BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN LIFE

Wickanninish Beach, Vancouver Island

[posted for the Poetry Pantry

at Poets United]

written August 22, 1998

Yesterday my sister

called me up
to say they were

dropping bombs

on Afghanistan:
peasants bombarded

under a morning sky
another slice of

toxic political pie

Instead of turning

on the news
I walked the beach -
dogs frolicked in the waves

with loopy grins,
as another radiant

west coast day begins
All we can do is send out

love and light,
no limit to how far
our love can reach

A young woman,

huddled under quilts,
says her life "sucks"
while outside

her bedroom door
a little miracle
with jam on his face
needs to know

the world's
a happy place
A child of hope
striving to survive
his mother's pain
living childhood days

of fleeting grace
that will never

come again,
waits for her

to look outward and see
we are all part

of the glorious mystery
life unfolding
when we stop withholding

This morning I read

a polar ice cap
the size of Connecticut

is slowly breaking
and when it does,
whether three years

or five hundred

in the making,
the sea will rise up

in a single night
sweeping the coast away
that's what they say

But all we ever have
is this one day
to be grateful

for each moon
each morning star,
each song that opens doors
to who we are -
we all travel so far
to find that place

of love within
where we finally begin
to know we're not alone
and let love guide

our footsteps
on the journey home

My friend is dreaming

of babies
a little soul is asking

to come through -
she wonders

how can she bring a child
all sweet and new
into a world

so helter-skelter,
so askew

Because I believe in life
and life believes in life
I say -
we open our eyes

to miracles
every day,
are only asked

to give back

what we can
along the way

This afternoon
a young couple

playing music
in the summer sun
set all our toes

a-tapping to the beat -
gracefully, two women

started dancing
on the village street
We all were smiling
because life is fun
These are the moments
when we most feel
as one
each bringing gift's

to the universe's table
as we are able

We all want life
our souls all long
to fly
we bring our babies
into a world
of starshine
and blue sky
of song and wonder
rainbows
love and laughter
and they will thank us after
for giving them the chance
to love and live
to share the joys we know,
give our souls
the chance to grow
while teaching us how much
we have
to give

No matter what

is happening
everywhere
life holds
a million gifts
we still
can share
as simple
as the sun warm

on our faces,
as profound as love
found in

the most unlikely places -
love enough
to plunge our souls in,
fill ourselves right up
with plenty spilling over
to fill our children's cup

Oh how they teach us,
as we share each day,
that the love

that makes us happiest
is the love we give away
In them is our re-birth -
we send them forth
with love too deep to say
trusting that

the beauty of the earth
will carry them
the rest of the way