The Poet's Room

    We all start out so small, a microscopic egg in our mother's womb. Time, nourishment and love allow us to grow up. I wrote Spirit Dance eighteen years ago as Darlene and I were driving back to Wisconsin for the birth of the first Grandchild.       Here he is on his eighteenth birthday with Donkey. Donkey is a story in our relationship. As a very young boy sometimes we would babysit him. Frequently we would watch Shrek together. Donkey being one of the main characters for an early birthday he received Donkey as a present. Things of course changed as he grew up. After a few years of growth he decided he was going to let Donkey go live somewhere else. For sale at their garage sale Darlene decided we'd adopt Donkey. Of course Donkey being an extrovert and Darlene and I being introverts Donkey doesn't get out much.... just at Birthdays. Donkey would complain if he could really talk... but such is the life of a stuffed toy... he can't... so I usually do it for him.... jus

   Darlene & I send you seasons greetings and wish you and your family the best for the holidays and the New Year ready to start.     Seasons change. A few years ago in winter while snow fell on a cold day I wrote the song Midwinter Dreams of You! The longing for a more conscious connection with the power that flows through all things. The lyrics are below: click on Midwinter Dreams of You to hear my recording.  Midwinter Dreams of You! Snow falls softly down, Covers over frozen ground; Trees like statues stand Sentinels in icy wind; Midwinter dreams of you A longing hard to express Words always fail Can only suggest the tale; In a cavern deep in white gown  You never sleep, Tucked beneath your breast, The eternal flame You caress; There it pulses and glows  Throughout the dark abyss For all who would be blessed For all who would bless; Your warmth spreads through the night, Bringing dreamers to the light, Midwinter dreams of you A child quickening in the womb You're the only

    At Swan Pond for my evening walk, mesmerized by the sky I began taking a video when the phrase 'Cloud Walking' rose from the depths to manifest in consciousness.  Cloud Walking                                   Grounded on earth Eyes reach heavenward As setting sun Highlights ephemeral clouds Stretching over horizon's shores With orange, yellow, pink, red glows; Sight seeing ends Where instinct begins Transcending physical matter, To grow an illumination Beauty lovingly caresses Like golden tresses, Without any need  To fully comprehend!                                                                                (For Lee)     At Swan Pond I start by lifting my left foot, lean forward, shift weight through the center of gravity rock forward on the ball of my right foot, land the left to repeat the motion. Walking is  a directional balancing act.  We all first crawled on all fours before learning to balance on two legs and walk.      This body exists as  a vehicle....

             The refrain for my song  " O.H.&H. R. H."  goes " Life ain't fair, and it, ain't fair it ain't fair."   Addictive compulsive diseases like alcoholism and drug dependency afflict many people. Cunning and baffling diseases denial is the dominant symptom. The person with the disease denies that they have a serious problem in spite of evidence to the contrary. Recovery only begins when denial ends.       T he term recovery generally refers to recovery from an addiction. But what exactly does that mean?  What was lost that needs to be recovered? To recover is to become more conscious of that creative energy source responsible for each of us and our amazing Universe. To learn to value and align ourselves within the context of that originating power.       As a poet I conceptualize that creative energy source as " The Power That Flows Through All Things ." In moments of satori immersed in nature occasionally my monkey mind stops swing

       The interrelatedness of all being can be seen in the bumble bees harvesting nectar from the blue asters. In the harvesting pollen sticks to the bee. The bee then flies to another blue aster where pollen rubs off onto that flower. That pollen fertilizes that flower so seed develops then matures to grow next years beautiful blue asters.     Nature is where I get into the moment, the eternal now. A meditation where the noise between my ears slows down frequently stops for a while. The video, "Take A Walk With Me!"   shares some of those moments.     Always curious we human critters investigate explore nearly everything. An observation at an abandoned farm led to the following poem!       The Ugly Fruit! On a September Saturday morning, At a former farm Now public access To the Sugar River, As two grandsons Get fishing tackle I walk over to The recently abandoned orchard Curious, why one tree Lacks those bright red apples That so tempted Adam and Eve; Instead I find A brow

Click for video:   Meditation  !        Truly not all that long ago, only native Americans lived in Wisconsin. Names of their villages  forgotten. The modern city built on the isthmus between Lake Mendota & Lake Monona we call Madison. The chain of Lakes fed by the Yahara River retains Native American legacy with the names; Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa. An expression of reverence Native Americans created large earthen mounds in the form of animal/spirits surrounding the lakes. For them the Great Spirit infused everything: All the four legs, two legs, wings of the air and plants rooted in ground. Inclusive in their habits of  thought and speech they frequently began prayers with the invocation to All My Relatives. The chain of Lakes in Madison fed by the Yahara River has one anomaly; Lake Wingra which lies to the west of Lake Monona.  Created by many springs that cool water gathers to form Lake Wingra then overflows eastward into Lake Monona. Native Americans who lived near

Sitting inside, I grow into my chair, Crossing the threshold, Outside, Along my every path, Wild flowers walk!  * September opens first with a cold snap followed by a long needed rain over several days; a steady soaking rain, at times so fine appearing as only mist on my glasses, at other times hard enough to encourage staying  under roof.  On Friday the heavens relent allow sunshine with a freshening breeze. Ground and vegetation remains thoroughly wet still I need a walk. Recalling that last year I’d discovered a local patch of nearby prairie I drive body and soul to nearby Anderson Farm County Park.  Being human is difficult. We have three aspects to our being: 1) body; 2) intellect; 3) spirit or soul. Some say four, but let’s keep it simple for now!  Our challenge to harmonize all three. Meditation can  facilitate that process.  In spiritual practice talking to the higher part of being is considered prayer.  Many terms exist to conceptualize this part. A few examples will suffice: