“She is so bright and glorious that you cannot look at her face or her garments for the splendor with which she shines. For she is terrible with the terror of the avenging lightning, and gentle with the goodness of the bright sun; and both her terror and her gentleness are incomprehensible to humans.... But she is with everyone and in everyone, and so beautiful is her secret that no person can know the sweetness with which she sustains people, and spares them in inscrutable mercy.”

― Hildegard von Bingen

I outrun the mosquitos this morning. Not fast, I run slow, but still, I am unbothered. I do my three miles in the quiet woods; meeting no one. I meet a lovely purple mushroom under some pine trees. Our brook is fresh and revitalized and shrunk to normal size. I run to the trestle bridge over the Charles, the air is fresh, the river does not stink, it glitters in the sun. Hooray! Today I meet with a new colleague I’m collaborating with; we make excellent progress. She is so friendly, warm and cheerful. I work on revising poems. I put together a submission for journals. I like the poems. There is a challenging moment of the day where a difficult person must be confronted with thoughtful equanimity and clarity and intuition and boundaries. And then, the energy and satisfaction of a hearty swim in Farm Pond. Tonight, it’s cooler. There is a lovely breeze. We take the bikes to Natick and go on the rail trail being built there. It’s a green night, pure fresh air. A lighthearted exercise and chance to chat and no time pressure and plenty and plenty of daylight, dry feet and dry sky.