Seeking Authentic Voice

You are the bread and the knife,   the crystal goblet and the wine.   You are the dew on the morning grass   and the burning wheel of the sun.   You are the white apron of the baker,   and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.   However, you are not the wind in the orchard,   the plums on the counter,   or the house of cards.   And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.   There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.   It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,   maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,   but you are not even close   to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.   And a quick look in the mirror will show   that you are neither the boots in the corner   nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.   It might interest you to know,   speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,   that I am the sound o...

Jan, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five: Whether we liked it or not, we all "sprang forward" with the change to daylight savings time in the USA this past Sunday. There is lightness and brightness slipping in as spring approaches, so let us consider what is springing forth in our lives right now. Name 5 things that are springing forth, possibly including: what you hope for I can't say just yet, but yes, something I've been hoping for has happened. It's very exciting. But more than that, I really hope for some stability to settle over our world. I suspect we have always been a people who choose violence and war to get our way, but I just hope we can make greater efforts to minimize this and find other ways to resolve conflicts. what you dread I am saddened by the events in Japan and the impact on these people and the world, not to mention the on going issues in Haiti, Egypt, Libya, and other places around the world. I dread further collapses of nuc...

Two weeks ago the Arizona sun Powerful stark, hot blaze even in April Warmed my skin yet chilled my soul. Arizona. Beautiful cruel, open skied, prickly thorns that rip raw, skin and spirit - have you watched the news lately? Now, it's fourteen days later, Midwest spring Endless days of rain, clouds wind and cold and yet, warms my soul, here spirit shines. All around spring has bloomed: leaves and grass, green flowers burst forth, lilacs! Yes, lilacs. Stop and take a moment - breath it in.

(Photo of a hummingbird moth in lavender, from my backyard) Sally over at RevGals offers this Friday Five Meme wondering what to do on a rainy day that points toward Spring... 1. Exercise, what do you do if you can't face getting out into the cold and damp? I have a routine that includes rotating through the week: twenty minutes of core ab work plus bicep/tricep with weights; two twenty minute yoga routines (one for morning and one for afternoon); an indoor exercise bike; and two yoga DVD's with 60 minute and 96 minutes practices. Using one, or a series of these, gives me ways to move when I'm stuck indoors. 2. Food; time to comfort eat, or time to prepare your body for the coming spring/summer? I don't do much comfort eating. But like my cycle of exercise I have a daily "practice" of must have dietary needs: Morning - coffee. After several cups of coffee I usually have a big bowl of plain yogurt with honey and granola. Afternoon: dark chocolate and Earl Gr...