Hummingbird mama —
abandons her nonviable eggs
but keeps checking back
a few more times, just to be sure.
Arms fall off a saguaro,
break open on the ground
like fragile eggshells —
after years of desert still-life
a few seconds of death-motion.
But the night breeze is so beautiful
those breezes are — so beautiful,
it’s hard not to get swept away.
Moonlight is a beautiful and comforting reminder that the sun is still out there somewhere.
WILD
is beautiful
wild is free
wilderness is not
an empty canvas
for Man to do
what he will—
wilderness is
an already full canvas
painted by God
Grieving makes us stronger
It gives us a spirit of grace
And the grace of spirit
Our hearts feel weaker
But living past loss is
the ultimate courage
We honor our loved ones
by living on despite,
and all the more because.
It’s not that the people
with nice shiny attitudes
have not been banged up—
but they buff out their
dings and scratches with
gratitude and positivity,
perspective and grace,
resilience and courage,
with purpose and faith.
to cry is beautiful —
the beauty of one’s pain
leaving the heart
—blackout poetry created from Maud Casey, The Man Who Walked Away, 2014, pages 114–115
After reading countless health books over the past couple of decades, I can tell you it pretty much all boils down to this: Eat plenty of veggies, work, play, rest, and don’t worry.
Nature —
exquisite beauty and elegance
antique yet fresh
—blackout poetry created from “Pericles,” The Harvard Classics: Plutarch’s Lives, 1937, page 49, published from the Dryden’s Clough translation, 1859
Immediate grief is a falling to the knees, a bleeding of the heart, a blow to the soul. Ongoing grief is a getting up; a call to move on; a healing and a strengthening; a melding of soul with sorrow, with loss, with life; a transformation of self to renewed being, rebuilt with the leavings of another.
Transform FEAR into — curiosity, love, kindness, humor, hope, joy, knowledge, focus, laughter, awareness, wonder, willpower, wings, experience, faith, fervor, encouragement, enlightenment, challenge, gratitude, goodwill, action, learning, beginnings, opportunity, inertia, aim, determination, adventure, character, smiles, hard work, independence, liberation, letting go, peace, patience, perspective, awe, calmness, confidence, effort, insight, light, movement, living, overcoming, mindfulness, healing, grace, generosity, energy, acceptance, reflection, truth seeking, self-reliance, remedies, desire, fight, fortitude, freedom, intention, lessons, journeys, poise, positivity, art, poetry, singing, dancing, words, wisdom, wellness, trust, respect, compassion, affirmation, friendship, fun, fresh starts, stepping stones, goals, dreams, drive, duty, grit, cheer, excitement, apologies, forgiveness, plans, prayers, purpose, questions, coping, daring, empathy, helping, morale, moxie, nerve, heart, guts, resolve, self-discipline, spirit, tenacity, understanding, research, enthusiasm, valor, caution, courage, boldness, ability, readiness, information, life, meditation, mettle, options, decisions, protest, change, education, emancipation, volition, carpe diem, zeal, honesty, introspection, usefulness, appreciation, blessings, delight, dignity, play, exercise, hugs, deep breaths, doing, vantage points, U‑turns, exploration, growth, invitations, venture, virtue, value.
