On the Fence

she sits
on the fence
never quite committed
not quite ready to give up
to move on
move away
from the dream
that resists becoming reality

leaves fall
iron rusts
days, months, years pass

her universe fills
with stuff
with mindless, meaningless
movements from here to there
there to here
while her future waits
on the fence

Home on the Range

For many reasons, I love spending time in Pacific Grove. 

And my heart swells when I return to my valley in the Hollister Hills.

The Budha in the Garden

he sits

he smiles

this day no different 

than the day before

not easier

not more difficult

the sun is no closer

the moon no colder

the evolution of the earth

no faster, no slower

he sits

he smiles

One Small (Big!) Step for Hollister

 

There's a wonderful gallery in Hollister at 727 San Benito Street. The current show features extraordinary wildlife and scenic photographs. You can contact the owner at (831) 636-9100 for hours and more information. 

Tree of Life

She wanted life. Not just in a picture or in words from a book but in fullness of experience.

The Bench

They agree to meet at the lake in the late afternoon and to talk about their future: his intentions, her observations, his ability to commit, her need for freedom. 

Night falls. The air is soft and slightly sweet. Children's voices waft across the water as the sun drops behind the hills. The bench sits empty. 

Backward, turn backward, Oh time, in thy flight

My niece emailed me this photo. I can't identify the house or say with any certainty when it was taken. But I can say without hesitation that it was a simpler time, a time when life seemed to hold unlimited possibilities.

Much of that potential has in fact manifested in children of their own, lives lived well and good.

And some of that potential has been lost forever, through lack of time or vision or energy, or, most dreadfully, through loss of life itself. We only have today. Time moves only forward. Make it time well-spent.

Post Holiday Blues

The turkey is a thread-bare carcass.
Gifts are opened, ooh'd and ahhh'd.
Phone calls are placed and excuses made.
The tree sheds its needles in the corner
while three baubles drop without notice.
Vows are made to escape it all next year.
Yet....
We forget and forgive ourselves
and do it all over again and again.
And, for the most part, we find it meaningful
and worthwhile, and essential to our connection
to family, friends, and loved-ones.

Happiness is...

Spiritual ecstasy
and/or a new 46 inch LCD TV from "Santa!"

Thank you Leah, Shie-fang, and Ron!

10 Reasons to Love the Rain

1. It's a great excuse for curling up with a good book.

2. The yard won't need watering for a week or so.

3. The sound of rain on the roof is very soothing.

4. The car won't need to go to the carwash for a while.

5. There's likely to be a gorgeous rainbow afterwards.

6. Everything will smell fresh and new.

7. Rainwater is good for washing your hair.

8. The reservoirs will be replenished.

9. School children will get to be children and splash in the puddles.

10. Gene Kelley may come dancing by your window!