New Year mantra..

Charon and the door to a world of dreams book sculpture - by Malena Valvarcel



may I treasure the time for...

being outdoors by the sea
feeling the waves
tasting the sky

may I hear the music
the gift of sharing
a smile

may I touch
the power
of silent understanding


may my soul
long

to magnify

perhaps this 'he'...

Perhaps this 'he' could be 'she'

                                                                                 could be 'me'...

THE CROWDLESS MAN

See him wandering alone,

The crowdless man,

He has no group,

He has no tribe,

He carries his identity in his pocket.

His pocket has a hole in it,

His story has a hole in it,

His tragedy is not a tune you can hum.

His suffering and sacrifice,

They have no handles;

His persecution has no logo,

No shrine, no yardstick.

His joy has no credentials,

His observations have no fixed address;

There are no awards whatsoever.

His gaze and yearning are way outside the loop,

His pilgrimage has lots of holes in it.

See him wandering alone.

Beaming to himself. 

Thank you 

Michael Leunig 

for letting me see 

Me...

Michael Leunig planting a Saharan Cypress
at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne
October 2015
- Michael Leunig Appreciation Page

interactive...

time
spring waters
refresh stifled feet
an interactive garden
laden with scents of the bush
yesterday's wonder
my birthday
feast

spring school holidays...

spring
school holidays

time to visit
some special places

Coolart wetlands

where ibis and other water birds
gather
to nest

from the bird hide
in early morning
alone
I watch the hive
of spring
activate

frantic jostling
on a tiny island for space
tug-o-war with twigs and small branches
a dance or two
or three 
in some cases

wide wings
commanding
attention
or just
commanding

to one side
two share
a private
close
moment

and then there is one
who prefers to watch
from another island
high on a tree branch

happy to be

alone

like me


on a spring morning

I made time...

I made time to see the flowers today

warming near Spring sun is enough for them
to venture into new life

they put aside
adverse winds

and simply
get on with
living and
being


some need the closeness of like minds
strength
double the beauty

and yet
each retains a unique breath
a unique voice

that sings in the moment

even if the moment

is meant to be
fleeting

it was the usual...

it was the usual
too much to do
too little time
kind of Friday

lots of rocky shapes to negotiate

or it appeared to be at 8:00am

but by 9:30am
something small
but something special
just happened

a student
(a Year 10 student no less)

while he waited the long wait
for the school network to load on his computer
and I was drifting 
doing the usual rounds of
get thinking
get creating
sing song

told me to hold out my hands
cupped

I was still not quite into the roll/role of reality
so did as asked

he told me to close my eyes
and not peek

I closed my eyes

and then
I felt 
wrappers in my hands

something you'll like miss
to get you through the day

the eyes 
my eyes
popped open
and there were 
sweets
coffee sweets
tiny
wrapped
coffee delights

o so appealing

he smiled at my surprise
now don't munch them in class
he said
with a wicked grin

humbly 
quietly
I thanked him

if only students knew
how a day can be so changed
with a little kindness
and thoughtfulness

those rocky shapes
intimidating an hour ago
now sparkled

my Friday became
a day of beauty

that still lingers

the sun sets...

the sun sets
on another working week
the relief of a new weekend is nigh

but thoughts still
shuffle back to those
heavy days
last week
when an angel lady
stepped up to heaven

as I drove home today
in light grey rain

I felt her face
drifting with the soft afternoon music

the farmlands slipped by on the notes of the winds
and
she was there
hovering

I felt her smile
somehow out of tune with
her sad
wide
eyes

like a limbo between
bliss and
heartache

I felt impelled
when I arrived home
to find 
her other voice
her own 
secret
music

I found Silverwind

 I believe though I don't really understand 

behind the shining smile
she was a troubled spirit
but she lived a life
soothing the spirits of others

she reached out in love
to orphaned children 

she made exquisite little dolls' outfits
as gifts

but the child in her
was dragged along
a little tattered
a little torn
a little orphaned
herself

 I believe though I don't really understand 

I don't really understand
how to give
the path of love
to one
who seems lost

I don't really understand
how to connect loving memories
from yesterday
to today

And when the break of dawn seems oh, so far away 
And all my joy has disappeared into the night

her darkness
was sealed
safely
in music

while she always walked 
in the light

 I believe in spite of all I'm going through
I believe in you