Bubbles

between this breath and the next

water bubbles pop

the water bubbles from the waves lapping the shore

the individual bubbles that make up the foam.

watching the bubbles burst

I need to remind myself to breathe.

the bubbles are mesmerizing.

sometimes

because of the sunlight breaking through

the bubbles take on the iridescent colors of the surrounding elements.

but on the ordinary wave

a community of bubbles comes together to form the foam

and something translucent turns pure white when really small and unified ~

magical!

Yearning

yearning for love is expansive

reminding me of my capacity to love

reminding me of my connection to those I will always love

welcoming the fire

the sacredness

the discomfort

the humanness

the vitality

the mystery

surrounding my yearning.

my heart can endure the wounds it has encountered ~

my wounds will heal a bit

and they will leave scars

but they tend to reopen fairly easily.

I am somewhat grateful for this because I can feel my heartbeat beneath the pain of the wound ~

beneath my yearning for love.

Solstice 2023

light is coming

but I honor the current darkness.

love is in there

peace is in there.

I sit quietly with it

helping mend the broken pieces

with golden grace.

Vignettes to Savor

reimagining

the heart break and the ghost break,

the painful ending.

remembering the laughter

and the intimate, the friend

Creating a Life

Major landforms are created as a result of Earth’s subterranean movements.

Elements and living beings evolve to form a perfectly efficient ecosystem.

People with divergent backgrounds, skills, and resources come together to form a well-functioning, thriving community.

Mosaic art is created with collected objects, broken pieces of color, and the artist’s vision.

Creating a life, making adjustments along the way

Knowing there is perfection in imperfection

Taking the broken pieces and creating something whole, something potentially beautiful

Alchemy

Memories always float by, but as I get older, the big ones tend to have a magnificent patina, an eroding rust, or some combination of the two. The most joy filled memories are often connected to the most painful grief because of the passage of time and life. Because of perspective, youthful carelessness can look REALLY careless, reckless, and evoke great regret, guilt. Tragic events that were well out of my control haunt me—maybe I could have done something to prevent this? There are those things that almost broke me, but they didn’t quite, and I stood back up. I stood back up changed.

Because of a higher perspective still, I’m grateful that I can look back and process the grief and guilt through wiser eyes. I was brought up to harden myself to adversity and pain—I’m grateful that I learned how to be softer. I’m grateful that I notice all the little things to be grateful for as they come. I’m grateful that I notice the painful things as they come and can feel the pain honestly, knowing that gratitude as an automatic response is a mask I cannot afford. I’m grateful for all the growth along the way.

I’m grateful that a dog (Mango Lily) came into my life at this point in time—a dog who is pure love and kindness—a dog who can help me alchemize the whole of it.