It is still somewhat strange to go outside to see everything greening, leaves unfurling, flowers opening, and so on. The experience becomes beautiful not only for how it is but also for how it is different from the barren stillness of these past cold months. With the return of the green to Michigan comes many, …
These last few months have been a difficult winter for many. The arctic winds raced southward, ice thickened, and snow piled ever higher. After the last few very mild winters, the Cailleach seemed to be more than making up for lost time. Grumbled curses on the winter from the human peoples endlessly rumble from every …
Below is an excerpt from my essay “In these Hidden Places: An Ecology of Wild Beauty” appearing in the current issue of the journal Written River from Hiraeth Press. This essay explores the engagement of wild beauty in nature and the effect it has on personal psychospiritual development. Written River is a free journal, full …
Continue reading Written River, A Journal of Eco-Poetics from Hiraeth Press
It is Winter 2014 in the Northern Hemisphere, and here in Western Michigan it has been COLD. The high temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) for the past few days has stayed well below freezing, sometimes in or near to the single digit range, and with the wind chill it easily drops down towards the negatives. The …
~ Crane's wing sweeps floating like snowfall Sweetly poised, graceful dancer elegant hunter, steady watcher Bugling call shakes dust from the soul opening the inner sight to wondrous colors ~ Months ago, I was stunned into awed, motionless silence. I had never heard the rattling duet of paired Sandhill Cranes, and all I could do …
As I said in my previous post, I will be sharing stories from time spent with trees. The assumption I was given to make about specific animal or tree kinds mentioned in the stories was that the story is told from a regional perspective, meaning things as they happened or are understood by the trees …
Continue reading Mythwork: Darkening of the Cherry – A Tree Story
Balanced lightly there On springy evergreen limb Ornamental perch Author's Notes... I have loved watching the birds at the feeders my dad keeps stocked with seed in the cold months ever since I can remember. It is a habit now to notice birds on the ground, on the railings, in the sky, on the water, …
Continue reading Pretty Bird, Pretty Bird – Haiku Catchoo! (Final Fifth)
-One never quite knows where, when, or how an encounter with Awen will strongly encircle the awareness; I do my best in these instances to allow the encircling Awen to flow in. This short poem fragment and its accompanying photo will hopefully enable me to share the moment with you. ~Riotous Dance of the Dying~ …
Beautiful, cool August morning here in west Michigan. The sun hadn't yet evaporated the dew from the grasses at the park, so boots, jean hems, and the dog were soaked in short order. Reds and golds of the approaching autumn are beginning to peek out from still-vibrant bushes and tree limbs. The central ring at …
A Vital Recognition 