Poetry
From World on Fire
Six Feet Apart
No hugs hello or goodbye,
only caution as we place
our chairs six feet apart.
Seven months since this virus
began and moved steadily
around the world.
Five months since we heard
the command to quarantine,
to prevent death.
A “flu” that was supposed
to disappear attacked with fury
instead, not giving up control.
Weary of being careful,
we want to break out of detention,
but the daily numbers keep us home.
In my solitude, I ponder the grace
of each moment, the time to be
present to myself unconditionally.
It is a time for patience and courage,
to renew commitments to hope.
in the present and for the future
A Paradox
Hummingbirds sip the nectar
from the feeder provided them.
Squirrels run to and fro,
chasing each other
and raiding the bird feeders.
Rory, my black cat, sleeps
in the sun knowing only comfort.
Hospitals are overburdened.
Loved ones die alone.
Fear, a great motivator
for wearing masks and
social distancing.
Yet some choose self
over the greater good.
Let safety begin with me,
love guide my every choice,
as I keep moving with hope
toward a better future.
This I believe: We are one
community that will survive
or perish together.
From Coming to the Edge
The Leaf
As the first flakes
of snow are falling,
a wintry blast
swirling them around,
my focus, out this kitchen
window catches sight
of a brown oak leaf clinging,
in its vulnerability,
to that naked branch
buffeted by the wind.
I see in that leaf
what I was
but no longer am,
no longer holding on
to what seemed permanent,
knowing when to let go,
knowing that surrender
leads to transformation.
Some Days
Some days I hold
my life
in my hands,
everything makes sense;
the future
bright and promising,
the past
a bitter memory.
Some days I have
every reason
to be grateful:
for friends
and a future unfolding,
a life with meaning,
the past no longer
holding power.
And
some days I just weep