Slowly, the rain falls,
we rejoice in the moment.
And then it is gone.
I await, the next moment
Feeling frenzied with delight.
Tanka #1
Tag Archives: Love
Haiku #4
A meadow landscape,
Flower, just like a skyscraper.
Bee alights, then night.
Photo Credit
- Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash
- Photo by Joel Holland on Unsplash
- Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash
- Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash
A Letter
You’ve written
Before, and yet
No more,
Now,
I dangle a letter
To lure you back,
Though,
Unsure I am,
About the portended
Future
Will our existence
Be reminiscent
Of the letter
In hand?
Now a grandstand
An audience to
Itself, suspended
Mid air
A trifle, and flare,
Of opportunity
Encased in
Red
Just like the roses,
I gave you
When
We
Wed,
And you shook your
Head, in favour of a
Nod instead
And, though
I bled with anticipation
There really is
No mysterious
Cause
For my withdrawal
Only the wonder
Which I see
While in
Bed
As thoughts of
You
Give way to dreams,
Which are sometimes
Pleasant, and
At other times not
So, so,
Dear, give way to
My hearts present
Which is adorned, and
Ready to give way
While you stay
Away,
Only know I’m here
Which is where
I’ll remain
Until that day,
When you return,
And walk through that door,
Taking the note, now
Dangling no more,
And read about
The love that’s flourished
While you were gone,
Now holding hands, like
Time never elapsed,
As we await the dawn.
In response to the WDYS #65 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.
Thunder
I often wonder,
what it is about
thunder
that causes
such a
mysterious
sensation,
from deep within.
There are times
when I’m smitten
with a grin,
as I
ponder and reflect
upon
my life as a child.
Thinking
about the thunder
that would rain down
when we least expected
it.
And then?
Running,
hiding, and trying to find
a place to not be affected
by it.
And, as I write that last
stanza, it occurs to me,
the “it”
in compilation, is unseen
and hidden from view.
A mysterious, and, yes,
often ominous feeling,
even when the thunder
was not dealing it’s clatter.
Hiding under bed,
waiting, worrying, and
unofficially praying for a stead-
fast reprieve
form the hidden noise.
And, oh, what a joy!
When finally released
from the deluge
of noise,
which overwhelmed
my every sense
until, finally,
yes
poise,
did return.
And, I could crawl
out
from underneath,
and, once again,
breathe in
the
salty air
from the rain,
which did just fall.
Oh, thunder, you
are oft criticized, and
yet, are a part of
Nature, so I
do surmise,
you are elegant
in your ways.
And, I do always
pray, for a return
of the rain.
So if you must
also return,
very well,
I will prepare
as needed,
and,
see you thunder,
on the other
side of
the
season.
Haiku #3
Blades of grass splinter,
A raven flies overhead.
Not separate. One.
Photo Credit
- Photo by Kelly Vohs on Unsplash
- Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
- Photo by Ignacio Giri on Unsplash
- Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash
A Blogger’s Diary 1/17/21: On Writing, A 21st Birthday, and Overwhelm
Well, as I mentioned in my last entry, last week was the first week of the term, and we were busier than we have been since the pandemic started.
I’ll have more to write about that in a minute. First, let’s take a look at the writing that occurred this week.
Writing
- Left or Right?
- Connected
- Gateway
- Haiku #2
- Fascination
- The Leadership Series Part 2.75: Why Developing the Self is Always the First Step in Leadership
- Fire
- The Reflection Series Part 6: The Necessity of Having Difficult Conversations
There we go.
It was great to put a period on the lengthy second installment of the Leadership Series. In installment 3, we will look at creating and developing teams. Will be fun.
Alright, and next week?
Well, I already have another Haiku scheduled, as well as a Tanka poem. I also have an article on intention and the last installment in My One Thing: Creating Alignment in Our Lives.
I also have some new ideas, which I’ll get to writing about in the next month or two. Here are a few of those ideas.
- The Leadership Series Part 3
- A new series on leadership, called Leading from Within
- An article on the law of attraction
- And, of course, I’ll have new entries in both the developmental moments and reflection series in the next few weeks.
Alright, how about birthdays.
Birthdays
Well, my oldest son turned 21 this week, and my youngest will turn 17 in May. Phew. It is hard to believe, and then not, that these boys are so grown.
I am so impressed with who they are becoming as young men, and am so proud of them both. A lucky father, am I.
Alright, Justin’s birthday was this past week, so he was over Saturday night, and I made a spinach salad with baked tofu (breaded with panko and slightly fried), and brown sugar butternut squash bread.
Both were super tasty, though I will write that the bread was a little sweet for my tastes. Here is the recipe for the bread, and a couple of pics.
Fun!
Overwhelm
As I already mentioned, last week we had our busiest week of registration since the pandemic started. Of course, this also means that the team was super busy, and, each of them, at different times and at different levels, experienced overwhelm. Yes, me included.
On Wednesday it occurred to me, though not for the first time, that we are all inundated with stimulation, and it occurs differently inside of the pandemic. Meaning, many of us are on technology more than ever before; and it is needed and necessary to move our work forward.
However, being aware of creating quiet space is also needed and necessary. I think it is needed more now than ever before, and necessary to keep us centered and in balance.
Thus, I sent the team the following message on Wednesday. Subject line: Please read today: Taking the time needed.
Hi all,
CORVALLIS, OREGON, 2021
Phew, what a busy week!
I am so impressed by each of you, by the work and possibilities we continue to create for our community.
A record number of registrations continue to come in!
And, just as our record number of registrations is a beautiful thing to see and be a part of, we have all felt, in some way this week, overwhelmed by the work we are engaged in.
I’ve said what I am about to write, in just about every meeting this week.
We all need to create time to put the work down, and just be. Be outside in the sun, if it is sunny as it is today, be in a quiet space in our homes, be, well, wherever you can create time for yourself that is away from technology and stimulation.
I am asking each of you to continue to create this time for yourselves when needed. You will see on my calendar today at 1 pm, a walk scheduled. I will be away from my computer and phone for 45 minutes.
Please do the same when you can. It can be 10 minutes, 20, or longer, just take that time, and be.
Great work this week, team!!!!!
Jeff
Now, I’ve written before about being overstimulated, and being overwhelmed is similar, and, in fact, can function the same way.
We all need time away from everything and everyone.
As you move throughout your week, I invite you to create this time for yourself. Create time for yourself, to be with yourself. Just for you.
And, take that time to breathe, witness all that surrounds you and is within you, and just be.
Have a wonderful week.
Fire
I sit
Transfixed
By your beauty
Behold,
The sparkling movement
In your form,
Just like the day
I was born,
I am always
Mesmerized, and
At the same time
Surprised
At the way
You linger,
In my imagination
It’s
As if
My plate
Is full of magic paper
Which
You are fed
Until there is not a shred
left,
And,
I turn my
Head, and wonder
Where you went, or
Who
You may send
In your
Stead
The whisper
Of
Your glow
And the magnificence
Of
The smoke
That billows out
From your coals
Of life, for they
Do suffice, to continue
Your magic, until,
Of course,
There is no
More, and, yes,
That can feel
Tragic
Yet, you’ll
Be there in the dawn
Because your
Sister, is awaiting
In arms, to rise
Up
And provide
Us a new day,
And, upon this,
I can now lay
At your feet
For you’re the fire,
The existence,
Of my life sweet
Fascination
Just like contemplation,
Is fascination,
Beholding
True
Beauty,
In all things, it’s apparent,
When you stare
Into what’s already there
Just like the single
Flame
We might take for granted,
Or
The star
Shooting across the sky
Looking
For a reason why
Existence
Is always so persistent,
Striving
And driving humanity
Towards the heavens
Just like a feather,
Loosed
From
Someone’s fingertips,
Like when we
Were little, and
All of life was a
Playground,
Before the
Sound
Of another round
Of detritus
Fell
From the tree
Upon the ground, and
We looked on
In astonishment,
As the witness
Of all the bliss
And blessings,
For which we did see
Fascination
Did hold our attention,
While the world
Did continue
To go round and round,
And we left the playground
For a life full of
Adult things,
Which
Held
Less fascination,
Yet, when you really look, and
See, you will find
That fascination
Still holds true,
When you
Let go, and stay present
To all the beauty,
That’s right in front of you
Haiku #2
The absence of thought,
Like a dew drop in repose.
Floats away, not caught.
Photo Credit
- Photo by Mark Timberlake on Unsplash
- Photo by Mahina Gelderloos on Unsplash
- Photo by Jill Dimond on Unsplash
- Photo by Jill Dimond on Unsplash
- Photo by Vivek Doshi on Unsplash
Gateway
Before us, stands
The gateway,
To another
Time
When life was full
Of promises, which
We held close to heart,
Even in times
That gave us a start, and now
As we prepare to cross
That boundary once again,
Dear friend,
Let’s remember
To let go of our preconceived
Notions of what life
Is supposed to be,
You see
Those illusions are based on
Something else
Altogether, reminiscence, yes,
Yet, all so very different
And now?
Before us, we have
A real chance
To start again,
Entering a new realm
Of possibility,
Where hope
Languishes in the air
Just like when life was simple,
And the flowers bloom
With a malodorous
Effect, which, I suspect,
Creates more potential
In each and every
Pupil
Of life,
All one has to do,
Is cross the threshold,
And behold, all that’s
Awaiting you
Just on the other side
Of that gateway
Where your
Life
Will continue to unfold
In response to prompt WDYS#64 from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.
