(A poem for Earth Day in response to the words of Jesus where he says in Mark 16:15 proclaim the gospel to all creation.)
What is Good News?
To a river
To the sky
To a forest
To the trees
To the ocean
To the birds
To the bugs
To the bees
To the lakes
To the mountains
To the critters
In the seas
To all people
To the planet
To all creatures
You and me
So let us turn
Instead of burn
Let us listen
Let us learn
Let us practice
Let us preach
Until renewal
Is within reach
I.
It seems this year
More than ever
The fall colors are
Astounding me
They call me
To stop
Breathe deeper
Slower
Let my burdens fall
I drove up a winding road
Under a canopy
Of fall foliage
It felt like a giant hug
An invitation to joy
My heart rejoiced
II.
Walking in the woods today
The maple trees ablaze
Letting go
Leaf by leaf
Fluttering and falling
To join the ever growing piles
Dampened by the rain
That my tears
My sorrows
My loss and grief
One by one
Would softly fall away
Like the maple leaves
To Become mulchy piles
To feed proceeding generations
© Julie Clark 2021
Robins
Everywhere
On the wet grass
On the roof tops
In the air
Plenty of worms
For all
In this rich soil
On this fertile hill
No scarcity mentality
Just take what you need
For you and your family
Leave the rest
For the other birds
Residents and guest
Passing through
No need for hoarding
Or commodifying
These tasty treats
Oh that we would
Study the birds
And the fields
And the trees
Like our ancestors
Like Jesus
Learn a new way
An ancient way
Leading to
The path of life
The eagles on Sunday
Circling the waters
Taking turns
Diving for the fish
Over and over
Repeating the pattern
Again and again
The message is clear
Perseverance
Don’t give up.
© 2020 Julie Clark
The fruit trees
Have put on their new attire
Traded in the bare naked look
From buds to shawls of fragile blooms
Now with sturdy green working clothes
These garments will take them through the heat of summer
Their job, with branches stretching far into the sky
Collect all the glorious light coming their way
Transform the energy to feed the world
Fruit their goal, their hope, their song
No fruit, no life ahead
These trees will bear fruit
The leaves will do their job
And begin the cycle again
After the fruit is picked
Ripe and juicy
The old tired leaves will give
Their last hurrah
Decked out in the best of their colors
Gold, reds, oranges and yellows
The grand goodbye after all their labors
Before they fall to the ground
In storms of rain and wind
Will we like leaves
Live our lives
Dressed for the occasions
Of each stage of our being?
What are our goals, our passions?
Will they feed the lives coming after us?
How will we weather our storms and troubles?
Will we leave in a glorious hurrah
Having done all we can
To leave a rich inheritance
Of a life fully lived and a heart full of love
To the next generations?
© 2020 Julie Clark
Self Examination
Heart weigh and dissect
Examine content with care
Cold stone or warm love
Breathe
Can peace rule my day
Or worry fret it away
A deep breath will help
Deciduous
Trees finish their work
Shedding of best future hopes
Are we listening
© Julie Clark
If I listen
I will hear a variety of
Chirps, tweets and caws
Outside my window
The motors become background
To the symphony
If I listen
If I look
I will see the flowers
In the trees
The vibrant colors
In the garments swishing by
The mouths turning into smiles
If I look
If I smell
I will catch the aroma
Of spices in the air
The curries being prepared
The jasmine and frangipani
Dominating the fragrance of the path
If I smell
If I taste
I will savor the fruit and yogurt
In the lassie
The spices in the biryani
The ginger in the strong
Milky tea
If I taste
If I touch
I will feel the texture
Of the rich colorful fabrics
The weight of the children
In my lap
The cool tiles on bare feet
If I touch
© 2016 Julie Clark
Harbor grey
as the sky
Fog wisping off
the far islands
Evergreens
holding their color
Apple trees
across the road
ahead of the rest
with their joie de vivre
In full bloom
reminding us
this is the way to live
giving it all, everyday
not worrying about
tomorrow
provision of fruit
on it’s way
On the ferry
a bald eagle
showed us how to fish
from the shore
Made it look easy
with those wings
those eyes
Grateful to live near enough
to these island jewels
Summer time
they are full of
roaming tourists
from afar and
Orcas cruise the channels
Off season
has it own secrets
Quiet strength
building up
preparing for the
Glorious spring show.
© 2016 Julie Clark
Greenlake
Rain washing our faces
as we curve around the lake
A favorite city walk
for man and beast
Algae blooms
in the water,
so beautiful to see, yet
toxic
keeping swimmers
at bay
Not that many are interested
this time of year
The trees are
really turning now
in full fall gala
Nothing can stop them
(only a lightning bolt or
a person
with an ax who hates beauty,
driven to stamp out glory
wherever it is found)
Are there such people?
Yes, but they are few
in the minority –
don’t vote for them!
or sell them a gun!
Pray for them instead,
help them up
out of despair
Then tend to the remnants
of the garden we have left
Gently coax it back to life
The meek will, someday,
inherit the earth, after all.
© 2015 Julie Clark
Troubled
Woke up to an empty house
Troubles in this world
troubling my soul
Down by the water
should cheer me up
I’m searching for those messages
Flowers planted along Sunset Drive
Some still holding summer’s smile
others faded and shrivelled
I wish the eagles would come and chase away
my melancholy
Container ship passing by
What will it take to wean us from some of our comforts
so that others would be less poor?
Just giving up a cup of coffee causes major
upheaval in my head and heart
A tree is cut down
apparently because the roots are pulling up the sidewalk
Why don’t they just move the sidewalk?
They do in India
Inconvenient, yes, but spares the life of a tree
What is life worth to us anyways?
I feel we are mixed up about that question
I remember a wise man once said
“one’s life does not consist
in the abundance of his possessions”
He was warning us about greed
It’s a time in history again
where we need to be inconvenienced
stretched and changed
It is a time to value life and protect it
Desperate refugees
Unborn children
Trees
Our very planet
What will we do?
Will we listen to the voices of the wise
or close our ears and hearts
and hope it will all go away?
Oh, it will all go away
Quickly if we don’t do something
about our destructive ways
Life is fragile
delicate as
a butterfly’s wings
yet resilient
able to heal and restore
Let’s not push things beyond
the limit here
We still have time
© 2015 Julie Clark
Muster up your strength
gather your wits
grab a bike
hop a bus
catch the ferry
book a flight
or just put on
your shoes
follow the signs
and get out-of-town
It’ll do you a world of good
to slow down
change your point of view
breathe some fresh air
hear the wind in the trees
or the call of the gulls
Stop, look, and listen
for signs and messages
take beauty personally
this is for me
I too am beloved
© 2015 Julie Clark
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