What a lovely post. If everyone would appreciate and revere nature as much as you do in your writing, the world would be a much better place. I felt nothing but joy as I read your words and looked at your beautiful photos.
I love your everyday moments. I often feel as if I am taking a morning wander around your pond with you. Thank you for sharing all the tiny details in pictures and words.
Oh, so much new life! The Trout lily, such a tiny delicate flower. Thank you for the subtle reminder. I think I will let spring teach me patience to witness her beauty.
I will mirror your quote to reflect back to you;
“May you find little moments of peace and joy wherever your choices may take you.”
Karen, you wrote, "I find myself wanting to be everywhere, all at once."
There is a way to do it you know.
In 1980, I sat in front of a robed Soto monk and told him of how I found everything so wonderful, every season so beautiful, that I wanted to have all of them in my immediate presence all the time, but couldn't. He didn't say anything- not out of wisdom, but because he too lacked an answer at that time.
What blocks us is not the incapacity of our finite minds to hold the infinite, or that it is an error to grasp after appearances, or that our love is too small, or that all things are fleeting and our very attempts to hold on to them is a cause of suffering.. we are told to love the things of this world and to let them go. Amare sed non Tangere. But it need not be so.
I wrote recently of a radiant sky without center or boundaries. It is the center that obstructs. Remove that and you encompass all things, that are, that were, that ever will be. The mountains of home, the rivers of far away. The birds here in the dappled forest, the fish out there in the shimmering sunlit sea. Nothing is outside that Sky. You have them all and they have you. You are immersed in a sea of bliss.
This can be truth, the way it can be experienced, only fear holds us back.
Beautiful, Karen. Thank you for your wonderfully rich portrait of what you see and where you are. It may not be everything, all at once, but it's just right.
And I love the yellow-bellied sapsucker, which is unfamiliar to me.
I often feel that passion and fire to do everything, be everywhere all at once. It almost feels possible until I try and then my body gives out, humbling me once again. I appreciate very much "just choose". This is a beautiful piece. thanks
Ah, what readers and commenters this morning! Reminds me of bygone years when we old immortals, poets all, gathered at Peach Moon Pavilion to spend the fragrant spring days writing poetry and drinking rice blossom wine!.
And everything is in love. The birds are in love. The grass is in love. The animals are in love. Love, love, love. And all I get from all the love washing over my world is hay fever from the loving grass. Ah, but love is always better than war, even if it causes hay fever.
That loon's victory dance! How gorgeous. Can never get enough of loons.
A couple days ago I heard a sandhill crane in the field across from my house. I've never heard one in this part of town before. Tried to spot him but couldn't. It was amazing to just listen.
How perfectly beautiful! "I find myself wanting to be everywhere, all at once." You've got spring fever! We are still brown-and-grey-and-nearly-there-but-yesterday-it-snowed :)
Spring will be springing here soon, and I'll be having the same feeling you so wonderfully described and photographed!
What a lovely post. If everyone would appreciate and revere nature as much as you do in your writing, the world would be a much better place. I felt nothing but joy as I read your words and looked at your beautiful photos.
I love your everyday moments. I often feel as if I am taking a morning wander around your pond with you. Thank you for sharing all the tiny details in pictures and words.
Oh, so much new life! The Trout lily, such a tiny delicate flower. Thank you for the subtle reminder. I think I will let spring teach me patience to witness her beauty.
I will mirror your quote to reflect back to you;
“May you find little moments of peace and joy wherever your choices may take you.”
Beautiful words and images, Karen. So nice to sink into them on this cold, snowy morning in southern Arizona...
Karen, you wrote, "I find myself wanting to be everywhere, all at once."
There is a way to do it you know.
In 1980, I sat in front of a robed Soto monk and told him of how I found everything so wonderful, every season so beautiful, that I wanted to have all of them in my immediate presence all the time, but couldn't. He didn't say anything- not out of wisdom, but because he too lacked an answer at that time.
What blocks us is not the incapacity of our finite minds to hold the infinite, or that it is an error to grasp after appearances, or that our love is too small, or that all things are fleeting and our very attempts to hold on to them is a cause of suffering.. we are told to love the things of this world and to let them go. Amare sed non Tangere. But it need not be so.
I wrote recently of a radiant sky without center or boundaries. It is the center that obstructs. Remove that and you encompass all things, that are, that were, that ever will be. The mountains of home, the rivers of far away. The birds here in the dappled forest, the fish out there in the shimmering sunlit sea. Nothing is outside that Sky. You have them all and they have you. You are immersed in a sea of bliss.
This can be truth, the way it can be experienced, only fear holds us back.
So lovely, Karen -- as always! And that photo of the little wren, singing his heart out. The joy of spring!
I have trout lilies in my garden. They are just emerging from the earth, too. I am so excited to catch the blooms this year. :)
Beautiful, Karen. Thank you for your wonderfully rich portrait of what you see and where you are. It may not be everything, all at once, but it's just right.
And I love the yellow-bellied sapsucker, which is unfamiliar to me.
I often feel that passion and fire to do everything, be everywhere all at once. It almost feels possible until I try and then my body gives out, humbling me once again. I appreciate very much "just choose". This is a beautiful piece. thanks
Ah, what readers and commenters this morning! Reminds me of bygone years when we old immortals, poets all, gathered at Peach Moon Pavilion to spend the fragrant spring days writing poetry and drinking rice blossom wine!.
And everything is in love. The birds are in love. The grass is in love. The animals are in love. Love, love, love. And all I get from all the love washing over my world is hay fever from the loving grass. Ah, but love is always better than war, even if it causes hay fever.
Nothing better than to spend a spring morning with the dreaming poet. No wonder that the birds are singing and dancing!
That loon's victory dance! How gorgeous. Can never get enough of loons.
A couple days ago I heard a sandhill crane in the field across from my house. I've never heard one in this part of town before. Tried to spot him but couldn't. It was amazing to just listen.
How perfectly beautiful! "I find myself wanting to be everywhere, all at once." You've got spring fever! We are still brown-and-grey-and-nearly-there-but-yesterday-it-snowed :)
Spring will be springing here soon, and I'll be having the same feeling you so wonderfully described and photographed!
Yes, EVERHYTHING we do is by CHOICE...And the alternative to doing everything is just
BEING. Thank you for sharing all that you choose...
Lovely 😊