life: acoustic & amplified

poetry, quotes & thoughts about life

Archive for the category “Adventure”

you otter know…

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I was walking in the forest
I was feeling all alone
The birds and bees were sleeping,
the weeping willow weeping

Then I heard a little creature
Start moving oh so slow
and the little brook began to play
music with its toes
the woodpecker was keeping time
upon that tall oak tree
and I could not help start dancing
cause I knew it was for me
and as I whirled and twirled about
I came upon a log
where the beaver and the otter
were acting more like hogs
and then they each began to croon
they’re words were oh so rare
I stood there for a moment
my foot still in the air

and they sang to me…

You otter know I love you
loved you from the start
(well, if you’ll beaver me
then I’ll beaver you
You never walk alone)
You otter know I love you
love your precious heart
(well, beaver me it’s true
I’ve always loved you
You’re never far from home)

and the band it just kept playing
and my happy heart did gasp
Cause this was so much better
than that silly talking a**
uhhh donkey

Then my heart it felt so happy
and my eyes at last could see
That though I hadn’t been aware
You’d never once left me
and as I danced on down that path
I swear I sang this song
The one my friends had written,
which had been there all along

and I sang…

You otter know I love you
loved you from the start
(if you’ll beaver me
then I’ll beaver you
You never walk alone)
You otter know I love you
love your precious heart
(beaver me it’s true
I’ve always loved you
You’re never far from home

So as I must now end this tale
I want you all to see
that I am not so special
you’re just as loved as me
So come along don’t hesitate
hurry up, don’t wait
just find the groove
dance all day long
help me sing our song…

You otter know I love you
loved you from the start
(if you’ll beaver me
then I’ll beaver you
You never walk alone)
You otter know I love you
love your precious heart
(beaver me it’s true
I’ve always loved you
You’re never far from home

ACL 2/5/15

Ephesians 1:4
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
New Living Translation

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photo source tracks found at

upside down

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What happens when things turn upside down?
It’s funny you should ask
I’ve spent my lifetime finding out
Some answers to just that-

An umbrella becomes a birdbath
A hat becomes a bowl
A plate can get quite messy
If it’s loaded up with food
like meatloaf and potatoes
and lots of gravy too
An opossums probably acting dead
A fish may really be
A gorilla stays a gorilla
‘butt’ It’s quite the sight to see

North is South
and South is North
polar opposites
the mirror now reflects my feet
where my teeth used to be

The cloud’s all silver lining
The rainbow’s now a smile
The floor becomes the ceiling
The ceiling’s now a floor

And when my life turned upside down
Then certain things came clear
How little some things mattered
How other things were dear
How difficult to show my heart
Important though it is
How much it costs to sing my songs
Though for them, do I live
There’s so much more to tell you
and I’ll try share it all
in hopes if you turn upside down
You’re ready for the fall
It’s really very simple
though very hard to see
That living upside down
Is the best that life can be

cause He said:

3 β€œBlessed are those who have nothing to bring,
for they will be owning the kingdom.
4 Blessed are those with the most broken of hearts,
comfort and love they are given.
5 Blessed are those who choose to be gentle,
they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who seek me with passion,
they will be feasting in fashion.
7 Blessed are the forgivers,
for they will be those forgiven.
8 Blessed are those who have gone through the fire,
for they will fly high from the pyre.
9 Blessed are the ones who march in peace,
for they will be called God’s children.
10 Blessed are those who do hard things, who speak the truth of God they have experienced in the face of losing family and friends,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, treat you bad, lie about you and spread gossip about you because of what you speak.
12 Be happy, filled with joy and gladness, because great is your reward in heaven, you aren’t alone. It’s always been hard for those who color outside the lines, who walk around upside down and let their guts show….*

I don’t claim to understand it
It makes no sense at all
Yet I can’t deny the way I’m blessed
By following this call

ACL 2/4/15

* my interpretation of The Beatitudes found in Matthew 5: 1-12

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photo source tracks found at

dreaming

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If I could lift that corner of sunlight that slants
that cuts a dashing swath of burnt yellow across the room,
I would swirl it around without a care and toss it
across my shoulders and breathe in its warmth,
its musty breathe redolent with time without end.

I would huddle within its glorious arms, sinews melting,

and dream of fields under a summer sky.

Rama Desai
https://ramaink.wordpress.com

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Gayatri Prayer

You who are the source of all power,
Whose rays illuminate the world,
Illuminate also my heart
So that it too can do Your work.
πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™
While reciting this prayer, visualize the sun’s rays streaming forth into the world, entering your heart, then streaming from your heart’s center back into the world.
πŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’žπŸ’ž

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source photo trackbacks found at

listen to the day

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Beautiful photo by Kerri DeBlasi
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,
and beyond these windows

the government buildings smothered,
schools and libraries buried, the post office lost
under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling.

In a while, I will put on some boots
and step out like someone walking in water,
and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,
and I will shake a laden branch
sending a cold shower down on us both.

But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,
a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.
I will make a pot of tea
and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,
as glad as anyone to hear the news

that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,
the Ding-Dong School, closed.
the All Aboard Children’s School, closed,
the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,
along withβ€”some will be delighted to hearβ€”

the Toadstool School, the Little School,
Little Sparrows Nursery School,
Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School
the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,
andβ€”clap your handsβ€”the Peanuts Play School.

So this is where the children hide all day,
These are the nests where they letter and draw,
where they put on their bright miniature jackets,
all darting and climbing and sliding,
all but the few girls whispering by the fence.

And now I am listening hard
in the grandiose silence of the snow,
trying to hear what those three girls are plotting,
what riot is afoot,
which small queen is about to be brought down.

Snow Day By Billy Collins

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snow!!! πŸ’ž

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Photo by Fisherman Dan @ Branford, CT

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backyard tree and pig by me πŸ˜ƒ

The whole world is a poem today
I walked 2 miles in snow paradise
Hoping I would remember each amazing
Beautiful
Breathtaking
Moment
Even the port-a-potty
Looked romantic
Covered in it’s white cap
With it’s blue door welcoming
the desperate stranger
I found a discarded pair of snow pants
Hoping the loser
Was some place warm by now
It was too wet to use my phone
So it stayed in my pocket
Until…
I made the most amazing snow angel EVER
And couldn’t resist trying to get a quick shot
I was mostly alone in my magical land except for the occasional snow plow doing it’s duty
and one lone woman raking piles off her car
Hoping to get somewhere safely
I tramped through piles of unmarked snow,
Dirty black muddy snow
And Slushy melting snow
splashing on my boots
I followed some footprints
which were so far apart
I had to take two large steps to reach each one
I wondered if it was a yeti getting his snow on?
I felt like I was an explorer off on a great adventure
Like Sir Edmund Hillary climbing Mt Everest
Ha! Visions of grandeur.
I battled the elements
Legs feeling new muscles
not used in a coons age
My gloves got wetter and wetter
From the snow,
and oops,
I forgot tissues again
It was like walking in a just shaken
snow globe world
(Without the dizzy side effects)
I cleared a spot of heavy drift
and sat briefly on a bench until the wet
freezing thru my pants
forced me get up and dance
The water and sky were gray
Meeting about 50 feet from the non-existent shoreline
no beach today in highest tide
Seagulls and ducks floated on the water
Watching the beauty
having conversations about it
I think they were excited to see me
by the amount of chatter between them
On my second mile I stopped back by my brilliant snow angel
Already filling in
I fought my way back up and down
past the river
Where I stopped for another
eye-feast of beauty
making my way carefully
so not to slip
Thinking of another
fun-friend-shared snow day
when I did.
It never gets old
This walk
This view
This gorgeous world
I hear my breathing
In steady rhythm with my steps
My core is as well heated
As my nose is cold and drippy
I make one last snow angel
outside the kitchen window
and then strip in the mud room.
Soaked to my chilled-reddened skin
I laugh as I run up the stairs
for warm dry clothes
Full of joy
and exhausted
I settle in to write it,
then on to a nice book
and a warm cup of potato soup
Buddy the dog
had an adventure in the snow
this morning as well
and is now sleeping off his excitement.
I watch the snow dance
outside the window
as I wash morning dishes
teasing me to come back out and play
the snow angel winks at me
I realize we know each others secrets
It knows my delight in it
I know it’s truth and beauty
We are more than friends
I have just been intimate with this storm
We are lovers
Yes, I have made love to the world
For the last hour and a half
and I am completely satisfied

3/8/13

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Beautiful photos by Fisherman Dan @ Branford, CT

Yeats: The world is full of magic things/patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.

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Nick Ortner

🐱 furry friends

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I know. I know.
they are limited, have different
needs and
concerns.

but I watch and learn from them.
I like the little they know,
which is so
much.

they complain but never
worry,
they walk with a surprising dignity.
they sleep with a direct simplicity that
humans just can’t
understand.

their eyes are more
beautiful than our eyes.
and they can sleep 20 hours
a day
without
hesitation or
remorse.

when I am feeling
low
all I have to do is
watch my cats
and my
courage
returns.

I study these
creatures.

they are my
teachers.

my cats by Charles Bukowski

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More photos and cute videos @
http://news.distractify.com/matt-buco/ninja-cats-you-will-never-find/

It was a very good day…the bravest are the tenderest…it takes courage to bear Light in the world…Beauty, Donna Knutson

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Go and open the door.
Maybe outside there’s
a tree, or a wood,
a garden,
or a magic city.

Go and open the door.
Maybe a dog’s rummaging.
Maybe you’ll see a face,
or an eye,
or the picture
of a picture.

Go and open the door.
If there’s a fog
it will clear.

Go and open the door.
Even if there’s only
the darkness ticking,
even if there’s only
the hollow wind,
even if
nothing
is there,
go and open the door.

At least
there’ll be
a draught.

The Door by Miroslav Holub, from Poems Before & After, translated from the original Czech by Ian Milner et al. (Bloodaxe Books, 2006). Text as posted on Scottish Poetry Library.
http://www.ayearofbeinghere.com

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Sunrise @ Branford Point, CT this fine chilly morning! My challenge was to get out of the nice, warm covers! SO worth it!! xo

go slow. be safe. – Joanna Ober

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homecoming

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But tired of land, we open ourselves to oceans, tired of time
we give back all that we’ve taken, tired of ourselves
we open ourselves to ourselves at last, sensing the waves
and great abyss of the sea beyond,
the ocean stretching on sand
and the long view on the still sea that leads to another life.

We go out as the fish go out, leaving the taste
of the rivers we know, joining the dark, invisible weight
of what we would become, the calm sense of movement
seeing the others forming our shoals, and the scales
on our sides filling the depth with trembling stars.

In that depth, return’s instinctual, the moon harvests
the long years and binds them in sheaves in a circle,
and we return too, for home from the sea we come to the river,
turning the oceans face toward land
opening to silence
as the salmon opens to the sweet water in a saltless stream…

Time Left Alone by David Whyte

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I spend this day
Moving into
ruthless
radical
Trust
I confess
I weep
I let go
I praise
I let go more
I move into new areas
Of hope and faith
I walk to the shore
Every rock glitters
I talk to my favorite seagull
‘Lefty’
I can tell it’s him
When he lets his empty leg down
Speckles I know immediately
From those red-brown dots on his cheeks
They move over as I get too close –
I am not a seagull after all –
They must keep some distance
Not trusting humans
as they do their creator.
I cant resist glittering rocks
Colorful shells
The sparkling glory of God
Is everywhere
How do I not remember all this glitter?
I am aware of the world
Connection
Trusting all of life
As I live trust
into this new moment
of life
of spring
Signs are everywhere
Flowers and buds
appearing before my very eyes
All of nature trusting.
Only humans, like me,
Struggle to trust.
Only I
think I can handle my own life
Think I am separate
Think I must do it all on my own
Earn my worth
Prove my value
By hiding who I really am
Like I have done anything to put myself here
Like I can pretend that I don’t need
or that Im not enough
that I can be someone Im not –
what arrogance have I been taught?
What Foolishness have I held on to?
What silliness and damning lies have I refused to let go of?
I fall on my knees
in humble thankfulness –
I am not my own
I am THE beloved
Lord, I trust
Open my eyes
Renovate my heart
Help my untrusting
Bring me home

ACL 3/15/13

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just knock

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In Matthew 7:7 Jesus told us to ask, seek and Knock and the door will open. It’s written as a guarantee.

Our only responsibility is to want the door to open.

25 years ago I came to that door. I raised my hand and I knocked.

I began an adventure, which is healing my life and has lead me right here. I have found that the secret to curing both my insecurity and my arrogance is to seek who God is – and I have come to be humbly aware that even my seeking is because He sought me first and the ability to want Him, somehow comes from His wanting me.

My relationship with Love (because God = Love) has steadily changed and grown, as has my awareness of the mystery, magnitude and wonder of who He is.

Along the pathway I have been granted the tiniest of mind-blowing glimpses, which are almost more than I can comprehend. They always take my breath away and I stagger when fiery glory becomes visible, as only God can reveal, because only a moment before it looked to me like another ordinary bush. These glimpses always reveal the ridiculousness of my own desire for self-importance, and free me to release any need for performance or perfection.

As I have discovered grace, I see just how little this great God needs me, or you – but, oh, how much He wants me and you! It is the desire of God to know and be known by us and He was willing to become helpless and give His very life to enter into that intimacy we call relationship. We are each His most beloved and as I began the journey of accepting myself, warts and all, as truly loved and worthy of belonging, I find I can also love you, with your warts, as I do myself.

These things blow my mind, This great love pours over me and gives me courage and passion. It allows me to share myself, my life and songs with you. I believe it is the only thing that could possibly allow someone like me to fall so deeply in love that I lay aside my personal desires, to become transparent and vulnerable, willing to endure the shame of the cross of Christ. I surrender to a plan I really can’t even understand, much less have any control over, yet know for certain is so much more valuable than I could ever even imagine!

Every day, I am surprised to find myself here. I am the most unlikely pilgrim ever, and I gratefully think about these strange things and say, along with every other person who has ever experienced this amazing love,

WHO AM I, that You would love someone like me? I am not much, but I am yours, please help me be all You have created me to be, take me, use me. Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Yes, here am I, send me.
ACL 1/14/15

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God does not change, but He uses changeβ€”to change us. He sends us on journeys that bring us to the end of ourselves. We often feel out of control, yet if we embrace His leading, we may find ourselves on the ride of our lives.
– Jen Hatmaker

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