If We Listen

If we listen,

We first will hear the silence

Of the secret place within us

That awaits the lesson

If we listen, 

We next will hear a song,

A melody that sings with us

And is ours to keep

If we listen,

And share our new found melody

All the wisdom locked in nature

Will suddenly seem clear

Shall we listen?

Give ourselves to messages of soul?

If we do, we fill our secret reservoir

With all we need to know

Copyright © 2010 Mary Beth Watt. All rights reserved.

May We Know Peace

Today I once again write about peace, but this time with a more prayerful approach.

May we see the peace that is the center of All

May we hear the music of daily creation

May we feel the joy at the core of our being

May we taste the abundance that sustains us

And smell the perfume of our earth

May all our earthly senses open to what is manifest

So that our broader sense may know

Our connection to the universe

It is then that we will understand that

Peace truly is the center of All

Copyright © 2010 Mary Beth Watt. All rights reserved.

Center of Peace

I walk outside,

Stretch in the early sunshine,

Give thanks for the spring warmth

That has awakened my roses.

I am feeling the oneness with...

     Hey, why can't my neighbor's gardener

     clear the damn leaves without

     the infernal racket of that

     unholy air blowing machine?

I pause,

Catch the rancor of my thought,

Notice that the rose is still bright

And the warbling bird still calls for his mate.

At this, I realize the

Center of Peace must be within me.

Copyright © 2010 Mary Beth Watt. All rights reserved.

Elemental Staircase

It's been a long climb up the staircase
Leaving the perils of nature behind
We no longer suffer the cold or the dark
Nor need fear the predator's teeth

We've come a long way from our past
We've abandoned our rough pagan ways
Divorced from the need for pure faith
We listen when scientists speak

But what have we left by the wayside?
What pleasures are now beyond reach?
Can we still see that God is beside us?
Can we still hear the truth in a breeze?

Yes, the climb here has served us well
Brought us comfort and riches and ease
Yet so often we find ourselves reaching
For the life of our long ago days

Still, the staircase we mounted remains
It can serve in a different way
Remembering such structures stretch both up and down
We can reclaim the truths at its base

Copyright © 2010 Mary Beth Watt. All rights reserved.

Varieties

Today I went through some of the writings that have been shared during the morning meditation calls I participate in when I have a chance. I'll share another poem of mine here, and follow with others in the next few days. But I would like to recommend another poetry blog written by another participant in our meditations. The poet is Anna Grossnnickle Hines, who also writes books for children. You can find her blog at www.aghines.blogspot.com.

Now, here is my poem for the day.

Varieties

Stones under my feet

Infinite variety of color, coarseness, texture

Some so hard we cannot break them

Some so soft they crumble beneath our step

Flowers in our gardens

Blossoms of endless beauty, season, tenure

Bright gaudy elegance in autumn

Sweet-scented pastel peace in spring

Animals walking with us

So different from each other and from us

Only strong lenses let us see the smallest

Yet the strength and size of others makes us small

Our world is made of wonders beyond knowing -

Rocks and blooms and beasts each with their place

May we celebrate our own place here amongst them

And honor the wide varieties of man

Copyright (c) 2010 Mary Beth Watt. All rights reserved.

Paradox

I cannot tell a truth
As pure as the truth of a rose
All of the words that I know
Would fall far short of its beauty

I cannot define a limit
To the life of a deepening forest
Nor can I speak with the breath
Of a glistening mountain lake

Yet I do not stand outside
Of the truth or the breath or the beauty
For in nature is held in full
The essence of all that I am

Copyright © 2010 Mary Beth Watt. All rights reserved.