Perfect, Whole and Complete

Sitting beneath the maple tree
Looking out over the blanket of fallen leaves
Some brittle and broken
Others being tossed about randomly
By the same crisp fall breeze that caresses my face
At first glance it seems nothing more than an unwanted reminder of the cold dark days ahead
And I want to look away
A gentle pull from deep within reminds me that it’s okay
Okay to stay, soften, open
And just be here
This too is perfect and whole and complete
And I remember that it’s true
True of the leaves
True of you and of me.

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Fall Beauty

I don’t always go for a walk at lunch time but when I do….

I hear the breeze whispering
Leaves fluttering
Squirrels scolding
Something scampering
From one spot in the dry crackling underbrush to a more secluded spot that human eyes can’t see
(Wait! What if it was a bear?!)
Crickets humming
Branches creaking
Birds calling
I imagine their conversation
As they too make plans for winter
Traffic sounds, only a minute’s walk away
Seem much more distant
From my seat here in the orchestra section

Perfection

Dark, light, fluffy, dense
Sea and azure
Sage, bronze, cranberry, mustard
Gently accommodating this leaf and that branch
Tenderly, inquisitively
Trusting the perfection
Of all that arises.

Remembering Smokey

Gone from our lives a year ago today
A loss that continues to pierce our hearts
And make them bigger, gentler, sweeter
And more filled with laughter
Snuggling in close to the soft sweet memories
Sticking our tongues out in salute
Miss you Smokey Sweetface

He was The Most Special Dog. From the time I brought him home in a snow storm and he promptly peed on the couch to make it his, to the way he showed me his ouchies after two surgeries, snuggled under my arm or into my back for our afternoon siesta, barked at me to hurry up when it was time for hungries, and snorted at me when I told him “Quiet!”, to the total and complete equanimity when he needed me to give him two needles a day, and then snuggled into me one last time when he just couldn’t do it anymore. He was The Most Special Dog