A BABY ELEPHANT CHASING BIRDS

Why, I wonder, does it stir our soul…why is it difficult to find the words

to explain why we’re so happy…watching a baby elephant chasing birds…

Why do we love sitting in silence watching the wind tickle a field of grain…

or smiling with our arms outstretched as we stand out in the rain?

Why do we feel such wonder when we see a picture of a baby in the womb…

or while we watch a butterfly or a bee…as it flits from bloom to bloom?

Why do our hearts quicken listening as nature sings to us on a forest stroll?

Why does the melody of a babbling brook have the power to soothe our soul?

Why does the sight of the sun gently climbing a mountain in the morning cause as much delight

as watching the moon in all its fullness scale that same mountain in the night.

Why are the feelings waterfalls evoke, or stars…or watching clouds float by

enough to cause us to stop…to sigh…or bring a teardrop to our eye?

Perhaps we are harkened back to when we were young and the world was innocent and kind…

Perhaps we’re trying to hold on to a little of the innocence we left behind.

I hope we never tire of nature’s wonders…I hope we never find the words…

to explain these moments of happiness…like watching a baby elephant chasing birds.

ON AN OVERGROWN PATH

We were walking in the woods one morning as we are won't to do

Feeling a gentle breeze upon our faces…kissed by the morning dew…

We were following our normal trail…ambling along with ease

When he happened onto an overgrown path leading through the trees.

A path we quickly followed…brushing away low branches…shuffling through the weeds…

Because sometimes you need to take a path…not knowing where it leads.

We had walked a little distance enjoying our early morning stroll

When up ahead a lone old lady was stopped upon a knoll.

Her eyes were closed, she was smiling…I don’t think she noticed us al all

as she seemed totally engrossed in the emerging colors of the fall.

When she saw us both she smiled, put her hands upon her hips

then waved us over,…but as we approached she put a finger to her lips.

“Close your eyes.” She whispered as we joined her on the knoll…

“Some sounds you can only hear,” she said…”when you open up your soul.”

“Now open your eyes and take this in…all of nature’s art.”

“Some sights you can only see” she said…”when you open up you're heart.”

“My husband and I used to walk this path…some of these trees were seeds we’d sown…

And now, to keep his memory alive…I walk this path alone…”

Sometimes I need to walk in the sunshine…I need to listen to the birds

I need to walk with only my memories…in silence…without words….”

“Because my heart needs the trees as companions, needs to walk under the sky

It is then I feel he’s walking with me as he did in years gone by.”

We were glad we took this path…glad we shared her laughter and her tears

And we left her as we found her…awash in her yesteryears.

As for us…we didn’t want to disturb her any more…so we marched on straight ahead

feeling blessed we took this path today…and amazed at where it led.

WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT

WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT

DAY 1:

The power is out…it’s kind of exciting…being at the mercy of the weather

We get to observe the power of nature…and spend some quality time together.

It’s true we have no power…we cannot take a shower…we cannot flush

but for once it’s OK to eat all the ice cream…before it turns to slush.

It sure is getting hot in here…but in the dark we can enjoy the sight

of how all our faces look so angelic…in the glow of the lantern’s light.

DAY 2:

We hardly slept at all…too hot…gee that hurricane was cruel

So we took a ride inside our car…it was the only place that’s cool.

We drove a little way down the road…but had to stop…alas…

We were in a line of traffic 3 blocks long…and no one was selling gas.

We forget about gas and returned home…then we thought: some ice will ease our woe…

Only to discover after walking a mile in the heat…the store sold out 3 hours ago.

So we walked back home…we tried to sleep…but we’re sweating from every pore…

And sweaty people don’t look as angelic in the lantern’s light today…

as they did the night before.

Day 3:

We wake up: still no power…no shower…we try to wash up in the sink…

Then we sniff the air and realize…our refrigerator’s starting to stink.

So we throw everything in the refrigerator away…and the power company…we start petitioning…

And here we realize we’d sell our children…for a little air conditioning.

We sweat through another day together…no sleep again tonight

And we don’t even recognize our faces in the glow of the lantern light.

DAY 4:

No power again this morning…our nerves are getting frayed…

Parents are saying words they never say…and their children are afraid.

We’ve tried to be a patient people…we’ve tried hard to conform…

But we’re not the same congenial people…we were before the storm.

No gas…no shower, still no ice…all we have to eat is stale bread.

We hear friends of ours have their power back…and we secretly wish them dead.

We see a linesman driving down our street…we know we need him now to live

We would offer him anything to stop and help…but we have nothing left to give.

Our lanterns have quit working…we’re in the dark…which we realize is okay…

because we really don’t want to remember how our family looks this way…

DAY 5:

All bets are off…we’re losing your mind…we’ve eaten all our snacks…

We look in the mirror and realize we’re the family from Mad Max.

We look around with crazed eyes at this place in which we dwell…

We use to think we lived in Heaven…but now we realize…it’s Hell.

We’re all mad, we’re all irritable, we’re all sweaty…we’ve never felt so low…

We’re definitely not the family we were 5 day ago…

We’ve lost all our religion…to hell with the Tao, and Buddah and Zen

And we never want to ever hear anyone say we need to HUNKER DOWN again!

We’ve all melted onto our floor …it’s as hot as the Amazon…

When our heads perk up…what’s that sound…the power is back on…

We dance together as a family… the power outage is done…

The air conditioning’s back on…it’s showers for everyone….

DAY 6

We wake up cool and comfortable…our life is poetry…not prose

We fill your refrigerator, hug each other…and head out to buy a generator ….

We hear there’s a sale today…at Lowes.

AN ECLIPSE AND THE FALL

We traveled to the mountains to watch the eclipse

and both of us were thoroughly enthralled.

So we decided to remain in the mountains

as Summer’s luster surrendered to Falls.

We were gone from Florida when Irma came calling…

safe and secure in our warm mountain nest.

glad we missed what came to be known…

as a huge, nasty and unwelcome guest.

But Irma found her way to the mountains.

She came knocking on our front door.

By this time she was not quite as mean as she once was…

In fact she was kinder and gentler than before.

Oh, she still took away all of our power

as she arrived in the mountains that day…

leaving us only to listen to her rumble

as we watched the whole forest a-sway.

And it was mesmerizing to watch

as Irma made her advance…

How she filled all the trees with rain water…

How the music of her wind made them dance…

Every tree was dancing in unison

and as we watched them…we delightfully found

some leaves began breaking away from the trees…

cascading gently down to the ground.

The wind continued…the rain never stopped

more leaves and more leaves fell…

The sky…bursting with leaves…was enchanting…

and we found ourselves under her spell…

Yes, while we sat there watching nature

as we did with the eclipse…feeling small…

We realized this was just Irma’s way…

of ushering us into the Fall.

HUMMINGBIRD IN THE WIND

When you’re having a difficult time,

when you don’t know where one trouble ends and the next one begins…

Take a moment to stop and ponder…

a hummingbird fighting the wind.

The hummingbird’s always looking for food.

Her wings are always on the go.

She’s out there trying to survive another day

as the wind tosses her to and fro.

She tries to light upon a swaying branch

For a moment’s respite…a moment’s delay.

But she is at the mercy of nature

who in an instant…flicks her away.

So she tries her luck with another branch

But the wind is too strong and too fast

and she quickly finds that this new tree branch

is as unwelcoming as was the last.

But the hummingbird is resilient…

For even with the wind as her belligerent rival

She finds another tree then another

You see…she is fighting now for survival.

And she knows…or at least she must feel

Trees are essential for her living…up…

And the key to life for a hummingbird…

is, no matter what, never give up.

So the next time you feel like giving up

Take a moment before you begin

And think of how much there is to be learned

from the hummingbird fighting the wind.

AFTER THE HURRICANES

Before the hurricanes it was quite obvious…America was not great…

Before the hurricanes it seemed all we talked about was antipathy and hate.

Before the hurricanes the divisions in our country reared their ugly heads

Before the hurricanes where people gathered…bigotry and animosity was spread.

Before the hurricanes hate was rampant…Where do I begin:

People hated that you were an immigrant, who you loved, or the color of your skin.

But the hurricanes arrived with heavy winds and waters filling the bays

And somehow, for a little while, washed that hate away.

After the hurricanes love was rampant…Where do I begin:

People helped one another…not caring if you were an immigrant, who you loved, or the color of your skin.

After the hurricanes there were no divisions in our country…and unity lifted its beautiful head.

After the hurricanes where people gathered…friendship and tenderness was spread.

After the hurricane our eyesight changed…we were all sisters…we were all brothers 

We forgot what was dividing us as we rushed to help each other.

After the hurricanes when we looked around…love was overcoming hate

And it became quite obvious to all who watched…America can be great.

We can be great…

We can overcome hate…

we can let love be our refrain…

If only we heed the lessons we learned…

after the hurricanes.

LANTERNS OF LIGHT

Our power went out the other evening

and as day blended slowly to night

we found ourselves enjoying the adventure

In the glow of our lanterns of light.

With the wind whipping through the trees

mixed with an occasional calm interlude

we sat enjoying our rays of manufactured light

and their accompanying solitude.

The world looks different in a lantern’s light…

like something we’ve never seen.

Everything is muted and softer…

more intimate…much more serene.

With no news, no TV, no devices

our world became smaller…that night.

With only the two of us in it…

for a few moments the universe seemed right.  

We talked a little more to each other.

There were no distractions and somehow we both came to know

this is the way life always should be…

as we basked in our lantern’s sweet glow.

The power came back on suddenly…

as quickly as it had gone.

In an instant where once there was darkness

every light in the cabin was on.

Deborah and I smiled knowingly at each other…

then ran around flicking switches to bring back the night…

determined to enjoy the rest of the evening

in the glow of our lantern’s of light.