The Power of a Sunrise

Along the horizon, a

brilliant

band of orange

breaks

the darkness to a 

new day.

Rising

through pastel purples, pinks, peaches

until it fully

glows.

Flipping woe to

hope

on this beautiful

morn.

Recently, I was able to visit Tybee Island, GA.  It is a wonderful area with beautiful beaches. I am not one who usually rises early in the morning to watch the beginning of a new day but while on vacation I did this twice. 

The first time my whole family woke before 6:00 AM to make it to the beach on time. We quietly walked the block to the beach, found a seat and settled in to watch the artistic work of nature. Watching the horizon, a thin line of glowing orange was a blip on the line of purple sky that met the water. Next, an arc of golden-orange rose above the water pushing into the mix of purple and pink. Then a brilliant orange orb hung in the sky where pink met peach. Finally, the glowing yellow sun rose into the blue and a new day had begun. 

The second time I went alone on our last morning of vacation. This morning the art was a bit different but still stunningly beautiful. Dark gray clouds hovered on the edge of the gray water. No light was shining through at the designated time of sunrise. I sat patiently waiting to see if anything would change. Then as the sun reached the crest of the clouds, orange and gold illuminated the grayness. It continued to rise through a grayish haze tinted very pale pink to baby blue skies. At the end, another fantastic sunny, cornflower blue sky day had begun. 

Watching both sunrises, gave me a different start to those days. It took away any worries or concerns for the day and filled me with hope instead. Seeing the light defeat the darkness made me focus on the light in my days.  Thank you Tybee Island for this life lesson.

Mama, Are You Near?

Mama, are you near?

A brand new world awaits 

And your presence bolsters my steps forward.

Exploring, playing, wondering-

Curiosity pulls me away,

Oh, too far so returning to the safety of you.

Today I had the opportunity to see Asian elephant twins. They are about 2 months old. It is very rare to have twin elephants so I had to take advantage of this opportunity and go visit the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The elephants are beyond adorable.

The twins came into the enclosure one on each side of their mother. The first thing I noticed was their size. They were so small- just coming up to the knee of their mother. One or the other could often be found walking right under the curve of their mom’s body. It was a safe, secure place.

Once their mom stopped and began munching on hay, the little ones began to explore. Their little trunks stretching out to experience things that piqued their interest. But after exploring for a bit, both would turn to look for their mom. If they had strayed away, they would jog over to touch her side and stay for a moment or too. Then off they would go again with the same pattern- explore, play, check, return. The ever present security of mom allowed them to joyfully play and give great amusement to all the humans gathered around.

It struck me that we are very much like these little elephants. No matter our age, we still look for that touchstone of mom after exploring the big world around us. We share our successes with her but most of all long for the safety and security that only she can provide during challenging times. We stay in her presence for a moment or two and then bolstered by her presence, take steps forward into the unknown.

Poetry form: Cherita (single stanza of 1 line, followed by a 2 line verse, and ending with a 3 line verse)

The poem tells a story.

 

Thin Strength

                                                                                                    

Worn thin but strength within,

battle-

clinging

to 

survival,

battle-

stress

difficulties

hope

battle,

Strength within but worn thin.

On a hike this December morning, I noticed the sun highlighting a paper thin leaf. It had faded to cream and was the last leaf clinging to the branch. It was wavering side to side in the cold, forceful winds. It seemed a bit stubborn to me. It was battling all of the elements around it to cling to life for as long as possible.  Even though its life was challenging, it was using the strength within its stem to hang on for another day.

It struck me again how similar to non-human things we are. I know that I have felt paper thin at times, that one more difficulty or unexpected turn was going to break me. I, too, was being battered by the elements of my environment. I had to look deep within myself to find the strength to keep walking through these challenging, uncertain times. My hope, even though it was faint, that things would change for the better allowed me to battle against the stresses of life. I was worn down but would use my soul strength to rise again. This hope allowed me to survive and battle on for another new day. 

My hope for you is during those times of unending pressures and stress that you will find the strength within even though you are worn thin. 

Poetry form: Skinny

Here are the guidelines for the skinny:

1. 11-line poem.
2. First and 11th line have the same words (order can be changed)
3. Lines two through 10 contain only one word.
4. Lines two, six, and 10 must use the same word.

Decked in Vivid Finery

Dressed in vivid finery

celebrating lives well lived-                                            

Ethereal beauty bestowed on earth.

                                                                                       

Youth has faded away.

Embracing their final days

dressed in vivid finery.

Days ticking by Spring, Summer and Fall.

Opening buds of luscious green become ruby reds

 to celebrate lives well lived.

 A grove basking in sunlight

swaying to the rhythm of the wind.

Ethereal beauty bestowed on earth.

The past weekend was a dream here in the Finger Lakes Region- 70 degrees, blue sky, and sunshine at the end of October. This alone would have brought much joy but add on to this the STUNNING colors of the trees. Looking around, ruby reds, golds, and tangerines were aglow in the sunshine. It was remarkably beautiful.

It struck me that leaves really know how to embrace their final days. They have lived their life cycle and end it by celebrating with beauty. Their last days are their glory. They dance to the music of the wind fluttering on branches until the final release. Then they do a graceful dance to their final resting place. 

Maybe nature has something to teach us again- Embrace and celebrate our aging. Live our final days in glory to cast beauty on those surrounding us. 

To Thwart the Heaviness

 

Diverse-

Yet clinging to one another

To thwart the heaviness,

And offer a clear lens

With a new perspective 

Of our topsy-turvy world. 

It had been a very rainy morning. I glanced out my window and saw raindrops clinging on to the ends of leaves and flowers like they were fighting to not let go. It seemed liked they wanted to still exist as raindrops and not just soak into the soil below.

This clinging of raindrops made me wonder how they stay on the delicate petals and pointy leaves without just falling. I did some research and found out the following:

1. Do to adhesion which counteracts gravity, the water molecules cling to another dissimilar surface.

2. Often instead of a perfect circle, you will find dome-shaped drops due to the texture of the material they are adhering to as well as the angle.

3. These globes of water are wonderful crystal clear lenses with inverted images.

In taking the time to slow down, notice and think about the beauty after the gloom, I realized that these little raindrops have a lesson for the world. Given the heaviness that is all around us, should we not join together and support each other through the negative forces in our world. By embracing the diversity of our human race, we will gain different perspectives and possibly see things in new ways. Maybe if we were more like raindrops forming attachments to surfaces different than our own, this topsy-turvy world could find some peace. 

Fading Mask

Fading chlorophyll 

reveals leaves true colors

gold, red or orange.

Elegant beauty displayed

as green’s mask falls more each day.

Can we learn from leaves?

Drop our protective facades,

a daunting risk.

Show our true selves to others.

Our realness -as  stunning.

Walking around during the last few days, I have been delighted in the foliage before me. Finally, the reds, yellows and oranges of this season are on display. As I walk through the trees with fallen leaves rustling about my feet, I remembered reading that these colors are always present in the leaves but hidden by chlorophyll during the spring and summer.  As the leaves stop making chlorophyll, the green fades and these true colors are shown to the world. 

This idea of green being a mask floated about in my head.  It made me think about people and how we wear masks daily and don’t reveal our true personalities to many people. But the people who do get to see our true colors often see the beauty in our vulnerability and love our faults as well as our strengths.  This acceptance adds beauty to the world. 

Poetry form:  Tanka (2 tankas in this piece)