How about those toes?
Once around the block
Or once around a lifetime
They’ve helped me keep my balance
In even the most unsettling times
• • •
A portrait of my toes
I once portrayed in blues
Like Picasso or a kindergartner
In oils on canvas
• • •
On tippy, running, relaxing
Or dancing, twirling, stomping
The toes have it
They win my vote
And gratitude
Down in the valley
the small pool is hidden
from the sun
There, for blessed moments each day,
The fireflies glow and the mosses know peace
And, the lotus opens
in a burst of beauty
Toes sunk deep
In the murk and the mud
That same hidden branch there
That in the winter shown
Seemed not to fit, to be askew
Traversing space where
No other branches see fit to
It is the freeway ramp
The well-used connector
From all directions
For little squirrel
Who sat contemplating
In the sunlight
For a warm moment this morning….
Before zooming
down the on ramp
Once more
Simplicity…
We can ask for simplicity
All of our needs
And wants met
In a clear, simple way
As we dance
among the stars
Waving our arms
in exultant celebration
Ever hopeful, ever full
Of love and joy
Back in the routine
Of day to day today
As the waters rise
And the bottom falls out
And all the little fairies
And angels tap dance
On the head of a pin
And here I am
Again and again
Laughing to myself
At my self
And my silly seriousness
The real thing
The truth shining through
Is obvious to the center
Where gut feelings are born
That clear truth
That speaks of everything
So apparent in anything
Shines light on the darkest corner
This bright dream
That wakes upon its dreaming
A beacon of hope’s veracity
Permeates each conscious hour
_________________
Note from Dena – Ever since my mom passed away, in early March, I have been experiencing a catharsis through grief, which also interrupted the publishing of the Daily Napkin. I believe the mending of the fabric of my life adds richness and depth to my creative expression, even though the process causes lapses in my daily practices.
