I wondered what was next

I think it is human to want to make broad sweeping statements, to lead massive systemic change. I am human (there, I've admitted it!). Teeny tiny steps. One thing at a time. Noticing tracks in the snow. Making my own tracks.

I wondered what was next.

I guess this is.

Teeny tiny steps.

Animal tracks

In the snow

Leading to the garage.

They end there.

Did the creature

Crawl under the door

Or skirt to the side

Leaving no prints

To continue the story.

It may have gone either way.

The tracks

Tell only part,

Leave the rest

To the imagination.

I wondered what was next

There is always a next.

I guess this is.

Where will I leave tracks

In the snow;

Where will.

I leave them guessing.

Teeny tiny steps

Parfait

I often tell clients we are layered folk. We are all layered differently. I have often used geological imagery in therapy... strata. Today I woke up thinking about a parfait metaphor. Maybe I was hungry.

Things come in layers

Laid down layers

Thicker

Thinner

Layers

Differently ordered.

Some layers have strawberries.

Some are thick

With nuts.

I prefer whipped cream

Alas

So often whipped cream

Was forgotten

Not to mention the cherry

On top.

Perhaps whipped cream

The cherry

Are laid down

At the end.

Maybe it's time

A thought for the Episcopal Church. My home church.

Maybe it’s time

To hold hands with our Methodist

Sisters and brothers,

Mr. Welch included.

Maybe it’s time

To consecrate grape juice,

To offer only

The equally attractive alternative

At church functions.

Maybe it’s time to figure out

How to celebrate life

Without alcohol

For an undetermined period of time

And then

Only then

Our heads may be clear enough

Our hearts may be clear enough

To figure out what’s next.

Maybe it’s time.

Anchored

It is interesting the things that anchor me. They differ from day to day. Today it is the tree outside the office window seen through two-thirds of my office window.

The snow is one-third up my office window.

I can still see the crooked pine

Through the top two-thirds

So all is well

Here in this cozy space,

Here where I pray for clients

Seen and unseen;

Here where it occurs to me

Once again

All is very well.

From afar

I think most of the birds eating seed under the crab apple are juncos. I don't quite know. The cardinal is unmistakable. I wish my beloved had spread the seed closer to the house. But instead he had the birds in mind... not me.

It is safer

To spread seed

Out under the crab apple,

Next to the pile

Of pulled grape vine.

I see the mass of birds

From afar.

They eat seed in the snow.

The only one with a name tag

Is Mr. Cardinal,

So red against the white.

Sun with one foot of snow

Last night I watched school after school close today because of the snow. Today is bright with sun and snow. I am glad to live in a place that closes down because of snow, not hurricanes or tsunamis. Soon I will leave for a client, drive through sun and snow. 

So many places closed

So everyone may play in the snow

Or not.

The real thing

I will admit snow on the weekend is more convenient now than it used to be. Now I do not need to be concerned about parking lots or boilers or leading worship in mittens. Now I can consider the beauty, clear the sidewalk when the snow ends, leave the Christmas tree up one more week because it finally looks like winter outside.

Today is

The first real snow of winter,

Halfway through the season.

Of course we have had

Practice snowfall:

To remember how to drive

In it;

To remember what

It looks and feels like;

To recall each flake

Being different.

Today is the real thing.

Tomorrow will be another version

Of this real thing.

Like every occasion

No thing is ever

The same.

Not even snow.