Morning light bathes
my face and filigrees
the edges of leaves like halos.
The soul-stirring cry
of a red-tailed hawk rings
out as she flies searching
across the sky.
If I close my eyes,
I hear a gopher chomping
roots; lizards scurrying
from bush to bush;
a sparrow scratching
the dirt for grubs.
Bees buzz behind my chair
as they dust pollen
from succulent blossoms.
Hummingbirds whiz by
my shoulder at full throttle.
A distant wild turkey
calls forlornly for his mate,
and other bird species
converse in languages
I don’t yet comprehend.
Even the far-off hum
of a car down on the road
and faint voices
from the other side of the valley
play across my awareness—
sights and sounds
of a perfectly abundant life.
(published in Women’s Spiritual Poetry: Journey of the Heart)