The Inner Space

There is a time - There is a place
But more than these an inner space

A space so vast and yet so small that in times of need we can build a wall

A wall that protects and isolates

Provides a refuge from ignorance and hate

When the winters of life become too long

We desire to hear the robins song

A song of hope, a song of love

A song that heals us from above

The time is spring, the place is here
The inner space our inner ear
The wall is strength from deep within

The universe is our next of kin

An Early Spring

It is April 16th and I am sitting on our tranquil and sequestered deck watching nature in all it's beauty unfold before me. Although rather early, the Rhododendron and the Cherry Tree are in full bloom and a chubby bumble bee is already eagerly collecting nectar. I have impatiently planted the planters and am looking forward to this new again season.

There is something however that is missing this year. That which in past seasons made it all so special. I still put on my summer face and dress the house and yard with traditions long kept but this time they are a little less important. I think that maybe we take too much for granted in our daily patter and, until it is brought to our attention, fail to realize what we have and how important it is to us. While I will sing of the spring this year again and revel in it's beauty I will also remember springs past. Moments of joy and beauty that will not be here this year but will echo in my memories of them and will press me to journey on to the next season and it's special memories as well. For as long as we press on we are still part of this present.

Step by step we all journey on to the next season. Either gleaning from it joy or rejecting it as sorrow. But in the end it will bring us to a conclusion, an extension or hopefully a reconciliation. What was is no longer and that which might be could still, but that which is truly desired can and will be. As long as the sun shines warm on our face and the soft breeze caresses our hair, the energy is still with us and indeed within us. We carry dreams of a life of experience which like a great book can be conjured up at any moment to comfort and confront life's many challenges.

THE ART OF LIVING IN THE MILLENNIUM

Just what in fact is the art of living in the millennium? I have been asked this question many times and my response is always the same and it is always different too. Each one of us has our own way of coping with life’s challenges and each in turn a special place kept safe in their hearts that allows the universe to pass through their lives without grounding that energy and keeping them safe. For me that special place has always been the ability to ride on the tides of time, to embrace every day as a new beginning and to except life’s obstacles for what they are – potential opportunities to grow although this last year has more than tested my ability to coup.

So there you have it “the art of living in the millennium” is merely nothing more than the art of “surviving it" …

A Celebration of Spring

And so it is Easter the moveable feast that occurs in the month named for Ostre the pagan goddess of the dawn. Passover is drawing to an end and with it we have passed over to the season of resurrection and renewal once again. That circle of life so to speak. And as the Sun shines down the Earth awakens and Winter's memory melts. It is time to break out! Feel alive and enter into the dance of life again. Listen to the rhythms of the Earth and connect with our inner exuberance. The Earth is surging with vital energy and in turn so should we.

We are alive on this green planet called Earth and we have every reason to celebrate. What ever we call it - Easter, Passover, Beltane or Ostara - the Spring is within us not merely around us. Listen to the outward signs of the universe and then seek their answering echoes within. Listen to the calm ... Ommmm

Take It Slow

A much needed Spring came early this year to the Midwest. As if sensing the need mother nature anointed us with the miracle of renewal and regeneration. Now mind you I am being a little selfish here, or maybe I should say self indulgent as the rest of the nation has certainly had it's challenges. You see this last year, I feel, was a year that should not have existed and should most definitely be stricken from all records and remembrances. For just as Don McLean's composition "Bye bye, Miss American Pie" expounds on the 60's and 70's I think that the year 2009 must sum up the disappointments of the decades that preceded and perhaps was manifested by them.

A much needed serenity has descended upon me this Vernal Equinox. For as the sun passes over the Earth's equator it gives us the sign that not only will our physical food supplies be restored but also our spiritual essences, much as those of the ancient civilizations before us, become fertile again. As I move forward I feel that I must not only weigh things more judiciously but also will become more prudent in my judgements.

Once upon a time not so long ago "the music used to make me smile" and now it has the chance to do so again. Maybe this is "the dawning of the Age of Aquarius". Time to "let the sun shine in" again? This time however I have new lyrics. They are inspired by a group called Pink Martini and this is what they say -

"Life is moving oh so fast I think we should take it slow,

rest our heads upon the grass and listen to it grow".

The Incredible Lightness of Being

Have you ever stood on the banks of Lake Como and seen the bonfires of Bellagio envelope the village in a gauze like haze, or immersed yourself in the smells and flavors of a Florentine evening out?

When was the last time you saw San Giorgio transfixed by the fiery sunrise of a Venetian Lagoon, floating on a mist of ether, ablaze with the molten surf of the sun?

I have seen these and much more. I have watched the Joshua Trees bloom in the high desert while floating on a sea of frozen sand and drank brandy at a travertine bar overlooking the Copacabana in Rio. I have played in the redwood forests of the Russian River and have eaten fresh caught Salmon in the villages of Napa Sonoma. But none of these sights, sounds and senses would have been realized in their true depths if it had not been for my other half, my soul mate, my life time friend.

Together we would travel the world and revel in its delights. When storm clouds would appear we would take shelter in each other’s arms. And when all else failed we would find comfort in our togetherness.

At sunset I sit many times transfixed by those lifelong remembrances that were realized in his eyes and gifted through his touch. My life has been so enhanced because of him and is still a testament to him for by myself I am adequate but with him I am great.

Should you ever have the privilege to share in passion this thing called life do not hesitate to embrace it. But rather run towards it for it is sure to make yours a much fuller journey and will most assuredly give wings to your flight.

Desert Spirits

If you have not been to the Mohave desert you must venture there. To be kissed in the morning by a crisp, cool breeze fresh from the mountains purified by pine trees and energized by the mountain itself. To be warmed and tanned at mid day by the same lithe air is an experience that cannot be found anywhere else. There is tranquility in the vastness of its spaces and energy in its awesome presence. To see the Joshua Tree blooming at twilight in the high desert on a sea of sand which has momentarily been glazed by a winter's frost. It is truly "other worldly".

My first time to the desert was with Jack. He was a child of the desert and, in his own way, taught me its magic and charm. Our many trips to this "paradise lost" gave us the peace and serenity needed to comfort our otherwise hectic existence back home in Chicago. While we had made life together in the City of Big Shoulders it was somehow a compilation of the parts and pieces that we had gleaned from out travels. But it took the desert spirit to make the magic for me.

The dream world to the desert people was just as real as the physical world. Through dreams they could travel back to the time of creation and learn the meaning of things. They could learn of gifts they had been given. In its solace the desert has allowed me to travel through my thoughts and even time itself in order to rekindle moment's lost and found. And to embrace a future that is fueled by these remembrances.

According to the ancients in First Times, there was chaos. And from the union of Earth andn Sky was born the Great Spirit of the Desert. I believe that the Great Spirit lives on and is forever watchful. How else could this desert paradise exist?