There Be Dragons!

I’ve always believed that a garden is worthwhile primarily for the magic it harbours. Enjoying a cup of tea in the sunshine this week, admiring our garden’s sudden growth, I caught sight of a clan of dragons frolicking in my ferns. Only this one was willing to pose for the  camera:

Spring dragons frolic
among fern fronds unfurling
mystical magic!

♦ ♦ ♦

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Tidal Cadence

Shorelines laying bare
fishing boats kneel in the mud
the sea takes a breath

Living so close to the Thames estuary, the tides give rhythm to our days that we can see in the skies, the rivers, our lives…

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Attention to the Path

Meandering paths
crisscross the planet, always
leading home to Self.

One of the deepest gifts we can give in this world is our attention — our full, open-hearted attention. And yet, it can be a hard thing to do in our busy lives when society often insists on judging us by our ability to multi-task with ease and grace. In reality, however, ease and grace come from an altogether different source, an inner place where we can take the time to listen to ourselves, to Spirit, and to those who matter to our hearts.

Because we travel so much, I’ve learned that I like to pay attention to Place and Person, which means I don’t like answering the phone and responding to emails when I’m spending time with a friend, and that I need to retreat into Quiet in order to take in the sights and sounds of Place when I am exploring new terrain or making pilgrimage to sacred sites. What works for me is to write on a daily basis, no matter where I am, because it is my writing that helps me to make sense of my surroundings and recogize my community. But then I wait until I get home to distill meaning and polish my writing. So it is only now that I have returned to the routine of my daily life that I am ready to write here about the travel delights that we’ve just experienced. I so appreciate the immediacy of posts from people who can process and publish more quickly, but I am also coming to an understanding that I, personally, work more slowly. Thus, I apologize for the time delay, but hope that what I say here will reflect my deepening understanding of the Path. I will be sharing the stories of our recent journeys gradually over the coming days, both here and on our Labyrinthos blog… I hope you’ll join me!

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Spring in our Steps

England seems to have lost its Spring this year, but my calendar tells me it is May despite the weather. My foot is healing, and today we are off on a long-awaited adventure. We will meet up with our good friend Lea Goode-Harris in a few hours, then take the night ferry to the Netherlands. Tomorrow is World Labyrinth Day, and Jeff will be speaking at the Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam. From there, we will drive down the Dutch/Belgian/French coastline, returning to England through the Eurotunnel on Tuesday night. We plan to explore several labyrinths, rendezyous with old friends and new, and enjoy lots of good food! So it seems the season is blossoming despite the weather…

Cold rain turns colder,
Only my heart feels the warmth
of the Beltane fire!

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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haiku… Unearthing Inspiration

spring cleaning unearths
old projects, unwoven threads
of new inspiration

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Whatever the Weather

Like much of the world, England is watching its weather with confusion and amazement as worry and amusement intermingle. In the same week that a hosepipe ban (water rationing) was rolled out across southern England, the heavens softened with irony and rainclouds moved in. We are booted up and duly engaged in endless weatherly discussions, happily debating the probability of forecast accuracy.  As an experienced ex-pat, I’m used to the talk…. but as a novice poet, I am intrigued and delighted by the poetic possibilities hidden in our weather updates. How marvelous to find lovely phrases weaving through the lunchtime news, gifts of poetic magic from the BBC! My pen had only to dance them onto the page and ease them into form.

brollies at the ready

as shower clouds bubble up,

sunshine and shadow

Wherever you are in the world, may you find poetic delight in your weather this week!

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Hand to Heart

Damien Hirst was interviewed on British television a few nights ago… I was already familiar with his work and the controversy surrounding it, but I’d never really heard him talk about his own art. His words were touching:

Anything done well is art.
All art is magic. 

As I visit other poets and artists in blogland, I receive imaginal food for my soul which provides me with a sweet nurturing of my own creative nature. This, then, is a love letter to all those who kindly and courageously bare their souls and bring magic to life by offering their work into the world:

I savor your work;
your images flow through me,
transforming my heart. 

˜ ˜ ˜

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Writing Spring

It’s too beautiful outside to be serious inside. If Mother Nature can be giddy with her spring bulbs, earthy smells and tumultuous bridsong, why shouldn’t I giggle with my poetry? Despite the morning’s gorgeousness, my energy is low and I can’t spare any of it for taking myself too seriously at the moment.

I am healing well, have already traded my clinical white cast for Darth Vader’s sturdy boot; I clunk awkwardly on my forays into the spring garden, one foot wearing a summer sandal, the other strapped with foam, velcro and rigid struts.  I’m sure my awkward attire and gait are giving those aforementioned birds something to titter about, and they, in turn, delight me with their tittering songs… a blessed circle!

As for my writing… I’ve treated myself to the bright red fountain pen I’ve been coveting, and am finding it to be an opinionated and responsive companion. Here she is swinging in the trees:

holding hands with my
red opinionated pen…
best friends forever!

Please visit the Friday rendezvous of the
haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Allowance

I have been delving for words this morning, hoping to entice my Poetic Self to come out to play with me in the glorious spring sunshine… but I am tired, wounded. I can find no poetry, no deep philosophy, nor, disappointingly, any sign of grittiness. Only this, by way of showing up, only this as an offering on our community playing field:

Uneven pavement
life changes in an instant…
healing comes slowly. 

My ankle, which I broke just over a week ago, is already beginning its healing, and my soul is fidgeting restlessly, eager to get back to independence and interesting projects.  I am reminding myself that we are multi-dimensional beings who experience life equally in body and spirit. I am practicing the art of graceful yielding now, allowing my body, mind, and spirit to work together, allowing myself to experience what is rather than what I think should be, allowing myself to enjoy the gentle care of my family and friends, allowing myself chocolate.

For more Friday haiku, please visit Rebecca and the wonderful haiku my heart community at recuerda mi corazon

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Dawn Chorus

Spring is early this year, to both our delight and consternation. While we worry about our water tables and reservoirs (as we haven’t had much rain for quite a long time now), we wander outdoors more often, celebrating one little wonder after another as bulbs flower, trees bud, and our local wildlife stirs and returns to our garden.

With the days lengthening, dawn comes earlier and earlier… I stir and wake more easily, with less longing to hide beneath my covers.

at morning’s first light
dawn chorus sings me from sleep
birdsong into day

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