MORE OR LESS

Life can feel like a race,
leaving us a bit winded
by its unrelenting pace,

like bicyclists pedaling uphill,
legs churning,
we move through our days
trying to reach the top
of some elusive peak,

we search for more,
but can’t ignore the simple truth
that finding more
often feels like less,

maybe there’s a blessing in knowing
we are more or less
navigating the same path,

a path that is infinitely more
rewarding when we travel
with a lighter, less burdened spirit.

SHOW STOPPING HUES
How can such beauty exist
in a world that suffers so,

while we carry on
with guns and strife,
there are precious, hopeful plants
breaking through warming earth,

reaching toward a sun-drenched sky,
showing us an array of elegant perfection
in each leaf and blossom,

instructing us in show stopping hues
with endless clues,

Value this,

Seek that,

Embrace this,

Treasure that,

drink in every nourishing drop
until there’s no more room for hate.

Rhododendrons 2022