Sunday, June 24, 2018

Casting


 

Bubbles lead me down the alleyway.
I gather windblown trash and plop it into the rubbish bin.
A little further, kissed by the cooling breeze, I spy a discarded bloom.
A daylily blossom...
its' lifespan so short already, this one not even fully open.
I hold it to my nose and inhale its still alive fragrance.
Headed for the bridge, I know just how to honor this bedraggled bud...
Along the way, I spy a quartzite on the sidewalk.
Perhaps a youngster found it further up,
in the dirt bedding the towering metal flowers.
Then, either distracted or caught by a clueless adult,
drops it...
I pocket it.
Our wide Creek looks more to me a river.
I gaze upstream, midway across the bridge.
Making a wish, uttering a prayer, then drop my daylily
into the water.
Hurrying to the opposite side, so as to see it emerge
beneath me.
My phone rings...
My husband hears me happily exclaim,"There it is!"
instead of hello.
I explain.
He utters an endearing, "Only you."
Our conversation cuts short by a "Call Alarm."
I love you's exchanged, my Medic Mate returns to work and
I return to my quiet venture.
I watch my daylily float downstream towards shallow falls.
"Cast your cares like bread upon the waters," comes to mind.
An angler casts his line.
Clouds cast shade upon us.
I look up to meandering shapes, grateful for the momentary sun cover and breeze.
Wishes float by on the breeze,
from aged dandelions casting young seedlings to live.
A yellow flicker distracts me.
A tuxedo'd canary colored bird casts its song upon the air,
as it feasts upon large purple thistle.
I think of a friend who always tells me when a similiar bird visits her yard.
I snap a picture and cast a hug upon cyberspace.
I am grateful for available ease to reach out to loved ones as such.
I cast one more inhaling look upon the waters, the ducks and bird feasting...
There, near the thistle is a bill,  too far to see its worth.
I pray a need will be met by its finder.
Onward toward a local coffee shop...
a chirping raucous draws my attention.
In a sliver between a windowsill and brick wall, a Mama feeds her chicks.
I miss my own.
"A fine day," says a passerby.
"Blessed," I reply.
Spices and brewed caffeine greet my entry,
as a metal fisherman casts his line into a coffee table basket.
Here, I enter a treasure trove, where artists cast their inspiring creations
and hopes, to pay their bills.
Not merely inspired, I also purchase, little what I can.
Upstairs, a cream 'shmeered' bagel and brew is breakfast,
as I cloud-gaze out an ancient rusty window.
Delightful!
Returning home, I admire the Quaker Friends' garden and its sweet scents.
Bee balm and larkspur infuse my inhalation.
I choose a read from their roadside 'library' and
scoop up a few pieces of windblown trash.
I spy a shiny penny from Heaven, but
I leave it for a younger 'I Spy-er.'
Bubbles greet me as I round our corner.
The Soap Shop casts fresh perfume onto the lane.
I smile.
It is Sunday.
It is home,
here on North Beaver Street.


Thursday, June 7, 2018

Jawbreaker or Gumdrop

Scrolling back on past blogs, I am reminded that we are here in York, Pennsylvania because we did not allow fear to lead us.  Our journey seemingly began back in September 2016, when Chris interviewed but can be traced back to Kayla's moving to Virginia the year prior or even the year prior when we 'lost' a million dollar deal.  Poignant times in our lives, we are able to stop and see a crossroads or a north star which led to where we are at this very moment.  Whatever the current case, it is also good to look back and see what we have already surpassed and overcome, to give us that little nudge we need to bypass fears once again.
this was my post back in June 2010:
This morning I buried a snake. It was a venomous monstrous python! Actually, it was skinny and maybe measured two feet if it hadn’t been curled in half and squashed. Having discovered it earlier lying in the road in front of our house, I had proceeded to go about my merry way ignoring its existence. But it wouldn’t be ignored. It hovered around the back of my mind like a thorn in my sock. So, I went back outside to investigate. Keeping my distance, I snapped a picture and texted it to a few loved ones. We joked about it for a bit but then I got the notion that I should probably bury it. After all, even a snake deserves a decent burial.
Now, anyone who knows me also knows that I am a little squeamish when it comes to worms and snakes. In fact, I have been known to be terrified of even pictures of snakes! I asked God to help me, grabbed a shovel and armed myself with Philippians 4:13- “I CAN do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.” My neighbor Miss Joy came out to see what I was up to and Mr. Jim rode by on his motor chair. He informed us that it was a king snake-a good snake. “They keep the bad snakes away,” he assured. “Let me know if ya ever find a live one,” he said as he rode away. To which I answered, “Even from your house around the block, you’ll know I found a live one as you’ll definitely hear me!”
Following a simple funeral service complete with a Cross to mark its final resting place, I decided that this deceased serpent needed a name. “Slimy” and “Slick” just didn’t suit him and “Squash” just seemed a little disrespectful. Given the circumstances and listening to that still voice within my heart, I christened it…FEAR. I buried all my Fretful Exhaustive Anxious Restlessness. This morning, I buried FEAR in a shallow grave marked with a Cross. May it rest in peace!