Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Counting down


As days grow fewer
Till your arrival
I begin
To slide into longing
A dislodging of attention
From the here and now
To very soon
When you’ll see me
Watching for you
And I’ll see you seeing me.
These brilliant days
I will to stay
To be here for your eyes
These crickets
For your soothing 
These nights
For you.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 30, 2011



Monday, August 29, 2011

Gifts of Presence

After we talked
I sat in the dark
feeling the gift that she gave
like stars after a storm
like swans that suddenly appear
swimming under the dock
a whole family
youngsters almost grown
still gray, unflying
Such a trust they gave me then to swim so close
Such a trust she gave me now to sit so near
to let my words enfold her in my love
and let us both be lifted by our truth
Of all the things today I might remember
the stormy wind, our daring swims
togetherness and cookies
the strongest ones of all
will be the gifts
of presence.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 29, 2011



Saturday, August 27, 2011

Bicycle Soliloquey

Fog turns thought inward
While vapors collecting turn my arm hairs white
And touch my face like many small kisses
This I want:
For all my light within to signal
From the source that it reflects
For me to see in other mirrors
That same light my heart collects
For it to radiate in splendor
So each mirror bearer knows
How much glory we engender
How intense our essence glows
I want it more than owning
More than praise
More than knowing
That I’m held in someone’s heart
(Tempting desires that always disappoint)
While being lights together
Satisfies my need forever
And fulfills
Hopes I never fully dare express
Unity, collective happiness.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 27, 2011



Friday, August 26, 2011

Waiting for the storm


The day is long, slow, hot
I move in viscous languor
through the tasks that are not urgent
but must be done before tomorrow’s urgent ones
Hang sails to dry, fold them
Do laundry, put things away
while others move the boats and cars
to higher ground
No sign in this day
of what may touch down in two
except self-conscious need to not be frivelous
as we track the storm’s path north
and wait.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 26, 2011



Thursday, August 25, 2011

Phases of the Heart

Perhaps the heart
has phases like the moon
that rolls on many orbits
the changing time of rise and set
a north, then southward track across the sky
it opens forth, revealing all its light
then closes slowly, gradually concealing
turning itself inward
for a quiet time of coming new

Perhaps the heart
moves on a track of years
years of staying open for its loved ones' early steps
for hopes, for fears
for storms that thrash within
and drag it
through memory’s detritus, stinging new
open to the blooming and the triumphs, too
growing with each love, pushing out its edge.

Perhaps one day the heart decides
their arcs are safe, its work complete
and so relaxes back into itself
no longer surged by every storm

And still the heart moves on a track of days
you may not see its wax and wane
its change of time of rise and set
but when you look
you find it in its place
full, crescent, new
forever learning grace.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 25, 2011



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Katama Beach, early morning

The wind and clouds
as I approach
toss mystery on the day
gray, stormy, salty
soft with summer’s warm humidity
The smell of ocean first
and then the sound
compel excitement as I pedal closer
To see it throws me open to its full embrace
and I know: this is why I came.

Waves entranced in fervent dance
beneath the racing shifting clouds
roll and clap, swoosh, recede
salt spray flying out from each wave’s crashing

My feet sink into coarse deep sand
that slopes down to the sea
the foam leaps forth and licks my toes
and sometimes splashes me.

The eastern sky grows pearly, luminescent
The wet slick sand takes on a muted glow
Then bits of blue, in mirrored sand reflected
throughout the vista soon begin to show

till all the sky is clear, and all the water royal
and white is bright in clouds and foam
and liquid sun pours out across the water
as I begin my journey home.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 23, 2011



Monday, August 22, 2011

After watching the sky clear on Katama Beach, early morning


I ride home
the wind playing about me
sometimes in front of me, sometimes across
and in a sudden move
surprising me
it darts inside me
separating my clouds
baring dazzling blue.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 22, 2011



Sunday, August 21, 2011

End of day


end of day
wounds return from their adventures
thoughts grow quiet 
lights go down
and my body
curls up inside myself
like a child
to be held
to be healed
to be whole
in the deep trust of sleep
sure that Mind
will re-image every cell
realign every thought
knit all broken parts together
and come morning
shine my being through me once again.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 21, 2011



Friday, August 19, 2011

After the fireworks

after the fireworks
the stars
deeply dimensioned, nearer and farther
great swath of milky way
singing like crickets.

mirroring stars:
phosphorescence
erupting like fireworks
rippling and glowing
defining our fingers and arms.

after the yes
its rewards:
a treasure to witness this
sparkling and splashing bliss
making us wish
our beloveds were there with us
wanting to share how we lit up the water
and how this bright night 
lit us up.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 19, 2011



Thursday, August 18, 2011

A True Confession

It’s time for me to stop bragging
and confess my need
I need to share
the Mind touch
and not be alone
I need the sweet receivers of my being
I need to know that I am of the One.
That would assuage 
the loneliness
I beat back daily
(usually with pretty good success)
obviate my craving for some token
a heart connection openly expressed
unfold for me the oracled reunion
where all of us remember who we are
and dance as one in rapturous communion
so satisfying every deep desire.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 18, 2011



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Moonlight Sail

Enough light to be seen
Three-quarter moon, still low and orangey
And its path across the water
Made wide by perfect wind
Glad that I could do these things unseeing
Step the mast, set the rudder, raise the sail
I launched the boat in quiet slap of waves
Glided through the glinting, rippling water
Moonglow through the sails, stars above
Phosphorescence rising to my trailing hand
Sparking softly in my wake

The moon invited me—I had to come
Though sleep was vying for my time
Tomorrow it will rise too late
I told myself, tonight is prime
I didn’t sail for long - four tacks upwind
Then I turned and ghosted downwind
Past the silent docks towards home
Glad I’d made the effort to come out
As much to say I’d done it
As to sail.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 17, 2011



Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Moment


Each day has its moment of brilliance
Sometimes I’m given
The blessing of seeing it
As today, when the sun came out
Just for sunset
Just as we were going down to swim
And poured gold into the clouds
Then pinks
Floating in searing blue
As we floated in water
Bright with reflected sky
Dark with oncoming shadow
Bracing cold on top
But warm beneath
Watching the sky change
And the reflections
Till the pinks were mostly gone
Then we swam back
To the quiet, dark dock.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 16, 2011


Monday, August 15, 2011

Touching Infinity


With my mind
I touched infinity
Felt the satisfying curling
Up and through me as smoke curls
And tendrils of vines curl
Around their desired supports
Pulling them close
I touched infinity and felt
The deep breath of relief
Two up and one long ride down
As babies breathe when they finally
Let go and slide into sleep
Felt myself flow into the wide reaches of thought
Unlimited, uncharted—the excitement and delight
Of exploration, as all dimensions
Open out at once
The weightlessness
Of how I travel there
A promise:
You can return here
Anytime.
With my mind
I touched infinity
A place I’ve been before
(Magical dreams)
But didn’t know
Was right here.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 15, 2011



Saturday, August 13, 2011

Visitation from a cloud


Lying on my back and looking up
I saw a wispy shape
whose form and subtle movement
suggested whirlpool
or something slower
a curling in the fold of air
a blanket
a soft expression of the love
that swaddles us
but lets us fully breathe
gives us room and impetus to fly
this deep and tender caring
we call sky.

I tried to write these words
but upside down, my pen
would not cooperate
I sat up, shook it, made it write
and then looked up
The cloud was gone
but not the memory
of what it had conveyed.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 13, 2011



Friday, August 12, 2011

Ranging


What starts as early morning bliss
may bolt—grow gangly in the climbing sun
and come to feel like hunger
and pace, in search of consummation—
Some outlet, some release
some clasp of hands
to close the circuit
and bring peace.

What soothes the ranging heart?
Is there a circle big enough
and close enough
to draw it in?
A quest for it to take
A stepping forward?
—An act of prayer
that settles it in channels
where it can deepen
as it flows down
to its sea.


©Wendy Mulhern
August 12, 2011