Sonnet for a Grey Morning

Another grey morning, much like the last
and for tomorrow, more fog’s the forecast.
When days seem the same, life always seems cold.
night flows to night, the sad world grows old.
As clouds wrap my soul in still,fatal pall
hearts must be silent, though bold blood calls
for death to cruel winter, and end to dark days,
fair spring to release enthralled golden rays.

But looking at you, I see in your eyes
the brilliance lost from blue summer's last sky
and when you smile, in your warm glow I feel
your love overwhelm me, new suns revealed.
Overcast, confined though the earth may be
with you in my day, spring’s born endlessly.

(31 Oct 2013)

The Kingdom of Heaven

Cast your seed

upon my barren soil.

In winter’s dark night

I yearn for new light.

Rain falls;

fleeting life fails

as fearfully I pray:

O fill my fertile soul

and show me your sun-filled face!

Warm me with your

radiant grace.

(25 May 2012)

One Simple Motion

The house is dark again.

Music drifts,
softly settles,
like dust
on my face.

Now is the time
when veils decline-

when I can see
the faint motion
of breath,

my chest rising and
falling, life expelled
and pulled sharply back:

living and dying
in one, simple
motion.

(22 July 2014)

Morning Light

Look! The morning light, slight brightening
To the east, over the rooftop
Of the next house, through our
Open window, the sky
Not yet blue, but
Rising to the
Edge of
Promise.

Listen! Those early birds, looking
For the unlucky worm,
Are singing their delight
In this lucky, limitless
Morning light.

(31 Oct 2013)

Sunset on Christmas Eve

Light's nearly gone

bare trees flare gold

sun descends,

day turns cold.

Old world ends

in a brilliant flash

but from the east

hope springs at last

fresh from a child

drawing first breath,

as the tawdry cycle

of night and day,

the hopelessness

of fear and hate

new love overwhelms

as new day begins

with first holy breath

of this God-infant.

(24 December 2011)

Mozart Smiles

feverish movement

circle of light

in the darkened hall

oboe and flute

puff and strain

to maintain with

swaying violins, violas

and cellos pounding

out soul,

beating heart

of timpani

while lost in time,

arms waving

shoulders hunching,

flashing

hands slashing

the glittering air,

Mozart smiles.

Winter Solstice

Drive the narrow road
past cold
misty vineyards;

peer carefully
through pulsing wipers,
past jeweled beads
smeared to curving trails.

Look
into the glaring eye
of traffic.

Swinging around
tight bends
cars pass you,
throwing
sheets
of driving
rain.

Hold tightly to your wheel!
Keep your lane.
Do not descend
into the flooded gutter;

for on the western edge
in darkly glowing cobalt
the declining sun,
leans towards longer southern days.

Night
has begun,

the longest night
of the year.

(19 December 2010)

Life Itself

“Night Blossoms” by Sonja Bingen

“It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, 

fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder.”

Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

Dark rain penetrates

tender leaves swell, spirits spark

dormant roots

Like gods, stars

ascend; with wonder and grace

shines Your mighty face

(29 March 2012)

Birthright

“It is God’s love that warms me in the sun and God’s love that sends the cold rain.” Thomas Merton

Winds blow
off the delta,
stir to breathy song
flashing trees.

In soft sunlight
jeweled birds
hover low,
sip red nectar
from the slim cylinder
by my empty chair.

Beneath the breeze
leaves along the fence-line are still,
and on the glowing ground
potted geraniums wait
in blazing stasis.

I know sea-borne storms
soon will come,
and leaves will fall,
to die on the sodden
winter ground;

for this
is my birthright,
my  Father’s
great gift.

(13 Jan.2013)

Winter Night

Sliver of moon, 

thin crescent hovers 

over 

breathless hills. 

From night’s broad loom, 

empty skies fill 

dark rooms 

with blackest silk. 

O guardian 

stars, drop on my face

etherial

lace!

(29 Jan 2013)

I'll Wait

“Make ready for the face that speaks like lightning, uttering the new name of your exaltation deep in the vitals of your soul. Make ready for the Christ, Whose smile like lightning sets free the song of everlasting glory that now sleeps in your paper flesh, like dynamite.” Thomas Merton, A Book of Hours

I’ll

wait

for that

time when Your

silence fills the world

when even birds cannot conceive

cannot dream of dawn; then my sallow skin will burst to

flame, freedom’s song will utter my name, and I will rise to glory through death’s darkest vein!

(16 September 2013)

Elegy for Mary

Tree and Woman in Fog: Mt. Davidson

It’s cold today

though the sun rises

as usual.

                     

Routine

binds together days

and keeps my gaze

firmly fixed on

here and now.

First coffee,

then showered and dressed

I start another commute

down wet roads,

through misty

grey hills;

but today I stop

and think of you

your gentle laugh, the joy

buried In a cold Ohio field

and my throat tightens.

I can’t breathe, my eyes blur

until deeply sighing

I whisper the prayer

you taught me

and again see

the living world

with unclouded eyes

and go on.

(1 Dec. 2012)

Matins

Image: Ken Broadhurst

Times of transition

appeal to my sense of

transcendence.

In joyful morning

eastern gold flows

over our highest leaves.

The blue-jays shriek

as our cat prowls

the wet grass.

She does not care

that this is the edge of time.

But I can feel the sun’s fire

as I work in the yard

and hear the mockingbird

in our highest eves

calling to his love

in the cherry tree!

Soon the wind

again will rise

and another summer day

will coldly decline

as the western fires

wilt

to bluest steel, to

blackest silk.

(6/11/2011)

Vallejo Nocturne

Bright Venus rising,
silver bay gleaming
tall Tamalpaias,
contrapposto
against the glowing

night sky,

spreading

a red smudge
where the hot sun
succumbs
to bright city lights,
glittering
rays of glory,
the cosmos contained
in this throbbing web
aching
like the stars themselves.

(14 May 2012)

Gardenia

Leaf from the Album "Dreaming of Traveling while in Bed (臥遊)"
ink and color on paper, 27.8 x 37.3 cm, Palace Museum, Beijing

On the high round table it stands;

small plant in a plastic pot

tender leaves

turn to the narrow window,

angled

to meet the faithful morning sun.

We water it daily,

carry it carefully

to the deep sink for a good, long drink

and then back to its own bright place

estranged from the wilder yard by double-pane.

Sudden as September,

it happens.

In the grey morning,

bathed in their own pure light

bright blooms, fragrant breath

of insistent life,

the sweet song

of survival.

(31 Oct. 2013)

Don't Let Go

Image: Solomon Raj

When brief day fades

and darkness fills your life,

don't let go.  

In this sad land 

when cold rain falls

and winter winds strip bare

the green summer trees, 

hold fast my strong hand!  

In the gray world

when clouds conceal

blithe stars, and even

the brightening

moon has

failed,   

never let go!

(4 January 2013)

Winter Marsh

Blue sky
fills the glassy earth,

and breathy breeze blows
on watery grass.

See how leathery reeds nod
to distant
white mountains

as marsh birds ride
the rippling waves!

Even the bright cloud ascends
in feathery towers
to flow swiftly away.

(31 January 2013)

Beatitude

tramping clouds,

driven by cold, winter winds

scuttle over rolling

low delta hills,

casting moon-shadows,

impasto over dark grass

and glittering waters;

but high above

the tormented Earth,

beyond the passionate chaos

of cloud and wind,

the bloodless moon sheds

pure light

into black space,

and, enraptured,

gazes

on the unseen sun.

(24 March 2014)

the serene happiness of silent acceptance

For all God's gifts there must be in us a response of thanksgiving and happiness and joy: but here we thank Him less by words than by the serene happiness of silent acceptance.
Thomas Merton, Seeds of Contemplation


With gift of thunder and pain
prepare the soil
for living rain.

With gift of streaming grace
fill my soul
with unspeakable faith!


(Holy Thursday, 2012)

Storm on Hunter Hill

Photo: outdoorhikingtrek.com 

Pure line 

slopes skyward

massive, dry, 

creased clusters 

cast-rock,

hard shale, 

till crevasses,  

small streams, fill with rain, 

increase to flash-flood

greedy hands

grab pebbles, haul branches,

crashing to the road

below.

The rain wants it all down,

to sink it into the sea, 

level proud mountains,

make all things 

equal,

but the rising line flows

to a distant ridge

where dark oaks

hold out

for hard, blue 

day.

(2 Nov 2011)

Second Death

In the darkness of noon

proud souls decline

from glittering heights

to October's stark truth.  

Sacred fire ignites

their hopeless, sad flight

into sin and self-

separation.

(20 Oct. 2011)

We Must Believe

We must all believe in love and in peace.
We must believe in the power of love.  Thomas Merton

Peace fills this house
as I alone awake and hear
the sounds of easy breathing,
the morning birds, striving
with rising dawn, singing
in the sun with piercing song,

while in the great distance
beyond the gentle flame of sunrise
anger rages.

The birds of Homs are silent.

Waning day swells
with the wails of
mothers.

They cradle the innocents,
caught in the fire
of a Assad’s withering greed.

Thy will be done.

Though I cannot understand
I must believe
in your powerful love,
your infinite
Peace!

(25 July 2012)

Mass

If I trust You, everything else will become, for me, strength, health, and support. Everything will bring me to heaven. If I do not trust You, everything will be my destruction.
Thomas Merton  Thoughts in Solitude

When it begins
music plays and we sing
songs of gathering, greeting.

This, then, is the family complete,
assembled around the table
ready for the thanksgiving feast.

Why can’t we just stay
innocent,
present?

We tell the stories of youth,
laugh at self-folly, glad at last
to tell the truth,

but soon we feel the pain
of separation, of nails
driven deep
beneath our tender skin:

his heart breaks; cancer invades
her beloved body
and we can only stare
at vacant crossings,
bereft, 
alone,

until You speak.

Believing beyond reason,
we feel the bread, deep down,
subsumed
into our very guts, spreading
unreasonable warmth
and comfort
and joy!

We cannot understand such power
but without it
our lives
would cease.

To an Unknown Land

To an unknown land

o’re the distant sea

crowding me in, it

carries me.

Through night and day

I'm rushed along.

I want to stay though

I can't stay long.

Compelled to go,

I linger with you;

Though I want to remain,

harsh time whispers, "no."

(9 Aug. 2012)

O Salutaris Hostia

My foe draws near
and darkens my sight
leads me to hatred,
and the hard, futile fight.

Cruel night
descends
on this cold, foreign place,
but to you, Holy Victim,
with hope I do pray!

Oh, open the gate
to my true, native shore
and forever I'll praise you
for your strong arm restores

my life and my love
to bright day evermore.

(11 April 2012)

Holy Days

Image, Vincent Van Gogh, Road with Cypress and Star, 1890

These are my holy days

when dark spirits inundate

the mystic forest

and urge me with purling song

into empty waters.

But I’ll stop this descent

into somnolent night.

I see a new way to fight

this terminal pain.

Looking into your eyes

at last I confess

your brighter path

and joyfully say,

Yes!

(20 Nov 2012)

Old Simeon's Blessing

Blessings

on this radiant child.

I'll smear his head 

with bitter oils, cool 

his brow with the waters

of paradise, 

and with sweet incense

raise to heaven

his soul!

...but I fear for the life

my failing eyes foresee

how the rich of this land

will fear him, strike him down,

covet even the air

he breathes,

and you, daughter,

the soldiers will pierce 

your tender breast

with heavy swords

tear an open wound

deep in your heart, 

to be a sanctuary

for all the mothers

of all the children

yet to be slain.

Most blessed

are you, my child, most holy

is your name.

        

 *

ref: Lk 2:34-35

(7 Jan. 2013)