FAREWELL, MY FRIEND

Photo by S. Auberle

Rain keeps falling, another north wind wails this morning, as Spring  glooms on.   The little gray cat drapes herself across the back of my chair, purring as I write.  She's good for me, because, these days, like so many others, I turn sad at the thought of my teacher, Norbert Blei--my mentor, my friend, leaving.  He--this shaman of words, who taught me to bring out what was inside, who believed in me and never stopped telling me so.  Norbert disliked intensely the word "magic."  Never use it, he growled, or angels or sunsets, roses, all those old hackneyed cliché words.  But sorry, Norb, I have to say it--there was no one more full of magic than you.  The Pied Piper of words, images, stories--we followed along, joyfully, exuberantly, behind  you--a long string of would-be writers and you believed in every one of us.

Today is the birthday of William Shakespeare, another master of words.  Tonight the full moon will light up the world, if it can get through the clouds, but our light is gone--at 8:18 a.m., just a few minutes ago, Norbert, with Jude his love, by his side, passed.  Suddenly, there are no more words.

EARTH DAY

Photo by S. Auberle

PRAYER FOR VILLAGE EARTH

(for seven generations)
  

 Mother Earth, we pray today

to join with our brothers and sisters

in the company of whom we share this web of life.

We will not take from you lightly, nor do harm.

We will respect those creatures with whom we live.

Wolf, Hawk, Turtle and Bear, we honor you

and all our four-legged brothers and sisters.

Bless us, please, you Flying People,

Crawling People, the Swimmers, Plant and Tree People.

Father Sun, we beseech you

to shine down your light upon us.

Sister Rain and Brother Wind, walk softly here,

for we are small beneath your power.

Sister Moon, shine gently as you guide us

into dreamtime, and when you journey across the world,

send your stars to light our way home.

Mother Earth, accept our prayer,

bless us with your energy and healing.

Help us remember that we are connected

to all who share your sacred web of life—past,

present, and future—that in divinity

we may exist as one…

~  Sharon Auberle

first published in WomanPrayers

NATIONAL HAIKU DAY

Collage by S. Auberle

In honor of crows and National Haiku Day:  

crow ink writes across

paper sky of rose and blue

the wind erases all 

cat, old hound and me

dreaming in the autumn sun

crow calls Winter’s near! 

white sky paints the dawn

muted crows wing overhead

the snow whispers down

~  mimi

ON THE BEACH

Photo by S. Auberle

I was the world in which I walked, 
and what I saw

Or heard or felt came 
not but from myself:

And there I found myself 
more truly and more strange.

~  Wallace Stevens

SMITTEN WITH THE SUN

Photo by S. Auberle

in Springtime we are all

smitten with the sun--

the orchid basking in my window    

a few leftover snowflakes

that black devil of a squirrel

emptying my bird feeder

North Koreans rattling their sabers

the waning moon high at noon

suicide bombers

red sheets on the clothesline

            sometimes I wonder

            if God might be the Sun

            shining on everyone

            deservedly or not

            even the warmongers

            and that damn squirrel

                           ~mimi