#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

“. . .May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.”

John O'Donohue, Excerpt from “Beannacht/Blessing”

Another middle of the night moon-wake, creamy light through my window. And soon enough, Charleston in need of breakfast. Then a long ramble into the spring woods. My daughter spotted her first lady slipper a few days ago; today I spotted mine, on the trail we named Lady Slipper Way. In May, every walk brings new wildflower sightings. The violets are crazed with blooms and are peaking. The ferns unfurling with total zest. At home I worked on two poems, both fairly new, so I could have one to bring to workshop tomorrow morning. Unsatisfied with both, but made a lot of progress still. Outdoors, my daughter plants and plants, makes organic fertilizer, paints signs for her rows. I rake the dead leaves from the garden and carefully scoop the detritus from the tiny ferns and the lily of the valley. They ask me what I want for Mother’s Day. I have everything I need. Perhaps another tree. I’d like to plant a tree.