Talis Wong welcomed me as a second guest of honor at the table reserved for Judith Delozier and the students who were attending her class in Hong Kong. Strangely, I had written this poem a few days before hand. Judy and I had talked about meeting in Hong Kong, but made no specific plan until I arrived. So, the poem was prescient. I had written the poem to express a feeling of welcome from life and did not have the meet-up with Judy in mind.
Read MoreA simple search of the internet will yield a thousand formulas for success, each with its own claim on truth and promises to heal our wounds, to kill our stress, to lift us out of impoverished lives, and to land us in happily ever after. I am not immune to the power of these promises and have spent thousands on gaining access to the secret. My life is an unsolved mystery; but I have a strange sensation that I am also the only detective who can "solve it." This is my poetic ode to the mystery!
Read MoreOur lives are truly nested in greater forces, forces over which we have no control and that often carry us along in life, whether or not we are aware of the ride, and regardless of whether we accept it or resist it. These greater forces are "what brought you here and what will take you on the next leg of your journey." Developing a relationship to these greater forces is one of the great tasks of life.
Read MoreThis is one of my favorite poems. I wrote it while walking the beach in Scarborough, Australia when a question formed: Is the horizon you envision for yourself big enough to hold your dreams? That question became the seed for my own self examination and growth and served as the key line in the poem that I composed over the next two days. What limits your horizon and what might you do to expand it?
Read MoreFor most of us, a simple mental scan of the body reveals a lot of unnecessary tension that we carry in the form of tensed muscles in our everyday life. This poem considers the question: Why do we humans "struggle to relax" when all other animals do so easily and naturally, even after the most stressful events?
Read MoreAristotle said, "The beginning Is more than half the whole." How we start our day often sets a tone or mood that we carry with us into the night. Why not start the day with the sweetness of life...
Read MoreA lighthouse warns of danger, serves as a guide, and stands present whether we succeed in our journey or fail in the effort. It is both a beacon of light and a tower of forgiveness. We may be at the mercy of the world, but this poem asks: Are we the lighthouse? Are we present and accountable to all things in our life?
Read MoreAstonishment may be the only appropriate response to the experience of being alive....
What we see, hear, and feel in the world around us
is just a step away, just a breath away,
from immersion in amazement.
I often enjoy an early morning walk to start the day and especially so when I am in a place near the beauty of nature. This provides me mindful moments, an opportunity to connect with myself, and restore my balance with the world before the demands and desires of the day steal my attention. This is also a good time for me to dictate my intent for the day, which, like today, while on the south bay bike path near the Doubletree Hotel in Burlingame, often becomes a poem.
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