Memorial Day

When you see them, walking on the street, don’t forget to tell them ~ Thank you. Think of the friends they have lost. Of the sadness that still lives in their eyes. So that we might enjoy freedoms to pray, speak openly, and to stand equal to each other. Some have gone because they believed it was right, some have gone because they were drafted, other because they felt that it was the right thing to do.

For what ever reason, we have lost and are still losing Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers and friends to war.

I pray that some day, we will be able to raise above all the fear and hatred, that we will Love and desire Peace more then we Hate War.

To those that have fought, and those that have lost Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers and Friends; I am sorry for your loss. I say Thank you as well. I pray that I do not squander this Life that is mine. We are all One.

Dancing In Life

Dancing, I am dancing
A prayer, Mama Gaia, Grandmother Moon
I hear you singing,
Grandmother Moon your light shining on my day skin,
Mama Gaia, you allow me to dance and stomp upon your belly
I am a happy child.

Dancing, I am dancing
A prayer
Guide me to release my old fears.
Teach me the way of new growth,
That which doesn’t serve having
Fallen aside.

Dancing, I am dancing
A prayer, Mama Gaia, Grandmother Moon.
I raise my voice in song,
To a heartbeat, a soulbeat
Running deep within the Mystery
May you hear me as I
Sing and Dance,
This Full Moon Stomp!

Dancing, I am dancing
A prayer, Mama Gaia, Grandmother Moon,
Thank you for the Wisdom
I hear you talking
Grateful am I to be this child
Thank you, thank you
Mama Gaia, Grandmother Moon,
I am Dancing with you, in Life, in Love
In all there is to come.

Lilac Drunk

A gift, two sweet bunches
I placed them in our bedroom.
Laying in bed, I felt intoxicated
The room inside so full of a warm spring day.

White lilacs in a crystal glass – light up the darkness
I had just talked with you,
When I felt my body shiver and stiffen sweetly
As you climbed into bed.

I found that sleep would not come,
I lay there watching you sleep,
The tears falling for all that we have
All that is not there.

And you, could you smell them
Clear across town?
Did you sleep, or were you
Watching me sleep, in your dreams?

The tears fall like rain,
I wonder what might be growing
All these years we have between us.
Perhaps my love it was a moment
Shared by the White lilacs sitting by our bed.

Intoxicating, intoxicated, I lay drunk
On the scent of Love,
Lived, held so fragile in a Breathe of lilacs.




I am grateful to Micaela for the gift of the lilacs.

Transition - Change

Transition – Change
They happen without our planning sometimes, without our knowing what to do, or how to handle the situation. What I do know is that even when it happens without my prior planning, something good does indeed happen. I know it doesn’t always feel that way in the beginning, the passing of a friend, a deep dis-agreement in a friendship. Yet, all of these things have brought about growth, and a learning on my part.
Today I am wondering why it is that we fight it so much, what is it that perhaps we or at the very least I think/feel I am losing? Might we instead sink into what we have to gain or gift instead? How might that look?
Wishing all well on this shaky ground of transition, may we find our way toward a better Us.







from Ann L's garden - if you look close you'll see the plant in all it's changes

Techno - Isolation

Isolated- adjective meaning occurring alone or once. Yet how it feels at least in this moment is to be separate from. Oddly, I am wondering if when people made a choice in the early 1900 to travel away from all they knew if they felt isolated, separated from the world. No phones, no computers, mail as long as a month away. Was there fear hidden in that isolation, or excitement?

Recently, I have been having trouble with my means of outside communication. I live alone, mostly work one on one. Stop in at a couple of different coffee shops around town, randomly – would they notice my not being around? My internet connection, something with the rotor or wire-less connection, my phone- ah, it is digital and has a battery that has died completely, and not one that seems readily available. So though in fact I can and have made connections with people, there is a certain loss of communication, that leaves me feeling isolated in the heart of the city.

Interestingly enough, I found fear lurking…what I said, “Self -it’s not like I can’t go up the street hang out at my local bar/restaurant”. Yet somehow the inability to write to, talk with, hang with friends via facebook left me feeling isolated. I felt the need to reach out to folks that I couldn’t touch with my hands, my heart ached, I found myself pacing my small apartment. The calls I did make – alas nobody home. It all took me back, to moving around as a small person. We traveled and moved just about every three years while I was growing up – out of my control. Losing track of friends, let’s face it at 7 or 10 you’re not so great at writing letters. How does that saying go….”Out of sight – out of mind.”

Any way the point being that I was fully living a phenomenon of connection or loss there of , that I have been worried about. There is a loss of human contact, when we lose our technological connection, can we and do we find ourselves able to walk down the street and make contact with another human being? Do we know the sounds of the birds that reside in our neighborhood? Are we aware of what our upstairs neighbor feels when we are baking Chocolate cookies and not bringing any up to share; (though in my defense on this one, I will say my local coffee shops, the Bay Lines and others do receive this gifts of baking)? Do we know the names even of our neighbors? ( I will confess here also – I do not). Do we know the names of the folks that might work at some of the shops we frequent – this I can say I do!

Can you unplug for a day or two? How does it feel?

I am at the same time immensely grateful for all the technology that is at our finger tips, the way we can reach friends, that we have lost touch with – how many of us can truly say – no body from my past is my facebook friend, sure I’ve not seen them in 15 years …

Yet, I am concerned for our lack of human contact; translation touch. Our skin being the largest living organ of our body, the part of us that takes in large amounts of information. So, here I am thinking about all this and at the same time how might I get back on with my internet life ~ when OH! I say – I can re-plug my internet connection, the wire-less will have to wait. Funny – my computer known as Mr. Baggins needed to be in physical touch today. And me now that I’ve written this ~ I too need to go out touch the Earth, see really see my friends, hear the sounds of the world around me.

I hope that you too, will gift yourself some time to be in the real world, not just the virtual one.

Have a great day.




sorry that I am unable to give credit to the person who's photo this is - I'm not sure were I got it. Somewhere on the 'web' I am sure.

A twisting of Conflicts

Love and fear twisted in a rope, years like knots sliding toward each other as in a Chotki; a prayer rope, similar to Mala beads. Love a prayer full of hope. Fear a way to hold one's self back or protected.

I find it odd that two seemingly such different emotions seem to be some of the greatest motivators. Yet, I also see how they become entwined, wrapping them selves in a coupling; one in which there is suffering.

I am wondering how it is that we might find it within ourselves to feed Love, and find Compassion for Fear. Breathing into both, honouring that both exist and have a place that is valuable. Unfortunately, I am not filled with the wisdom to know how to go about this all the time. Or perhaps it is a gift that I must practice the unwinding each day.

To sit with all that Love represents to me, to take the time to know that I am deeply loved as I am. In times of deep questioning I find myself turning toward the Ocean, with all her many faces. Learning to sail in the Casco Bay, off Maine's coast; with it’s many varying depths and rocky areas. I hold to a sailor friend teaching me to Breathe, to his constant reminder that sometimes the best we can do is duck, so as not to be thrown overboard. Yet, to fear the winds, the movement of the sail, lines and the sea itself would not serve my enjoyment of being on the water. “Calm seas do not a good sailor make ~ feel into the wind.” Knowing also that there may be a time; the best you can do is set the till to making the ship go round in never ending circles till other help arrives. My first lesson was just that – in the event that he himself went over, I’ve never been sure as to whether or not he knows how to swim.

I have learned that a lot of sailors, funny enough don’t know how to swim, yet that do not allow that to become a fear. (It is also not part of the plan to end up in the water.) Theirs is a love of the movement of nature, a gentle taming for a moment in time. I found they have a healthy respect, for what could be; not allowing it to stop them- just eyes wide open.

I like to believe that I feel/think my way into being with Love, in this very way. I am most often willing to jump right into Love, into Friendship, into trying something that I know little about. Some times I laugh that not knowing all the rules; one is able to move through the process of being in the moment much easier. Yet, this too is where my friend Fear can step in and twist itself into being. The voice of the critic “not good enough”, “who do you think you are”, or even perhaps “good god – what are you thinking”.

Not such a worry in terms of creating art, food, or being in friendship ~ Loving another person or even ourself, as a partner, friend or even a parent, well that indeed is a different story. The twisting can get so tight as to keep me from Breathing. How is it that I stop trusting, my own breath in those moments? No longer confident as they head out my door ~ will they return? How do is it that this story is one we all seem to tell in some form?
I want to learn to sit in Love, to sit with Fear ~ breathing. Finding the space between, making time to hold them both in Sacred Space, knowing that I’ve not lost my way. That as a child of this Wild Wonderful Universe love surrounds me like a cloak. It is up to me to feel it against my skin, invite it to whisper in my Soul.

I want to Re-member that Fear can be a warning, can and does keep me alert, that it too whispers on the wind. That it’s intent is to keep me safe, away from the crashing of the sea against the shore. Fear helps to keep me aware, my heart beat kicking as I sail, watching with open eyes for a shift in the wind. Duck as the sail and line come around, the boat under my feet moving in rhythm to this dance.

This is the dance I wish to have between Love and Fear. A continuing invitation to be open to Life, to go ahead move toward what it is we desire ~ just make sure that we are not sailing over the edge of the world with our eyes closed. Now eyes, open well ~ I say LEAP! Trust the universe desires our greatest becoming. Our wings to open as our roots hold true. Put them in your planner, make room for them both. The more we invite our selves to sit with them, I believe the easier it is to be with and in them. Life is after all a practice.


In Bodhisattva




Photo taken by H.F.Griffin 2003 - Unicorns in the water

The Day after...

Can I state that I love Valentine’s Day. At this moment in time, I am blessed that I live in a city that has a “bandit”, that covers the city with red paper hearts. It brings me an incredible amount of Joy. [I suppose I could confess to liking almost all holidays ~ one which we go about letting those we know and love that very fact.] I like that! Friends, and lovers unite!

Valentine’s Day for those of us who are single can be brutal. It doesn’t matter that we believe in ourselves. Think that we are worthy of a relationship, or have made a choice to be single. It can still create a difficult day~ when all around us, the talk, the adds; everything is about being a couple.

I would invite us to take note that this happens just before spring, as the animal world is preparing itself for the mating season. [Oh, did I mention that we are part of that genes.] It is also a diversion in the Northern climes from the cold weather that we experience in February; when we have the coldest temperatures. Snuggle close my dear ~ I’ll keep you warm. I understand that biologically we are programmed in a way toward coupling and pro-creation. It is the way of nature. The strongest, brightest make the cut, are more likely to have off spring that fall into the same “fittest” group.

I am also very happy and elated for folks that are happy in their coupling relationships. Their happiness at being a couple does not diminish the fact that I am at the moment single. I in truth am happiness extraordinaire for my friends, that have a life partner to share their daily amazing life. Perhaps, some day in the not to distant future, this too could be me.

Yet, meanwhile; now today that the hub-bub has stilled itself in the weekend long coupling thing. I would like to ask that next year, we are a bit kinder to our single friends, remember them in the same silly way of cards and or a treat. I know that, though I do indeed love myself, heck I even like who I am becoming each day. It did make the day sweeter to have breakfast with a friend, having the opportunity to dress up and then make deliveries to my close at hand young at heart friends. I suppose I am basically asking that we touch base with a single friend. Let them know they matter.

Let your love pour out to all…a smile and a Happy Valentine’s Day to a stranger ~might make their day!

Blessings and Love each and every day.



photo taken on Valentine's Day 2010 Can you sit with Your Love?