• clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  poems,  poetry,  storm clouds

    The voices of the rain…

    “I close my eyes and listen to the voices of the rain.”

    Robin Wall Kimmerer

    The wind blows in my face. Mesmerized, I watch, listen and accept the day’s gift from nature. I am privileged and grateful to have this front row seat. I watch the sun’s rays break through clouds, reaching down and touching the earth. I watch rain fall from the dark ominous clouds releasing their gift that nourishes the land. I watch the wind constantly reshaping the clouds, carrying them along the mountains. I watch the grass dancing excitedly in the wind in front of me. I am too far away to hear the voices of the rain but I do close my eyes and listen to the voice of the wind, urging me to dance with the grass. How can I not be filled with awe and wonder, holding them tightly on this Earth Day 2024.

    A Prayer on Earth Day 2024 

    We give thanks for Your gifts of awe, wonder and beauty.
    For Your voice heard in the winds of each season,
    the meadowlark’s song, the rumble of thunderstorms,
    the undulations of the ocean’s waves,
    the silence heard in a spring snowstorm,
    and especially for the fruits of Your bounty
    that sustains all of life.

    May we always be aware there are no political solutions
    to our spiritual problem of indifference and the abuse we cause.
    But may we know we are chosen stewards,
    whose task it is to live in harmony with all of creation.

    May we live every day in celebration and gratitude of life! 
    May we allow You to transform us in the very ground of our being.
    And, may the Great Mystery of all life fill us with love.

    mws

  • Avian,  landscape,  meadowlark,  poems

    For Solitude

    A meadowlark perched on the fence sings from the light of its soul

    May you recognize in your life the presence,
    power and light of your soul.

    May you realize that you are never alone,
    that your soul in its brightness and belonging
    connects you intimately with the rhythm of the
    universe.

    May you have respect for your own individuality and
    difference.

    May you realize that the shape of your soul is
    unique, that you have a special destiny here,
    that behind the facade of your life
    there is something beautiful and eternal happening.

    May you learn to see your self
    with the same delight,
    pride, and expectation
    with which God sees you in every moment.

    John O’Donohue from “To Bless the Space Between Us”
  • poems,  shadows

    a silent miracle

    dancing sunlight through a window
    unpredictable, playfull, offering delight
    suddenly emerging, spreading its gift
    the eyes see, the heart recognizes
    a silent miracle of the familiar1Inspired by a John O’Donohue Poem

    mws
  • poems,  poetry,  seasons,  shadows,  snow,  winter scenes

    The Source Within

    Everything you see has its roots
    In the unseen world.
    The forms may change
    Yet the essence remains the same.
    Every wondrous site will vanish,
    Every sweet word will fade,
    But do not be disheartened,
    The Source they come from is Eternal,
    Growing, branching out,
    Giving new life and new joy.
    Why do you weep?
    That source is within you
    And this whole world
    Is springing up from it.

    Rumi
  • leaves,  love,  poems,  shadows,  snow

    … and never looks away

    A small part of our amazing winter wonderland this morning

    I stand in the midst of creation’s wheel
    And watch in wonder the quiet majesty of its turning.
    We are in the care of a love without limit or definition
    Under the protection of a love that never looks away.

    Steven Charleston

    It is Monday morning and we have fresh snow on the ground, clear blue skies and sunshine. I am grateful to be a witness to this beautiful winter wonderland. Today I am missing my mother who would have been 92 today. I also can say I miss her with a love that is without limits. Not sure I would have said that as a teenager which makes me grateful for my growing maturity. I’m also grateful for the belief that there is a caring love (and I speak of love as an action word, not a noun) that never looks away. I have experienced such love in family, friends and nature. So, I pray today for the gift of sharing with a love I’ve experienced which is without limits and never looks away. 

  • Art,  Art/Design,  Mary Oliver,  poems,  poetry,  quotes

    The Miracle of a Kiss

    If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
    don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
    of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
    to be. We are not wise, and not very often
    kind. And much can never be redeemed.
    Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
    is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
    something happens better than all the riches
    or power in the world. It could be anything,
    but very likely you notice it in the instant
    when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
    case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
    of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

    Mary Oliver

    This past weekend I shot some senior portraits in Red Feather Lakes. While I was there I made another trip on Elf Lane. As I got out and walked among all the elfs and assorted other characters I suddenly, but not unexpectedly, experienced joy. Thought this little frog and princess needed to have their photo taken.

  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  Mary Oliver,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes

    …honor the world

    Photography by nature is spiritual considering, it comes from the darkness to show the light.

    Kevin Russo

    I was told the other day by someone that they no longer look my sunrise images. However, I’ve come to know that the beginning of a new day offers a unique sunrise, there is no other like it, and if I’m present to it then it’s another opportunity to live one more day. So for me a sunrise is a sacred moment, where we move from darkness to light. In a Mary Oliver poem called The Swan she writes, Of course the path to heaven doesn’t lie in flat miles. It’s in the imagination with which you perceive this world, and the gestures with which you honor it. My presence and the photographs I capture is my act of receiving this morning’s predawn sky and is my gesture to honor the world. I will probably keep doing that to my last breath.