This woodcock was crossing the street soooooo slowly! And doing his mating strut. He would have been run over if we hadn’t stopped. He didn’t even care as we opened the car door, so intent was he on doing his strut! My husband shooed him to the other side of the road, finally he moved a little faster. Spring is definitely coming! Signs of it all over.
Here’s a video of what he was doing.
I’m sitting at meditation
And trying to relax
And let my thoughts
Recede
And get into those alpha waves
I’m feeling calm
And filled with gratitude
A warmth around my head
A tingling in my feet.
Scritch scraaaaaaaatch, squoooooosh scream!
Scriiiiiiiiiitch scratch, squoosh screeeeeeeam!
I don’t know what that noise is
It really jars my senses
Is it the person next to me?
No, he is in a coma!
The noise would not continue
In a consistent way
It came and went
Just as it pleased.
It seemed to know when I was calm.
And would disrupt me yet again!
Scriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch scratch, squooooooooooooooosh screeeeeeeeam!
Scritch Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatch squoosh scream!
I closed my eyes and tried so hard
To get back to my center
But nothing that I did would help
As I was getting Bent er!
I finally shrugged my head
And thought
This time is just a waste!
I cannot get back to the mood
That seemed so promising.
When closing words were said
“we come back to this room”
I never left!
“we wiggle our feet and our toes”
someone in the back row has been doing that all night!
“we know this time has been beneficial…”
for you maybe!
“as we enter the world again
we feel refreshed…”
Glad somebody does!
Ok. Now I really need to meditate!
Felt the salty ocean spray
On my fingers and my nose
I was standing on the edge.
The ferry pushed and tugged me on.
The joy I felt inside myself
As I looked at her in awe
Closer and closer we ferried
To see the lady in the harbor.
On the island I could see her face
Her noble chiseled jaw
Her eyes were staring straight ahead
A mighty torch she held
To burn away the suffering,
the malice and the hate.
To purify the air
Of our every selfish thought.
She shows us how to care.
Without even saying a word.
Reminds us of our chains
That are bound upon her feet.
I feel the freedom in the air
Her protection and her strength.
Equality and love for all
She beams across the harbor.
We must fight to keep alive.
Those ideals that brought us here.
Inside her iron frame
The many stairs I climb
My heart is beating fast
My breath is keeping up.
Higher and higher we go
Reaching single file stairs.
I feel the sweat, the tears, the shame
Of those who’ve gone before.
Their love, their hopes, their families
She holds them all so dear
And at the top inside her crown
I see the book she holds.
It makes me feel so safe inside.
The book is never wavering
From the page that she is on.
The torch is always burning.
Every day she keeps us pure.
The wind is whistling through her
As she holds the steady gaze
And doesn’t move a muscle
To keep us safe from storms.
I’m glad I’ve made this journey.
And I’ll hold it in my heart.
Till this world becomes a safer place.
A sweeter, gentler, soft embrace.
A caring loving, kinder face.
I have been to the Statue of Liberty 3 times. And I am not done yet. She always transforms and moves me. These trips help me to hold on to my dream of a world so deeply bound by love, and connection, that there will be always be enough. For everyone. Let us make it happen.
The smallest creature
Is vibrating under your nose!
With brilliant colors
Under warm sun rays.
Keep your eyes open!
Or else the pictures in your life
Will all be the same
And the tiniest of miracles
will pass you by.
All of my thoughts laid bare before You
I breathe.
I am real.
Raw.
Honest.
Scared.
My memories burned into my brain
My hopes crashing like waves
My inspiration faltering
My all
My everything.
Open to be changed
Blessed
Healed
New
A thought I was
As the fierce wind blew.
A seed I became
flying through the dusty air.
A home I found
On the side of your house.
An empty spot
where there was only dirt.
A sprig, a green shoot
a small hardy life
Just trying to be.
No one noticed me.
I twisted and turned
and grew taller each day.
Pushed up shiny white petals
With a bright crimson center
A little lantern
With sewed up seams
Hid the tiny seed thoughts
That first started me.
And then I got attention.
A weed! Oh no!
I was forcefully pulled
Out of my home.
But those little seed thoughts
Dropped into the soil
And Grew me again
And again and again!
I know that you’re watching.
So I’ll just keep peeking at you!
And I’ll stay very still
You won’t even know
That I fly
so unusually fast
Hovering between this world
And the next
Speeding across the universe
Beating my heart
across the continents.
I’m having a quiet moment
But don’t expect that to last!
Soon I’ll pass you by
Spreading my joy
In a flutter of wings
With a high whistling song.
And a nectar embrace.
I totally get where this little guy is coming from. Thigh high in snow, and he’s probably thinking where the heck are the worms? He is as sick of winter as I am. Just thought I’d pass on a little humor. His expression was priceless.
The sunshine is alive
Dancing and jumping
Bouncing off the sky
Running across the leaves
Working with the wind
To create a dazzling display.
Teasing us with its fickle rays
Here 1 day and gone the next.
Enjoy me while you can
It seems to say.
Feel my warmth.
I’ll bless your crops.
And give you mirth.
But I will leave
When it needs to rain.
I can’t sit still or listen to you
So I’m going far away
Down a long windy road
On my bumpy bike ride
Over the roots and the stones
and the little piss-ants.
I will fill my head
with the fast roaring air!
My toes are squooshing on sand.
And I’ll only stop
Where lady slippers grow
By the side of the trees
With the ballet slipper ties
Curling like tendrils
Shining like homespun gold.
Linda Strickland - Nature Restores Me 