The world expands

I tried to explain this over coffee. 

I was not successful. 

I am not always successful. 

Welcome to the world I inhabit

We grow older,

The world expands

Beyond anything

We knew before,

Well beyond

Anything we knew.

We think we knew and lo

We didn’t.

Here comes

That new thing

We were not aware of

Yesterday,

Only recognized

Today.

We could not have known it

Yesterday.

It took all of yesterday

To expand

Into today.

I tried to name this

Over coffee

This morning.

I’m not sure

I was successful

But then again

Success has changed today

From yesterday

Too.

Double rainbow

No rainbow in Wisconsin last weekend.

I missed

The double rainbow

Last weekend.

I am grateful

My son captured it.

I remember

The triple rainbow

Off the coast

Of Iona.

Such things

Must be held

And remembered

And held

And remembered

And held

And remembered,

Particularly

When they come

In twos

And threes.

Ants

One with the ants

I am 62.

When I fall

Which is still

Way too often,

I am one

With the ants.

We speak

Antenna

To antenna.

Ants

Are fascinating

Creatures.

I look at those

In wheelchairs

On walkers

Using canes.

They are my kin.

Still

As I come

Antenna

To antenna

With my sisters

The ants

I am one.

My office is not spare

Office space is important. It matters to people...what is safe to say or not say.

My office

Is not spare.

There are

Enough words

Enough things

For people to hold

With their eyes

With their hands

Pictures

Puppets

A pillow or two

In case a pause

Is needed between words.

One man knelt

An entire session

On a multi-colored blanket,

Said

Very little.

I guess he needed

The space.

No matter what

This is one of those tough lessons...Advising, and realizing we are not responsible for the outcome.

No matter

How often

I advise others

What to do,

I know

It’s never

Up to me

To hold them accountable

For my advice.

Of course

This is not the same

As not speaking

At all.

I speak

Often.

Then

I wait to see

What happens.

Chainsaw

I have never used a chainsaw. I think I am afraid of what may happen, if I do.

To a person,

Male or female,

I hear

How easy it is

To keep going

Once you start

With a chainsaw.

Soon

There is nothing left

And the bushes

The shrubs

The trees

Must begin again

From

Bare space,

The chainsaw

Put away

For at least

One more season.

You know how it is

With a chainsaw.

Begets

As a child I always knew the sun breaking through the cloud was God.

Sometimes it feels

Like violence

Begets

Violence

Begets

Violence

Begets

Hurricanes

Begets

Earthquakes.

I pray

For a different outcome,

That ray of sun

Through a dark cloud.

I always knew

It was God

Shining through,

Though others

Told me

It couldn’t

Possibly be.