ALL YOU NEED TO BE

My two beautiful daughters,

Lisa, above, and Stephanie, below with Sanchez

February 12, 2003

You do not have to be Superwoman

You do not have to leap tall buildings

with a single bound

You only have to get through

this one intricately challenging

and slightly preposterous day

with as much grace and humor as possible

Tell me how hard it is,

sometimes,

just to keep going

and I will hear you

Meanwhile the myriad galaxies spin

in their mystical and so mysterious orbits

across a midnight sky bejeweled with diamonds

Meanwhile the generous sun comes up each morning

offering a brand new day for trying

Meanwhile all beings in the cosmos

arise and go about their single day of solitary living

Whoever, you are, whatever your state of being,

the world awaits your constant co-creation -

issues you a blank canvas that cries out for

all the vibrant colors of your day,

you the living paintbrush, to draw forth

all your fire and fortitude and passion

and your deep, sweet peacefulness

at resting in the life that is oh so sweetly

and familiarly

yours

*** *** *** *** *** ***

safe passage

october 8, 2004

looking around

at all the broken lives -

people with mental illness,

depression, poverty-

such a long highway

from where they are

to where they want to be-

bombed countrysides

famine and despair

the whole earth a global entity
in need of healing-

what prayer

can possibly encompass

all that needs to happen?

what prayer

like a mantra

whispered by a mother

over her sleeping children

can grant

the impossible....

that all may have

safe passage

through this world?