watching

painted turtles swimming through the water

as if they were paddling in an aquarium.  Every

so often partially submerged driftwood, , looks like

a mythological wingless dragon guarding the

edges of the lake and daring a paddler not

to come too close.

Yes, I like paddling in the rain.

July 2014 draft 1

Mornings

"I believe that God is new every morning.  I believe that God is creating the world today at this very moment." A quote taken by Fr. Anthony from Cardinal Sueners ( page 78 Beauty: A Path to God)

Vermont Morning

June 2014

Sitting in silence atop a hill listening to

the rustling of leaves & feeling a cool breeze

reminds me it feels more

like fall than the first

day of summer.

Tall maples rise up to meet

the blue skies where

wispy clouds linger like

soap suds on the top

of dish water.

Song birds perch high

in the canopies of the trees 

 singing hymns & praises

as if they are welcoming the day

with morning vespers.

Cows down in the valley

have awaken and moan 

to be milked and when the

farmer arrives the

valley quiets as if in prayer.

An old apple tree stands alone

its trunk strong and sturdy

spreads apart like the braces

of an umbrella.  Its branches rise tall

and wide - perfect for Climbing.

I feel the invitation to join in.

I clasp my hands in prayer

and silently join in.

"Dear Lord thank you for this day and

a good life."

NOW

"The present moment feeds, nourishes, educates, instructs, guides, counsels, loves, and sanctifies."
Matthew Kelly from his book A Call to Joy

Imagine my delight, when visiting a lovely Inn in New Hampshire, I came upon a swing hanging from a sturdy old tree, as sunlight cast shadows on the ground.  I just had to try it out.  A week later a moment of time came rushing back.  A nudge really.  What did it mean?  Write about it, came the whisper.  Draft 1 of my poem The Joy of a Swing was created. I'm beginning to understand the whisper and nudge.  The moment I saw that swing I knew joy.

The Joy of a Swing

Draft 1

My grandfather always made me wooden swings

when I was little.

My first swing was box-like  and it

held my toddler body within its cage.

My small fingers grasped the bar

as Grampa  gently pushed & pulled

me through the air.

I trusted him and giggled in response.

It was pure joy.

Later the swing was handed down to my brother

and replaced with a green painted board

laced with a strong rope and wrapped

around a sturdy maple branch.

Many summers were spent gliding through the air

basking in the delight of pumping my legs

hard enough to reach high into the sky.

Reaching for heaven to a grandfather

I so much missed but most all

learned of trust & joy.

June 2014

It is interesting how memories come flooding into your brain -that special moment that recreates a feeling.  Many years ago my grandfather created a moment that caught my attention.  It was the way he pushed and pulled me through the fear as my little hands wrapped tightly around the bar.  The care he took to make  sure the swing was secure and safe.  It was his way of showing me he loved me and I could trust him.  It was a moment that Matthew Kelly  says,  "A call from God to love as He loves, in the present moment."  ( page 117 A Call to Joy)

EXPERTS IN COMPASSION

"The charity in our lives is the surest sign that our prayer is authentic and that our lives are moving in the right direction." ( p114)  Father Anthony takes this message from the Benedictine Abbot Dom Chapman letters.

Anyone who knows me well knows I love to browse the local farmer's market.  Today was no exception as I strolled downtown Portland along cobblestone and brick walkways smelling whiffs of salty ocean air, fresh roasted coffee, and the  hint of fresh picked strawberries.  My basket became the vessel for farm fresh eggs, homemade blueberry yogurt, rosemary plant,  dark green spinach, rosemary bread, and big red radishes.  All the makings for a great week of good eating.

However, my attention turned to a short man sitting on a bench and his red bicycle resting against the arm of the bench.  It was the man's smile that captured my interest.  His clothes were rather dirty and his shoes well worn. From a coffee shop on the sidewalk came a young waitress with a hot steamy cup of coffee.  She handed it to the man and told him to be careful because the coffee was very hot.  I watched as she smiled and giggled and coaxed the man in conversation.  He looked at her and smiled.  Actually they were both radiant.

I believe that experience opened my eyes to  the idea that "Compassion is an expression of charity, which is the greatest gift" ( 1 Cor 13:13)  Reflecting back on it I wish I knew more about them.  However, it didn't feel right to disrupt this special moment.  It felt right to observe and know that was a moment for me to learn, by example, the power of the human heart.  Jesus was present in that moment and I noticed.  I will be more observant about being present in the moment as this young girl was.  So grateful for the moment where life was moving slowly and I was part of seeing God's grace.

DARKNESS: THE PATH TO BEAUTY

Sheep on a visit to Capriland's Herb Farm, Coventry, Ct (2012)

DARKNESS: THE PATH TO BEAUTY
"The pain experienced in darkness often stimulates the creation of works of beauty." 

I begin this blog with a very honest beginning that led me to where I am today.

Father Anthony likens the state of darkness with melancholy.  "Melancholy embodies multiple emotions, including sorrow, anger, and depression." (p. 99)  I was doing precisely what he described in the book - "running away from the darkness and creating a facade for the outside world." (p. 100) I felt myself withdrawing from my life because I felt sad and hopeless.

My state of melancholy began three years ago when my son made a decision to limit my relationship with my only grandchildren.  I was heartbroken.  Everything we knew about being loving grandparents and parents was suddenly ripped from my life.  I felt abandon by a son I loved and adored.  So sad that my grandsons would never have the experience of memories with their grandparents. The darkness was so thick I couldn't see the light.

Father Anthony came to the rescue in a manner of speaking when he wrote about navigating a dark night.  "Accept life on life's terms.  To the degree that you accept the experience of the moment, you will find great peace.  This requires a radical faith that can accept that God is working in the moment even when he seems to be absent." ( p. 109 )  That was it.  That was what I needed to see the light.

So my journey begins.  With Father Anthony's question  - "For every decision and dilemma that you face, Which choice will deepen my relationship with God and make me a more loving human being?" ( 109)

 SMILE, SAY LESS, AND LISTEN MORE, PRAY, AND TRUST
Matthew Kelly
A Call To Joy