Tag Archives: daily living

The Scope of Being

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And when I glimpse that I am
perfectly companioned,
perfectly mentored,
provided with my perfect place

When I glimpse the scope of being
that Spirit has ordained for me,
is it surprising
that I should look with puzzlement
on all these objects of the day,
that I should wonder
why their particulars
would even matter?

If I look through, though,
to what I really care about,
I see that each of these —
the objects of my daily life —
must be embraced within
the wondrous promises,
must be lit up, reclaimed, redeemed,
must stand as proof
of everything I’ve glimpsed is true.

©Wendy Mulhern
December 10, 2017

Questions

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And in these mostly indoor days,
these indoor preparation days
of dusting and of vacuum cleaning,
sorting through and seeking meaning

What thoughts emerge, what entertainment
plays upon my mind? What dreams
might I remember, what stories
do I find?

And have I caught the blessing
of the half moon through bare trees
at four? And of the birch leaves at noon
that left their limbs like a flock of birds?
And the moments, and their gratitude
when I notice the particulars of the day?

©Wendy Mulhern
November 27, 2017

Tending Fire

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As taught by tending fire,
having words for these things
doesn’t mean I know them

The fire teaches me
to pay attention,
the rules that I’m applying
don’t need more refining
so much as faithfully adhering

So in fire tending
I go wordless,
letting the flames do the talking,
letting them draw
their foreordained conclusion.

©Wendy Mulhern
November 19, 2017

Walking Meditation

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I walk like a whisper
in the time when dark
is turning light,
when people are up
because they have to
(so it seems to me)
lights on, cars starting up,
while other houses sleep

Around my hands and arms
and in my breath, the gift —
the gift of presence
and the almost-tasted promise
of being dearly loved

Along the sidewalks,
in the grass, and in the street,
my feet step dutiful —
not yet tuned in, perhaps,
to the day’s blessings.

©Wendy Mulhern
November 17, 2017

Vigil

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It seems right and appropriate
to drop everything for vigil
but on the fifth day
(or the eighth, by some counts)
the waiting seems interminable
and the tasks that wait at home —
cooking beans, paying bills —
seem suddenly attractive
as does, in general,
having something to do
besides waiting

I seem to have forgotten
there is more to it —
holding space,
being doula
for the transfer of the mantle
from father to son,
peace settling on all shoulders . . .

©Wendy Mulhern
October 27, 2017

Mid October

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Seamless, memeless,
October slides into its second half,
morning dew replaced by morning fog,
pine needles falling

Strong south wind blows through bright sunlight,
bringing, mid-afternoon, its signature overcast,
chill creeps into the house,
I turn on the heat

Vigil and comfort by turns
occupy the twilight,
earlier each evening.
What we are made of,
springing ever new,
will bring us through.

©Wendy Mulhern
October 16, 2017

Of Life and Plans

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Life has its own plans,
so they say,
squirrel in the hawthorn
bobbing the ends of branches
as the dark day prepares
to roll toward darker
and the old man,
not amenable to our schedule,
still sits at the table with his tea,
not drinking much,
though the clock ticks
and the hands circle round

I may turn frequently
in my seat,
looking for the next thing,
but life is right here
working out its own design.

©Wendy Mulhern
October 12, 2017

Private Conversations

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1.
The wind in my ears
as we rode through the rain
on our bikes — a whistle it made
with my hair or my jacket,
that only I could hear

2.
The sun on my head
(just a square, just there)
as I napped on the couch
on the screened porch —
silent but warmly expressive

3.
Various unexplained hungers —
my stomach demanding
but not specifying —
well who does it think it is anyway?
Why should I listen to it?

©Wendy Mulhern
August 30, 2017

Use of Voice

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It seems reasonable
that at this time of life
I come to the place
where my personal issues
are solved, where I no longer stress
over image or performance,
no longer ever feel down,
discouraged, ashamed

There is, after all, much to do
in standing up for the free voice
of everyone, for the triumph of Spirit
over all obstacles, for the grand dissolving
of all that touts itself as power
but doesn’t shelter.
Only what serves life
gets to live. Only what liberates
deserves a voice.

©Wendy Mulhern
August 29, 2017

Today (in sum)

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Evening creeps, almost unseen,
into the room,
today’s triumphs soften
and its brilliance cools

It’s  been an unassuming day,
but graced with a sense of rightness,
bathed in holy light,
rinsed in the comfort
of dawning goodness,
everything as it belongs

People come back from their festivals
where they went, hoping to be changed,
and maybe they are,
and maybe from here
we’ll amazingly
find ourselves uniting
in the dignity of every blessed day.

©Wendy Mulhern
August 25, 2017