Ashes to Ashes

Fiery substance falls, light as a feather.
Cooling and disintegrating into tiny particles
Which drop, imperceptibly,
though constant, until it builds up
Enough for us to notice.

Get out the dust-rag!
Wipe away the grime!
Only to find a new sprinkling
Tomorrow and the day after
And the day after.

From dust we all came, to dust we all return,
Ebbing and flowing, imperceptibly, though constant,
Until we notice there is a great cloud of witnesses
Urging us on, helping us see the beauty
Of our unending lives remembered in the mystery.

Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
Fallen, yet raised to life eternal.
Giving us for today – and for all tomorrows – 
The hope of Easter.

Zechariah

Zechariah

God shut the preacher’s mouth!
Poor old, Zechariah...
So faithful, so much to tell...

Yet God shut the preacher’s mouth!
Did Zechariah need the silence?
Did he quiet his mind as well?

When God shut the preacher’s mouth...
Did the common folk panic?
Did they manage to find their own way?

God shut the preacher’s mouth...
Wonder of wonders.
In the quiet, I wonder who heard God.

Houseguests

Houseguests

the Shoulds and Guilts knocked on my door,

long-time neighbors, they.

so prim and proper, dressed to the hilt,

heads held high ... righteous

i welcome them in,

offered them a glass of heady wine,

chatted, gossiped,

discussed surpassing the Joneses

oxygen seeped from the room

leaving me feeling so very small,

knowing i could not fulfill

such vain and grand schemes

another knock -- my neighbors, the Mercies

over from next door, with packages.

home-baked bread, sweet jam,

butter and tea to share at our klatch

they, too, i welcomed in,

offered them a place to sit,

invited them to partake, and

all were lifted by comfort-filled discourse

light filled the room, warmth

and delicious fresh air.

the Mercies, giving life to the party,

allowed all to simply Be 

Am I Alone?

I was there

I was center

I noticed  -- my eye

looked

I became we

THANKSGIVING

we gather together

we are thankful

we share a meal

we share our lives

simply bread?

wine?

lovely table?

laughter?

much, much more...

we do this in remembrance

loving spirits beside us

dreams and memories

blending in candlelight

year after year after year

...together...

Letting Go

Submitted by rakshasa on FanPop

turning leaves have a way of making me look at life a bit differently

stopped by their beauty, i long to pause and take a deep breath

to sense the maturing of life

and consider the beauty and growth

that comes from the the waning of life

so many life cycles

so many beginnings and endings

if i took a lesson from the autumn leaves,

would i hold on so tightly?

would i fear the coming season?

would i doubt rebirth?

would i sing or would i wail?

if the leaves took a lesson from me,

would they give their gift so freely?

turning leaves

teach me to let go

teach me to be