Eloise

Every time I fill Eloise's water dish,
she drops in this toy. You can see its ears are totally soaked and one arm is becoming submerged. E. always drops the toy in a pose that suggests the purple dog has given up hope of ever living anywhere but in the water dish.

My friend Kimberly's a terrific poet. You read her poems and feel glad to be alive. She's shy, though. I had to take this picture of her when she wasn't looking. . .

When I look out the window of my second floor writing room, this is what I see. Picture on the right is a little blurry, partly because the glass in the window is 100 years old and full of age swirls. In a few weeks, the water won't be visible, hidden behind a veil of leaves. Every day has its own special reasons to be loved.

Happy Birthday to the Buddha

Today is the Buddha's birthday. And the moon is only hours away from being full. What is more Buddha-like than the moon or more moon-like than the Buddha? The message from tonight's full moon: When you are feeling the most splintered, that's when you are most likely to he barboring a secret and beautiful fullness.

ANIMAL TAXI

I volunteer for a wildlife rehabilitation center. They called me yesterday to locate and capture
a "beaver with rabies." At least that's what the person who phoned in said. I have my rabies shots, no problem. But how does one capture a beaver? Fortunately, for me and the critter, the beaver in question had vanished. Most likely it had been sunning on the road. And even more likely, no rabies. Here is a little beaver info: they are the largest rodent in North America. The only larger rodent is the capybara, native of South America. One native American word for them translates to "affable." Beavers can weigh up to 5o pounds. And a little more than 13,000 years ago, beavers were the size of black bears! While I cannot say that I have ferried about a beaver, my car has been transport to baby skunks, porcupines, pigeons, bats, raccoons, crows, sea gulls, a parasitic Jaeger, great horned owl baby, red tailed hawk and cormorants. Most well-behaved passenger? The porcupine!

Rilke for a very rainy, dark night

Randall Jarrell did this "adaptation" from Rilke. Adaptation, same as translation but more honest. Here, it's a raw, cold, rainy night and the wind sounds particularly harsh. Good night for this poem, one of my favorites.

A VARIATION ON "To Say To Go To Sleep"

If I could I would sing you to sleep.
I would give you my hand to keep
in yours 'til you fell asleep,
And take it away then, slowly.
I would sit by you and be.

In the world the dark would be deep.
I would watch. And at last, I would sleep.

But if rain should star the stream
of your sleep, I would whisper, "See
you are asleep" and slowly
your breath would change in your dream.
'Til ages and ages deep
in the dark, you would say to me
I love you.

I love you,
but I am here always.
Sleep now.
Sleep.

Randall Jarrell from Rilke

If it's true that April showers bring May flowers then we'll be
petal-flooded in no time at all. Just beyond the tree, the river's
moving. Tide coming in. You can't see the water because its
the same color as the rain. Perfect color for a nightgown. . .

Here, clearly, the Buddha is laughing the flowers into place! I have fallen so in love with everything blooming.

There are two Buddhas in the garden. One is laughing and one is serious. Here, the crocuses
are sneaking up on the serious one. Of course.

Chloe's roses

Same Flower, Sunlight instead of rainlight

"Stand Still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here. . ."
--David Wagoner
from "Lost"