Christmas 2024 Voices joined in the dark, singing out the word of life, open and receive the birth of light, gift forever to the living.

Along the cracked sidewalks and traffic choked streets, beneath the winter barren of leafless trees, I gather the litter of holiness, tossed aside and left

Quiet as fallen leaves, I search the dawn for signs of belonging, signals of faith. Crows fill the rooftops, rain on wet streets, the droop

With darkness past its peak, sunlight charms the rain-soaked valley after weeks of clouded skies. Beneath the paved streets of departed forests, there is the

The night is clouded, close with rain, evergreens sway in shadow; darkness comforts. I let the earth approach, tree and tide, the sound of wind,

White capped waves lift across the sea as winter storms blow in from the south. Bending to the force without breaking, wind strengthens root, trees

Clouds descend on the island with the sound of foghorns and cries of geese. Somewhere hidden above sun and stars continue, while below I’m motionless

Sunlight on a wind blessed sea, the earth green and alive in the ritual of everyday beauty. I practice silence with deep rooted trees, letting

Putting faith in what passes I am abandoned, while the earth remains in green face shining. The dark of night and sweep of the tide,

Dawn on a steel gray sea, the rain-cleansed earth breathes; ancient trees and freshened grass share the hallowed space. Quietly I sweep the inner temple

Old roots reach deep water, travel through hardpan and stone to the well beneath the earth. There the wealth of many winters, full with light

Flood tide fills the coves and beaches, with sunlight bright on a calm sea. Beauty enters the hollow places, bringing peace to heart and mind

Sun and stars bathe the Earth in light, illuminating the soul in morning solitude and sacred dark. We journey through cosmos gathered in this embrace,

In the still morning the sound of whale’s breath, geese in flight, fog horns in the distance. Close as always the comfort of silence and

The blue gray morning signals autumn’s approach with the clouds of late summer. The green world breathes under gentle rain; mosses come to life, green