One ray of sunlight
shines through a bank of grey clouds -
         April rain's last chance?

Does snow count for "April rain"?
"Eight for the April Rainers" from the Green Grow the Rushes song?

Egg, butter, flour,

baking powder, soda, salt -

      waffles on Wednesday!

 Latent lillies, ducks, 
seagulls, breeze-teased ripples, frogs -
       all sharing the pond.

Bare branches waving,
leaves tumbling across the lawn -
       spring breezes blowing.

 Dear God,

in the dark valleys and in pleasant pastures

it is reassuring to have a shepherd,

 someone who knows the landscape, 

 someone who has been here before,

 someone who knows where to find food and drink,

 someone to look after me, 

 someone who knows where to go as evening falls.

Thank you for being that someone. 

 

The Good Shepherd, Dupre, Julien, 1851-1910

 Carrot, onion, peas,
red pepper, garlic, 5 spice -
       fry and put on rice!

I guess there was celery too.

 Across lawns, bushes, 
up a tree, around, and down -
        Squirrels playing tag!

Sunshine and sixty,

maybe even seventy.

        Too warm? Too early? 

 Sink one inch, two, six,

one step after another -

      walking in to camp!

 

Sinking in the snow, that is! 

 

One small dark sky star

shines through (1) springtime bare branches -

        April ornament?

 

(1) "hangs in"?  Seems like that's pretty close to a famous haiku about the moon hanging....?

 With buds on maple,
ducks on pond, robin bobbin' -
       it must be spring - no?

 Dear Lord,

I met several strangers 

as I walked through this day.

Were you one of them?

Were you all of them?

I regret not paying more attention.

Help me see you more clearly in the people I meet tomorrow.

 

After months of snow - 

unvaryingly smooth, still -

      ripples on the pond! 

 I will (1) fly on your 
airline if your C.E.O
      flies main cabin - deal?

(1) maybe! 

Gray curl in sunlight,

Stretches, yawns, blinks, resettles -

       Ivan, hotel cat. 

Nice breakfast, found my

hat, walk to art museum -

      life smiling on us. 

Raising water (1) to

making electricity (2) -

        windmills do it all.

 

(1) with Archimedes screws, one level to another

(2) grinding grain, sawing lumber.... 

Yup  we're in The Netherlands - tulips today!

 Ok - I'm back. The thing was that we were heading off for this tulip cruise and we were getting shafted by Delta, but 2 or 3 gate officials and things worked out.  The Netherlands has been really lovely!  Tomorrow - the tulips!

Like coffee with cake, 

like quiet in the city -

      sunshine after rain.

 

And then I guess this is Sunday -

Dear Lord,

Thomas believed when he saw the wounds in your body.

Help us believe when we see the wounds in your world.

 

 Ok - I am taking a break. Yesterday was a really nice day until.........  

I need a day or two to let things settle and then I'll be back -

Beautiful Savior, Lord of Creation,

thank you for the joys of this resurrection day -

for hymns and "Alleluias" and cards and corsages, 

for eggs and bunnies and  butterflies and bouquets,

for rocket ships and basketball games and Thomas the Tortoise,

for brunches and buffets.

Thank you for touching my heart 

and bringing me new life

and walking with me each day

and assuring me that when this life is over

you will still be there.

So I am good.

But I pray today 

for those in places, high or low,

who are not walking in your way;

for those who think it is acceptable to bomb

civilian buildings and infrastructure;

for those who would take money from

the sick, the hungry, the homeless, the poor, 

and use it to buy guns and planes and warships. 

And most of all I pray today  

for mothers and fathers who are holding their children

in the piles of rubble where their homes used to be;

for farmers whose land has dried up and worn out;

for families who are at the mercy of violent gangs and corrupt governments,

or who find themselves alone in a strange land with no one to turn to; 

for anyone who for whatever reason 

does not see their way to an acceptable future.

So I pray for whatever it would take

that your Resurrection Joy would surface in their lives,

and that we all might live together in justice, kindness, and humility,

in the peace which comes from your heart to this our/your world.

And I pray in the name of Jesus,

Resurrected Prince of Peace. 

 

In rain, sleet, snow, ice,

and various darknesses -

         we start a garden.

 

          "we are a garden"? 

 

 

Pour boiling water

down a rabbit hole; you get -

        Yup - hot cross bunnies! 

 Above the rooftops,

behind night's cloudy blackness  -

      the stars still shine - no?

 

Not sure if "rooftops" is a little to trite, "Above the houses"?

And "the stars are shining" for a little more confident/optimistic last line?

Or, "full moon of Easter"? (there is always a full moon during Holy Week!) 

From Florida to

the moon and back - Artemis -

     five, four, three, two, one.......