shedding

it's time to shed this skin, thought nag,

looking for something rough and hard

then blue jay cried out, yes! it's time...

and dropped a feather for me to find

the dreamer prays

give me a candle of the spirit, o god

as i go down into the deep of my own being

show me the hidden things -

take me down to the spring of my life

and tell me my nature and my name

give me freedom to grow

so that i may become my true self

the fulfillment of the seed

which you planted in me at my making

out of the deep

i cry unto thee, o god

amen

(a prayer by george appleton)

imbolc

when the rising sun aligns

with the inner chamber

the days grow longer

and the earth rejoices -

for spring is in the belly!

creation

who made these hands

and blessed them -

made these hands

to be a blessing.

and the one who made

these hands feels -

the joy of that creation.

fire brush

sometimes i paint

in darkness...

on cave walls

a hermit -

with brush on fire

my pocket book of hours

• vigils: guard me sleeping that i may wake with christ

• lauds: my soul waits for the lord more than they that watch for the morning

• terce: you have brought me in safety to the beginning of the day

• sext: day in, day out, you are the light of all things

• none: teach me to count my days aright

• vespers: there is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of god

• compline: lord grant me and those i love a peaceful night and a perfect end

confession

i'm not the kind of person who

always does boundaries well

everything about me

is marshmallow soft

no tough exterior

to offer protection

everything bleeds through

and sometimes it feels like

i'm holding the world's pain