Thing-a-day.com

Thank you

for the daily reminder

that the world

is filled

with extraordinary beauty

made by the hands

of gentle people.

Hope

It comes to me

like the green push

of a wave

wrapping around my legs,

and I know

I should let go

and give myself

to this unfamiliar sea.

Talking to the Birds

I know they have their own language–

the cardinals carol in their perches,

a thrush twitters away,

and the blue-faced doves

coo over any little thing.

Meanwhile,

I stand on the porch

like a fool,

lips pursed,

trying desperately

to join in.

Mist

When I woke from my nap

the world was somehow softer

like a watercolorist

had smudged the sharp edges 

with a final wash of gray.

Evening

Long after

the sun has taken leave

of its lofty place

in the afternoon sky,

there is a new beauty

in the stark outlines of trees

sketched against the failing light.

Ohia Tree

It is so strange

to see you rooted

in the old, wooden gutter

where you don’t belong,

and yet I am charmed

by your tiny arms reaching

with nature’s steady push

toward the light.

Peace

I feel it

right now

as this windless afternoon

slips away

into the blue slumber of evening.

Black Sand Beach

Where else

in this world

can one hold 

millions

of glistening stars?

Indoor Cat

How could I

not indulge

you

for a few moments–

Go!

Rub your belly

against the warm planes

of this green earth.

I want to see

your tiny frame

overcome with joy.

Father

He wore

his anger

like a six-shooter

fastened

loosely

at the hip.

Ginkgo Tree

You,

marvelous spendthrift,

who have showered us

in gold

each fall,

thank you

for pressing your leaves

into the pages of stone

so we can hold history

in our young hands.

Mountains

In Hawaii,

the mountains

are not like

sleeping giants

in the sun

with their backbones

stretching along the horizon.

Instead,

they are more like

mothers

with their bellies

rising gradually,

dangerously pregnant

with possibility.

Skink

Little man,

how did I

(the clumsy one)

persuade you

to linger

in the heart

of my hand

so I could watch you

breathe

in and out

with your bronze sides.

Happiness

today

happiness is

a tiny spark

of a bird

high in a tree

who sings

her delight

at the darkening sky

Static

The world

with its stories

of red wars

and haunting tragedy

is sometimes

too much,

and though

I want to listen

all I hear

is static

at my ears.

Bird of Paradise

I know

you can never

venture from your place

among the silver leaves

but when I wake in the morning

I often hope

that you have finally taken flight

with your ruby-colored throat

Fog

it curls

around the trees

like an old lover

who has returned

with the rising moon

Waiting

It’s good for the soul–

the anticipation

and the longing

to see what will happen

even when you’re waiting on

just three small eggs

in a nest

near the garage

Moth

i wonder

how long

this lonely being

with wings

like the pages

of a tiny book

can beat its fragile life

against the windowpane?

i wonder

how long

any of us

with our own weary bodies

can keep seeking the light?