Monday, October 31, 2011

Untimely-written 10/29/11

A crumb pecked by a blue jay
Fat and happy, he gobbled it
Blue jay outside, me inside
The sky turning gray

Hours later his perch unseen
Globs of white fluff now heaped
Forcing all upright to hang low

I bundle up and venture outside
I shuffle through five inches of
this most new and unwelcomed guest

Moments later, I'm startled
A loud cracking noise echoes
the breaking and splintering
make me freeze in my tracks

A sparrow darts from a bush
Equally shaken and unsure
Where can he now rest?

How many more will fall?
No one knows, but all pray
Our creation is groaning
My heart yearning for spring

Jake-written 10/24/11

The message was shocking,
"Had to put Jake down Monday,
Congestive heart failure and edema."
My heart sunk with great sadness.

My mind raced backwards to two weeks ago
when I stood beside this old, great one.
Eye to eye we stood, watching the sunset.

I stroked his soft chestnut, brown coat,
along his neck and under his mane.
His eyes contained such warmth and depth.
Thirty years he spent and graced this place.

A young teenage girl bought and trained him.
Children loved him, herds respected him.
Me, I simply communed with him.

After feeding him carrots he lowered his head.
His white striped forehead butted against me,
"More. More.", he whispered, only the bag was empty.
So together we watched the sky splashed with color.

Brillant shades of pink, orange, yellow and blue,
a glorious sunset over New York's Catskills.
One week later the sun went down on my new friend.

Children in Sunshine-Written 10/6/11

Have I told you I love it?
Have I told you how much?
Children engaged outside,
marveling at nature's wonders,
sketching the beauty they see.

To save Earth, they must love it.
To love Earth, they must know it.
To know it, they must spend time in it.
They must experience it.

I pray my students, my children,
will love and cherish it.
May its majesty overwhelm them,
as a rushing waterfall spilling over or
the sweet song of bluebirds and insects.

I pray they love it enough to care
as a new mother watches and nurtures.
I pray they share its goodness and
leave it intact for more to gaze upon.

I pray I see children's children
basking in warm sunshine,
mesmerized by the beauty they see.