Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Cloud

Whether you understand or not, God loves you, is present in you, lives in you, Thomas Merton


The cloud surrounds me.

Unseen, It fills my cells.

Through my fears
it whispers in that deep place
where only whispers can be heard,
where darkness
creases the grey mist
of consciousness.

It shields me
from howling despair
and stays my trembling hand
from sundering
bleak soul
from throbbing heart.

In holy silence
the cloud envelopes my fear
and with lustrous grace
strengthens my will
to persevere.

Friday, February 22, 2013

black mountains




black
mountains
to sharp ridge
rise, deeply piercing
day’s bleeding sky; overwhelming
grave, pale victim, night.




Sunday, February 17, 2013

Too Soon


Too soon
rises the sky
to blue perfection.

New grass waves,
uneven rows
unwary of
the leveling blade.

Delicate flowers
unfold
too soon,

and naive birds
in winter-spare trees
sing
like it’s June.


(17 Feb. 2013)

Monday, February 11, 2013

Ash Wednesday

Earth tilts and
winter passes.  
Now is the time
for ashes.

Searing songs
cremate the pain.
Wavering palms
incinerate.

From ash to ash
to God we call.
From dust to dust
we rise and fall,

and reaching high
beyond our grasp
our souls ascend
to brighter paths.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Morning in America

Look down
and see how the valley wakes.

Beneath these rolling ridges,
dark houses steam and cluster
into tight, thin streets,
the morning mist
softly washing
ranks of backyard fences
into spectral smudges
between still, red
autumnal trees.

The city begins again
after its long, November night;
cars and trucks flow
into highways, slowly
edging east into west,
and complete at last
the long, twisted
continental path,
from sea
to trackless
sea

rolling to the dry limit
of the broad Pacific
where no lines restrict and
no heights give a wider view.

They come at last
to the concrete terminus
of America.





Slowly Turns the Earth

With breath of waking
begins summer's day,

first a whisper
and then a kiss.

Mist descends
through glistening leaves;

veils of steam rise
from living streams.

Darkness nearly done,
broad day contends and wins
bright fields of the sun,

'til blazing noon,
(spent heat of youth wilting
to lustrous night) dies.

Then wrapped in starry sheets
again we sleep.


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Storm Near Travis



Clouds

glow in
garish light.

Bombers
in the mist
rise
and fade

as ponderous rain
falls
glistening


and leaves
lunge
to winter gardens
flung.

Spring Storm



towers fill the sky
wind-washed, waves surging, seaward -
mountains, living green!

running away, fear
filling the edges of sight;
throat tightens on knives.

hope wanes; vain night fails
never; dawn insinuates
another raw day.

simplicity

unencumbered
like water
flowing through
pure time my
mind climbs to
perfect sky
to the silence
of my heart
to meet you
and know
at last
your simple
will


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Sister Moon



sister moon
has come
and gone

winter’s fog
rolls on
and on



Experience


I’ve seen how the darkness
eases into new light.
The summer sun creases
the wan and weary night.

I know of noon’s ways,
harsh rant of glaring rays 
haranguing to passion
the giddy, fevered day.

Then keen delta breeze
the painted sun consumes
and sends vermilion fleece
to greet the rising moon.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Mustard Seeds

The cold wind blows. It buries
black seeds in deep
new snow.

So now is the time
for miracles!

Shedding death’s grip, seeds slip
their leathery binds, pale stems
rise to boundless
blue skies


as at last breaking through
golden leaves unfurl
and life again fills 
this resurgent
world.