Imagine Their Returning
Winter storms arrived lifting the sea, tearing through the tree tops. Funneled through opposing islands the channel winds sound their presence in a deep pulsing thrum. I linger within, relieved from the buffeting as tiny birds flit in the brush, gathering the last seeds and berries. I’ve put away what I can from the long […]
Shadow Dance
Green has turned to rust as November winds scour the island, baring the trees. Winter approaches yet I linger, hearing voices call from caves within the earth, their invitation to dream again and share the dark. With masks carved from bone, fires lit by ancient faith, they dance in slow circles, holding the earth. […]
Pale Blue
The sound of the tide on the ebb like a river. Gulls feeding, crows calling nearby. With only so many mornings to be alive, the sounds and smell of the sea bring joy. The earth has made a place for me, the wanderer. Thankful to the bone I reach out to the trees and flowing […]
Light that Lives
Awake in the early hours while the stony earth sleeps, I drop a line into the inner river, my bone hook baited with the scored flesh of faith, aching for another glimpse of the golden light that lives where darkness cannot reach. Reading of “Light […]
For Ray
We once were children, your playful face full of innocent humor. Everything was funny until it wasn’t, but when faced with the brick wall of who you were supposed to be, you cleared the way with the honesty of your choice and became the person you always were. The playful face returned, that smile to […]
Strengthened in Darkness
Bathed in dark I take to the forest with starlight above. A crescent moon brightens the sky as betrayals fade beneath the streetlights of home. I treasure the night, luxuriate in its beauty; resting like the sea between the flux of tides, the strength of darkness brings peace for the coming day. […]
Where the Timeless Waits
After the storm white and gray clouds drift lazily north beneath shafts of blue. The sea ripples with the rising sun in a light breeze, the soft awakening breathing easy after strong winds and sheets of rain. I open to the light like green moss shining, letting thought focus on the near distance, seeing through […]
Currency of the Earth
Autumn fog covers the sea, gray water quiet with barely a ripple. A lone seal fishes along the rock shore, a raven tears at his food. Glad to be hidden I stare at the water as dolphin arc in the tideline, gulls perch and wait; foghorns echoing the only sound. Moments of stillness precious as […]
Beneath Our Burdens
Veiling the mainland fog shrouds the distance rising in mist off the sun lit sea. Green moss sparkles on dew laden ground while the trees and steep roofs slowly drip. My heart rests like calm water, luxuriates like moss in the morning dew. I’ve shed my skin and speak with crows. Stones talk and I […]
True Solace
Blanketed with smoke and now fog, visibility near zero, nights are winter-like in darkness, day to an arm’s reach of vision. Tiny sparrows flit about in the trees, the sound of geese echoes in the bay. Turning within to unfailing light, fear unwinds, the true solace of the dwelling place beyond all harm. […]
Trail of Smoke
Stirred awake at dawn smoke blanketed the island, the forests of the Clackamas, Santiam and McKenzie lifted into white clouds, passing on their trail to the other side. So many old friends who knew my name, sheltered me through turmoil and grief. I rose and walked to the rock point in early filtered light, to […]
Full of Grace
With open heart morning floods in, smoke filled, alive with birds. Some ragged memory with a broken muffler pulls to the curb but I wave it off. What could be more important than the grove of silence? All I need is there, waiting, full of grace. […]
Beyond the Door
When your cup is full with what need not be empty yourself to the morning, untangle the knots, untie the line and free the boat of your precious self on the still waters of the waiting sea. The world of things will not reclaim you, the endless debates and terms of struggle, yet beyond the […]
Everyday Miracle
Along the coast the sweet smell of the sea blends with forest green. The sounds of tide and wind and shore birds mixing with woodpeckers thump, the rustle of madrone leaves and sigh of tall firs swaying in the breeze. With our cities upset, disease and painful issues stressing the fabric that holds us together, […]
May These Words Find You
When did you become a ghost, angry and walking away? Bad words were said, turbulence between us, but I called to you, asked you back. These are harsh times, many will leave a trail of ash. It is easy to forget and difficult to remember who you are beyond the illusions that tear us apart. […]