Inspiring

I am not a poet.

I do have respect for those with such talents, and the blogging world offers some excellent poets.

Three of my favorites are Brian at WaystationOne, Jinksy at Napplenotes, and Joanny at LiveDreamLove.

So, instead of me struggling to create a verse that touches the soul but getting stuck on "violets are blue...", I offer the following from another odist, Eugene Peterson, that had the desired impact on me:

A beech tree in winter, white

Intricacies unconcealed

Against sky blue and billowed

Clouds, carries in his emptiness

Ripeness: sap ready to rise

On signal, buds alert to burst

To leaf. And then after a season

Of summer a lean ring to remember

The lush fulfilled promises.

Empty again in wise poverty

That lets the reaching branches stretch

A millimeter more towards heaven,

The bole expands ever so slightly

And push roots into the firm

Foundation, lucky to be leafless:

Deciduous reminder to let it go.