Letter To Earth

Every day is Earth Day, of course, but it is particularly noted on April 22nd when folks show support in various ways for environmentally friendly projects. It's easy to forget how rare our existence on Earth is in the cosmic scheme of things, although it is inconceivable to think that in the vastness of outer space life does not exist elsewhere. But for now, Mother Earth is all we have to care for and enjoy, inspiring my poem for What's Going On and Poets and Storytellers United.

How interesting it would be to rediscover the world through the eyes of a cat, especially this cat's eyes that seem to mirror the globe.  

Explore more at What's Going On, Poets and Storytellers United, SKYWATCH and Saturday's Critters.

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

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Symbols Of Calm

Anxiety doesn't want to be met with more anxiety. Calm is required when overwhelming tasks are ahead and it occasionally arrives by taking extended deep breaths or found in symbols of quiet fortitude like that of my garden Buddha friend.

   

Positive reminders can mean a lot for what they represent. As I understand it, Buddhism is not about denying the ups and downs of our emotions and struggles but rather the cultivation of inner stability in a world rife with human-caused chaos and natural disasters. My garden Buddha has sat in my garden for years to inspire, not saying a word, but resulting in my few words for Poets and Storytellers United and What's Going On.

Sometimes serenity is just a thought or glance away from the fray of everyday.

A stirring line from a poem or song, a fleet of clouds, a whisper of waves in the water or ripples in the sand suggest there is more than we know to life's story.

Calm can arrive by surprise like a bird that lands lightly on a branch unexpectedly.

Explore more at What's Going On, Poets and Storytellers United, SKYWATCH and Saturday's Critters.

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

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Confidantes In The Clouds

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” — Anais Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934

Our most non-judgmental friends, who don't say a word and might have animal friends of their own, are our pets that bring us solace and open our eyes to creature worlds.

Long-lasting or brief, some human relationships are more memorable than others. While friendships can fade or end in betrayal, others are resilient and deepen. A poem I wrote earlier and the Anais Nin quote (above) is my response to "reply to something someone else wrote", the Poets and Storytellers United prompt.

As Nin suggests, we broaden our insights when entering into a closeness with others and learn about ourselves along the way. Friends treat each other's vulnerabilities with respect and provide safe haven for honest conversation. We learn empathy from one another and acceptance of imperfections. Trust develops when a friendship is true. Friends encourage us and stick by us in the darkest of times.

When clouds brew, friends are supportive and tell truths no one else would dare do. And now in a world Anais Nin never knew, there are chatbot AI companions existing somewhere in the Cloud where computer programs are our confidantes and pretend friends. So as a backup, should any of these fizzle like mine did at age six, let us be our own best friend and befriend others as well as the planet that sustains us all.

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United, SKYWATCH and Saturday's Critters.

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

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Welcome Back

There can be no misunderstanding that this is the welcoming sign I like to see.

Spring is almost here and first blooms have appeared.

Perhaps she sees clouds in her bucket ...

and he, stars in the sand.

Leaves are still sleeping but will soon fill the land.

Snow will melt, maybe flow over seaside pathways and down city streets.

Contemplating the Poets and Storytellers United prompt "misunderstood" along my way, life has shown how challenging it can be to communicate personal truths honestly and yet far too easy, especially nowadays, to manipulate objective truths.

Like people, the facts fall prey to oversimplifications and easily ascribed false motives, although they are man's best friends who say what we sometimes don't want to hear.

Mark Twain is quoted as saying: "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please." Pursuit of truth is the calling we all share to make a better world.

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United, SKYWATCH and Saturday's Critters.

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

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Survival Instincts

When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind. - C.S. Lewis

Life is a gift so I want to make the most of it, capturing the sights along my way. At the same time, I am not numb to these historic moments and the odd fact that there's a willingness by some to drift into fascism. This and the Poets and Storytellers United prompt to "focus on a letter of the alphabet" resulted in the prose below.

Both lemmings and bushy tailed squirrels are rodents with a sense of self-preservation.

I've seen none of the former to my knowledge in person but plenty of the latter.

Replacements will be planted for the trees (above) cut down. Local creatures are now deprived of these nesting places but the logs will become human homes and all manner of other useful things that spring from the imagination.

I recently received the lovely postcard (above) depicting a crow by artist Paul Windsor.

They say crows are highly intelligent birds and that their survival instincts are strong.

Crows and ducks have replaced seagulls at the beach this past while.

One stone by the shore reminded me of the pyramid at the Louvre Museum.

I had the good fortune to explore the museum years ago. You can see my visit HERE.

A mallard pair swam gracefully along the shore.

The water changed hues from moment to moment.

At times it captured the underlying ocean greenery.

At times it reflected the sky.

Like the mirroring sea, our thoughts, passions, fears and goals are manifested in everyday surroundings and across the globe the way leaves fill the trees.

Imagine and dream wisely.

Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United, SKYWATCH and Saturday's Critters.

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

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Happy Valentine's Day, Canada, & National Flag Day

The creative interpretation you see shimmering from behind the glass represents the pride, love and loyalty Canadians feel for their country, particularly in turbulent times. I saw this framed version (above) in a shop a few years back. Canada's earlier flag was the Canadian Red Ensign, designed to include the Union Jack and Canada's coat of arms. In 1965, the unifying maples seen from coast to coast helped inspire a re-imagining so that our current flag is fashioned with a single leaf. National Flag of Canada Day is on February 15th, following Valentine's Day on February 14th.

In my neck of the woods, the leaves have yet to return, branches are bare and a dusting of snow lingers. When the sun appears, it seems to cast thousands of sequins out onto the ocean waters. My photo and added animation do not adequately convey the mesmerizing dancing sparkles that truly are a magical sight.

Explore more at SKYWATCH, WEEKEND REFLECTIONS and IMAGE-IN-ING.

Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report.

HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT