Birds are Welcomed Guests

These days my guests have wings and rhythmic names 

like Dark-Eyed Junco, Red-Bellied Woodpecker 

and Eastern Bluebird. 

 

Whether through echoing birdsong or salacious chirping, 

somehow they hear about the Perch to Be, 

and they arrive alone or in small, happy fluttering flocks, 

or in dysfunctional trios that swoop down territorially.  

 

 

I've even had matched pairs arguing on the rooftop,

 he, fiery in red and she, with her blazing orange beak. 

 

They're fleeting, spitting sunflower seed shells every which way, 

tweeting, twittering, cheeping and shrieking all the while.

 

They eat and run, they vie and fly.  

They're the most terrible guests. 

 

I could entertain them all day.

The Color Blue Deepens

On a visit to the Oxbow Wildlife Refuge,

I was moved by the blue reflections, 

shining through the brambles,

accenting the swampland,

lighting a path on the meandering Nashua River,

illuminating the abandoned pond, and

complementing the trees hanging onto the riverbank;

I sit and ponder the color blue – 
outside, in this scenery that swells me with hope;
inside, as an emotion rooted in sadness;
how the color blue can deepen when reflected,
how sitting long enough with its feeling can bring some comfort,
and I am grateful for this life that brings us sorrow,
so we can more clearly see and be conscious of its beauty. 

Four Tulips Stand Alone

Four tulips alone,

amidst the rainy season,

swaying in the wind. 

Mother, father, sons,

yearning to join with others,

bonding in their love.

A Mother's Love Endures

To all the mothers who continue to guide, 

whether in human form or beyond, 

whether in current day or memories past: 

you are the embodiment of nature – 

resilient and enduring, 

calming and just as gorgeous. 

Grateful for you.

~Mother's Day hike 2020, 

Whitehall Reservoir,

Hopkinton, MA

Peace and Love Sustain Us

The world may seem hazy right now, 
upside down even, 

but if we look deeply at our reflection, 

we see the beauty that always surrounds us, 

and we feel the peace and love that sustain us.

Petal to Petal

May the dulling of touch,
Magnify the beauty we see,
Heighten the aromas we smell,
Lengthen the flavors we taste,
Enliven the sounds we hear,
So when we return,
Cheek to cheek,
Shoulder to shoulder,
Hand in hand,
Step in step,
We will shine brighter,
Petal to petal,
Blending to one.