fists clenched
grasping
clinging
fighting
trying to stop the inexorable march of time

breathing
in
out
in
out
in
out

stay here
this moment
together
enfolded
safe

Photo by Skylar Ewing

Palliating death and dying
Easing the passage

Life's normal flow
Doesn't have to bring suffering

All things begin
And all things end
In their own time

What if life's closing act were as joy-filled as its grand entrance?

One phase ending as another begins

Photo by Marten Bjork

Good intentions are the first step toward something greater
Without them, you never begin
Yet intentions are merely mist drifting through the woods
Gossamer strands barely real

Action married to good intentions births new possibilities
Suspending disbelief long enough to pull the trigger
Action leads to trust

I think this will help
I will do it

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger

Wandering along my path
I spy a tiny bee gathering nectar

Unaware of my gaze,
He works at his task

Diligent and persistent,
He does what he must

Ah, the lessons I could learn from him!

Staying awake
Aware of my surroundings

So many gifts can be found along the way

Photo by Dmitry Grigoriev

What are the signs?
The predictable future

If things keep going as they are
No crystal ball needed

Just logical outcomes of actions already in play

Like the warming of the earth

The Carbon Almanac is filled with facts and ideas of what you can do
Together with me
Coming to a bookstore near you

Photo by Nicole Avagliano

The beginning happens in stillness
The void, the one
Out of the void comes two
The two becomes three
The three becomes the 10,000 things

When driving your car, you start at 0mph
It is impossible to start driving at 60mph
One you begin, you create speed and momentum
It is easier to add a little more once moving

Expecting a gradual expansion
Building, building, building
Patiently adding energy into your craft
Until it becomes the 10,000 things

Photo by Francesco Ungaro

Others can see things we cannot
In our blindness of certain aspects of ourselves
We miss the truth, the cause of suffering
We wander, lost in fog of sadness

To others, it is emblazoned on our forehead
"Stubborn, unyielding, won't listen"
Yet others cannot alter the trait that makes us suffer
We alone have the power to transform or transmute it

What a glorious power!
If we can be humble enough to ask
"What do you notice about me?"
If we can introspect about who we are
"Do I treat others the way I would like to be treated?"

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel

The foot bone's connected to the heel bone
The heel bone's connected to the ankle bone
The ankle bone's connected to the shin bone
The shin bone's connected to the knee bone
Now hear the word of the Lord

This 1927 gospel song composed by the Johnos brothers
Details the bones of the body and their connections.

The connection is in fact a joint that permits movement.
Bones articulate with other bones.
These points of connection can start to become stuck.
Damaged joints restrict free and easy movement.

Breaking through the restrictions is a process but possible.
Connections can be restored once the flow of nourishing fluids to a joint is reestablished

Perched there
Waiting
Just around the corner

The next big idea
Your new best friend
Something that will change your life

You cannot see it
It's form may deceive
Gold cloaked in the guise of defeat

Hard to anticipate what we cannot see
Stumbling upon a gem
That might require a bit of digging

Photo by Markus Spiske

Born with little muscular control
Babies start waving their arms and legs
Building muscle one kick at a time

When they are strong enough
They will crawl
Then toddle
Then run

Old age forces us to slow down
Maybe to a crawl
If we don't use our muscles,
We lose them

Being mobile is a gift
One worth fighting for

Photo by Picsea