gratefullyyourstoday

Haiku Summer

Dear readers,

I thought that I should give you fair warning that my poetry group is beginning a summer reading of the book Haiku – the sacred art, A Spiritual Practice in Three Lines by Margaret D. McGee.

I look forward to this as an opportunity to hone my craft as a poet and a write, but give fair warning that you may be in for a season of haiku at Gratefully Yours Today. My first two can be found below.

If you are a haiku lover yourself, I encourage you to share yours as well, and I will happily consider publishing them here.

As always, I encourage you to share my blog with friends, and sign up to follow my postings.

Gratefully yours,

JEHW

Pencils moving on paper
Many hands working their words
A soothing dance

Of course – lavender
That scent that soothes like a
Lover’s gentle hand

Summer 1970 – 13 – On a dare

“It’s not true.”
“Yes it is.”
“Prove it.”

White hoods
White cloaks
Hiding hoodlums

Reel to reel
Blaring
Hatred

Like Horror Night
At the Drive In
Movies

Cross burning
In the darkness

We run home
Shaking

Terror mixed with
The complacency of
Being white.

Were we children hooded too?
Were we all?

Telling the story of the night
Doing little, if anything
To change it.

JEHW
May 27, 2014

Yesterday morning the rough draft of this poem came to me. By noon, I learned that Maya Angelou had died. Last evening my poetry grouped helped me to refine it. The passing of her spirit clearly unlocked something in my heart, and that of my fellow poets. I dedicate this poem to her memory.

My Soul Has a Voice

My soul has a voice,
And I am grateful
For her.

Even though I am
Unaccustomed to
Listening.

At first I would
Tell her to be quiet.
Don’t make a fuss.
Don’t mess up my
So called life.

Lately though, she has
Gotten better at expressing
Herself.
And I, better
At letting her.

Why, just this morning
She said, “Darn tooten,
I am YOUR voice
After all!”

And I was glad of it.
Happy in my heart
To let her speak.

Now to me –
Soon, I hope,
To others too.

JEHW
April 2, 2014

Resurrection Song

My first walk in the woods without her.

So happy for this beautiful day, and the healing foot
That now carries me.

I wasn’t expecting to be stung by her absence.
Her death was so natural.
It was time for her to go.
I didn’t realize how much I missed her
Until I set foot on this – our well-worn path.

She would have loved this day.
Full of wind and bird chatter,
Jumping fish,
And erupting soily smells.

A new layer turning over,
Emerging out of the decomposition of the past.

I will bring a few of her ashes next time,
And add her spirit to this new season.
Ashes to ashes; dust to dust;
Observing the ancient ritual.

Out of what was – resurrection.

JEHW
April 5, 2014

Still Healing

Still healing heart –
Years of un-numbing as
Tiny tears dance at the
Edges of my eyes.

Still healing foot –
Forced grounding.

Still healing soul –
Ancient work.

Still trying to own my voice –
A hard work of
Crawling out
From behind others.

JEHW
April 1, 2014

The Time of Celebration Arrives

Through her iridescent white gown
Overlaid with the delicate lace of fine snowflakes
Spring’s first light
Gently claims her moment.

Her movement creating undulating ribbons
On the velvety slate lake above the dam.
Mossy greenness decorates the
Ancient conifers that wrap around
This glassy surface
Like an elegant necklace –
The jade colored boathouse dangling
At the base like a precious jewel –
Resting on her frothy, frosty bosom
Of mountains rising high and proud
Into the fresh clean air.

You can almost feel
Her breast rise and fall,
Her soul breathe,
Her heart beat
As with bravery, she dons her finery
To wed the muscled darkness
Subduing his raging sputtering winter madness,
Ushering in the fertility rites of
Spring.

JEHW
At Northern Cascades Institute, Washington
March 20, 2014

His Vision Fails Him – or – Is It Mine?

He wants to clean
Out his garage.

Should I let him?

I keep telling him,
“No – No – No you can’t.”

He’ll bring those old
Knives back in the
House and try to
Keep them.
I just know he will.

And here I can almost
See the light at the
End of this endless tunnel
Of closing up the old place.

But who am I to
Deny him this?

An old man? Yes.
But a young soul too –
Just trying to breathe in
A little more fire before
The flames go dim.

JEHW
February 26, 2014