TINY DANCERS

Photo by S. Auberle

"Those who contemplate

the beauty of the earth

find reserves of strength

that will endure

as long as life lasts.

- Rachel Carson

www.gratefulness.org

ASHES TO ASHES

Print by S. Auberle

Ash Wednesday

Church of the Holy Angels

I'm six years old

kneeling before an altar

fingers rubbing my forehead

fear chilling down my back

as the priest whispers above me

ashes to ashes, dust to dust...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ash Wednesday

Church of Red Earth

I'm sixty-something

kneeling in a crater

where lava once poured down.

I rub dirt on my forehead

find a potsherd

and remember

those buried beneath me

their sins and bones

only red dust on my jeans.

- mimi

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Artist unknown

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Only six people, it is said

separate any person from another

anywhere on this earth.

I want to believe that,

I want to believe

with just six connections

I could know an Eskimo,

an African tribesman,

a mother in Iraq.

I want to believe it would take

only six people to reconnect

with a gypsy I once saw,

the woman in cold rain

on the steps of the Duomo

in Florence, Italy. I would find her

again, her feet knobby and bare,

her black hair tangled in dusty braids.

Begging, she would whisper again

for my bambino, please,

for my bambino

and this time

I would take her chapped, brown hand,

place lira in it, close

her fingers around the bills.

This time I would get it right,

not turn aside

as her sleeve brushed my coat.

This time my shame

would not outweigh hers.

- Sharon Auberle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In going through old writings of mine, in preparation for a book of collected poems, I came across this favorite, previously published in The Peninsula Pulse.

THREE QUOTES

Photo by S. Auberle

"Advice is what we ask for

when we already know the answer,

but wish we didn't."

- Erica Jong

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Art is what you can get away with."

- Marshal McLuhan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faith which does not doubt

is dead faith."

- Miguel de Unamuno

SHE HAD SOME HORSES

Photo by S. Auberle

SHE HAD SOME HORSES

galloping through her dreams

night mares and stallions

leaping fences

prancing, dancing by her.

She had some horses

wild, full of light

spirit white horses

but she couldn't rein them in

climb on their backs

dash away

at last, untethered.

There are some things

you can't do with dreams...

aren't there?

(after Joy Harjo)

PATIENCE

Photo by S. Auberle

For the teaching of patience, which many of us need in this alarmingly fast paced world, there is no greater teacher than an orchid. A friend gave me this plant a while back, and it already had buds on it. I settled it into a sunny, south window and anticipated beautiful blooms any day. That was several months ago, and I'm still anticipating, though it now has seven buds on it! For those who care, its name is Phal Sogo Yukidian 'V3'. In spite of its name, I've no doubt, it will be lovely. Someday...

If I keep a green bough

in my heart,

a singing bird will come.

- Chinese proverb

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Photo/Collage by S. Auberle

HEARTS

There is a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in.

- Leonard Cohen

Maybe growing old

is just learning

to cradle each other's heart

in our hands

like broken baby birds

or snowflakes melting

in fists of light.

-mimi

LIFE LAUGHING AT ME

Photo by S. Auberle

Have you ever been in a blue funk

driving down those roads where

you've been a thousand times before,

hitting the same bumps, same old potholes

when suddenly, in a pickup truck,

a poem passes by

and you start to smile

and the road smoothes, the sky turns blue,

sun beams its warmth on you

and on the two snowmen cheerfully slumped

in the back of the truck,

waving their melting arms

carrot noses and stone eyes

slightly askew

like your view of the world

before that poem drove by you.

- mimi

ALMOST

Photos by S. Auberle - Fish Creek WinterFest Days

but not quite...summer

TURN AGAIN

Photo by S. Auberle

"It is a wholesome and necessary thing

for us to turn again to the earth

and in the contemplation of her beauties

to know of wonder and humility."

- Rachel Carson

http://www.gratefulness.org

FREEZETIME

Photo by S. Auberle

sometimes

I just sit

looking out

at frozen waters

no sound

but the clock

ticking

my seasons away

- mimi