Weekly Reading

Spirit's Blessing

Spirit blesses me more now
than in the beginning.

It is never too late to change,
to begin anew,
to look at myself
in a new way,
to live my life
in a new way.

The creative spirit within me
looks forward to
and welcomes newness.

Constant opportunities
to serve life beckon.

Spirit walks besides me
in the way I have chosen.
Fear becomes impossible.
~Gabriel Halpern

weekly reading

MALHEUR BEFORE DAWN

An owl sound wandered along the road with me.
I didn’t hear it —I breathed it into my ears.

Little ones at first, the stars retired, leaving
polished little circles on the sky for awhile.

Then the sun began to shout from below the horizon.
Throngs of birds campaigned, their music a tent of sound.

From across a pond, out of the mist,
one drake made a V and said its name.

Some vast animal of air began to rouse
from the reeds and lean outward.

Frogs discovered their national anthem again.
I didn’t know a ditch could hold so much joy.

So magic a time it was that I was both brave and afraid.
Some day like this might save the world.

William Stafford

weekly reading

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, and you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breaths, listen. It answers, I have made this place for you. If you leave it, you may come back again saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you – you are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows where you are. You must let it find you.
-David Wagoner