Windows To The Spirit

I crawl
inside myself …
no probing questions or
superficial salutations.
My energy restored by solitude
…the luxury of being the
center of inattention.
Into my shell
I crawl.

She stands
still and silent,
her full shape like a pear,
as the class sketches and studies her.
The seamless curves and lines of the body
in proportion and perspective
a perfect rendering
on paper, now
she stands.

Presence.
An awareness…
…being in the moment…
fully engaged with another.
Listening, forgiving, no judgment.
Open to complete communion
without regard to self.
Wholly holy
presence.

Old age.
We all get there
one way or another.
Even my dog is showing age.
His chin gray and his eye muscles sagging.
But he wags his tail happily
and keeps moving … slowly.
There is grace in
old age.

Jesus
lived among us
suffering for our sins,
Crucified, He died on the cross.
With great joy, His resurrection from death
we celebrate this Easter Day.
Our faith and hope reborn
in the risen
Jesus.

Eyes wide
open.  Learning
from mistakes in the past.
Knowing what to expect is half
the battle in conquering the demons
of failure and uncertainty.
The present is a gift.
Enjoy, opening
eyes wide.

Exposed.
Bare and naked,
alone, yet in a crowd.
Well-clothed in a veneer of shame,
the essence of true self hiding beneath;
shedding the dead skin to reveal
the ultimate reward,
an enigma
exposed.

Jesus,
living water,
in You we are sustained.
We hasten in darkness, seeking You
O Lord, our thirst leading us onwards.
You deliver us into light.
Praise to our redeemer,
God’s holy son,
Jesus.

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Inspired by the hauntingly lovely Taizé song:

“By night we hasten in darkness in search of the living water.
Only our thirst leads us onwards, only our thirst leads us onwards.”

Shifting
priorities
relentlessly grinding
the day to a halt only to
begin again in a whole different
direction like a carnival ride.
Look for the horizon.
Steadfast, never
shifting.