queso menonita…

morning commute
drivetime liturgy
npr, coffee
thoughts
adriftlourdes garcía-navarro
colony Mennonites
in Chihuahua
México
past and present
drift together
a rich
monk’s blend
aroma
overturned spade
loamy childhood subsoil
circularity
serendipity
under the compost
digging
I uncover…los mochis
missionary exodus
powder blue Ford galaxy
cargo aboard the iron ship
ferrocarril del pacífico

virgin
train ride
nine year-old
eyes rapt in awe
gaping
copper canyon
carved out of
earth

packed bags
traveling shoes
leaving
going
somewhere
cuatemoc stop
overnight sojourn
strange colony
vaguely familiar
yet different

factory visit
wheels of cheese
queso menonita
tangy, pungent
fecund

Autumn…

 For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
AMEN.

Paraclete

Paraclete
i need fire,
to be inspired
i am overwhelmed,
yes and I am tired
to do the tasks of day to day
i’ve exhausted all the platitudes
the ones you gave to me
i need fire
i need truth,
for i am a liar
easily convince myself
to obfuscate desires
that come from God,
i do not trust
i will get just what i want
instead of what i must
i [...]

Kindergarten…back to school…and the gifts of God…

Jansen started kindergarten yesterday. Hard to believe. He was ready. Mackenzie in 3rd grade. Hollyn not wanting to be left behind.
I went back on Monday. I picked up the vaguely familiar teaching role and quickly eased back into its comfortable fit. It is great to be back in the classroom, to look out at the [...]

The Naturalist…

Exploring the pond habitat…frogging…fishing… Jansen the enthusiastic field biologist, revels in the muddy adventure of capturing bullfrogs.
It brings to mind the writings of Annie Dillard.
The pond is popping with life. Midges are swarming over the center, and the edges are clotted with the jellied egg masses of snails. One spring I saw a snapping turtle [...]

Kenosis

All, he had all
more than anyone else
before
since
not claimed
not insisted
perfect in possession
native
released
exchanged for nothing
nothing but
a bending
a bowing
the wiping of feet
he himself
had formed.
–Dave Nixon

Gerard Manley Hopkins

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stone ring; like each tucked string tells,
each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves–goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying What I do is [...]

A poem for today…

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for [...]

Baby Tortoise

You know what it is to be born alone,
Baby tortoise!
The first day to heave your feet little by little from the shell,
Not yet awake,
And remain lapsed on earth,
Not quite alive.
A tiny, fragile, half-animate bean.
To open your tiny beak-mouth, that looks as if it would never open,
Like some iron door;
To lift the upper hawk-beak from the [...]

Living with the questions

Be patient toward all that is unresolved in your heart, and try to love the questions themselves.

—Rainer Marie Rilke
These are beautiful, grace-filled words. They speak out of a wisdom that holds together Truth and Love.
I will remember these words as I enter a new year on this journey, as I seek deeper communion with God, [...]