November 1, 2018
She leads me beside a vernal pool
where swamp frogs trill the early spring.
Her breath refreshes musty air
and I sense the chill on mud-slick skin.
She turns me loose in a garden world
and weaves a mid-summer feast.
Her leaf-green shadows cool the days
and a chorus of katydids comforts the nights.
She lays me down in an autumn meadow
bobbing with skippers and bees.
Her gentle sunlight dries the dew
and I feel the warmth on petals and wings.
She takes my hand on winter nights
and guides me down a darkened path.
A thousand stars pierce the sky
and I sense the harsh beauty beyond.
Though the night wind stings my lungs
and ice invades my bones,
through pain I know that life abides,
to kindness life ascends.
to kindness life ascends.
