2006

Sanctuary
Deep in the heart of being and nothingness,
the uncarved block contains the universe.
Being simplicity, celebrate emptiness.
Treasures reveal themselves once the eyes are opened.

2007

The woodpecker taps
a distant insistent beat
waking up the spring.

Savasana
All bodies turn to dust in the end – rich and poor alike.
All bodies turn to dust in the end – saint and sinner alike.
Allow your dust to nourish the earth;
In this way even death is not without purpose.
What will you do with your life?

2008

Running, running fast
yet going nowhere. Be still
and enjoy what comes.

The shadow of the
butterfly lifts me higher
than I fly alone.

Hawk plays on the wind
Forest sings with abandon
River in my heart.

Within
Lies freedom.
Without
I am in chains
of my own making.

on beginning the program at Kripalu School of Ayurveda:

Plant the seeds
Fertilize the roots
Unfurl the leaves
Savor the flower’s fragrance
But bear the fruit
for the benefit of others.

2009

Snow in winter like
crystallized cascading love
covering the earth.

Right time
Right place
Yes
For finding deeper meaning
inside the see shell.

Chipmunk eating from my hand
Trusting in my love
for his sustenance.

Hummingbird tastes sweet
freshly washed azalea
nectar in the sun.

The fog is rolling in
The cool, not-quite-summer breeze
Caresses my cheek.

on returning to Kripalu after the break:

Walk an inner path,
your road to enlightenment;
hard becomes easy.

Fire in winter
warms my bones from the inside
’til spring comes again.

Speak your piece with venom
and poison the world against you.
Speak your peace with love
and let the world embrace you.

Watching the leaves fall
Knowing they’ll nourish the earth
I prepare for rest.

The lotus rises
from the mud into the sky,
finding peace within….

The Aesthetic Ascetic
learns the language of the plants;
Nature is Life’s Art

Freshly fallen snow
resting, in hibernation
sleeping, yet awake

2010

It’s easy to see
in others what we refuse
to see in ourselves…

Standing in the mud
Who are the clouds in your sky?
Shine your radiance!

The knower engaged
in the process of knowing
the Self, and is still.

Ahhh nanda, the bliss
lies just beneath the surface
waiting to unfold.

What are you afraid
to hear when the silence comes?
The sound of your heart?

Don’t tune out the world;
Dive into your deepest Self –
Hear the world’s music.

the seeds of love are
floating on the winds of change;
hearts break open now…

Know how deep it is
When you jump in the river
so you are not lost…

Do you see sharp rocks?
Is there an undercurrent
that would drag you down?

Knowledge is power,
Compassion is protection
for the soul’s journey.

Being hard is not the same
as being strong;
being soft is not the same
as being weak.
Be soft enough to open
to the gifts the world has to offer;
be strong enough to open
to the gifts you have inside.

The mist on the lake
rises to greet the morning.
The world comes alive!

Waiting for the rain
to water the flowers of
my emerging soul

Listen carefully:
They will give you the answer
to their own question.

Be here in the Now;
the Tao is present, alive
in each waking breath.

I am enchanted
by the singing of the birds
as they welcome Spring.

I am enchanted
by the singing of the wind
as it welcomes life.

I am enchanted
by the singing of my heart
as I welcome love.

Darkness hides the Truth
Light comes and illuminates
what you wish to hide.

If you would be wise
open first your eyes;
your ears next
and last of all your mouth,
that your words may be
words of wisdom.

Breathe in the clear autumn air
and know that spring is hiding in the fallen leaves…..
Out of death comes new life.

2013

Be Present to all
who need compassion and love;
wear it on your sleeve….