WINTER 2012

Transition The sun's rays soften through slats of the blinds, double-filtered through leaves purple, crimson and gold soon to leave their perch atop Mother Earth drifting onto her bosom blown aswirl by Autumn's winds collecting in eaves of the house obscuring Spring's abandoned nests. Winter is upon us hovering in the atmosphere, sending sparks from Jack Frost's wand, painting landscapes a gleaming silver decorating her season with desolation branches stripped bare of nourishment or shelter frozen streams that slake no creature's thirst haunting our dreams with her ghostly beauty. Earth sleeps.                    ~ Susan Starburst Coppernoll

Forgive it First I've looked every which way at this gift I'm giving you, in different modes, from many vantage points, to find its wrinkles and to iron them away, repair its flaws and make it exquisite. And just when it looks smooth and fine and irreproachable, the light shifts just a little and it seems an ugly, injured thing, and I begin again to try to become new. The wind sweeps over the plains and blows away the chaff and the brittle weeds and lingerig wisps of dry snow, and for a moment it is peeled clean of all but new life starting over. I cultivate a small but fruitful garden. I plant it in a light a sunny corner and do my best to keep it lovely and immaculate. It is my pledge of faith in the grand scheme of things. I dig and fertilize and sow and place the little I control at the mercy of a force I can invoke but not manipulate or modify. I must not even try. Be the planter and the harvester, so says the earth. Let God be God. I create nothing, only express the multitude of combinations of Creation, summoned, gathered, surrendered into structure. I'll never seal the gift; its flaws are invitations to experience, the raw material of unearthly transformation. What it is right now, I give with my whole heart, not waiting for perfection; I haven't got the time or the tools. Accept, forgive it first, then sweep away the chaff. Plant fresher seed and love it into life.                      ~ Mary Campbell

Brothers I feel myself so filled with light Amidst the brightness blooming through my brothers, While each, to me, unfolds in youth His humblest oneness in all truth discovered; How rare this is in history, That we should be so bound by nothing other Than wonder of this Mystery, Empowered and inspired by the Mother; From each one's own discerning thoughts, Combined to shape some greater peace at knowing, A certainty in virtue wrought Of kindest company is gracefully flowing, And flows between brethren and heart In soundest unity of bold intent; It knows no limitations yet To grow and meld profound without an end.                                       ~ Gareth Dicker

Gender Negotiation Once upon a time I met a dragon. Instead of getting into a power struggle or fight, we sat down and talked. (I'm not sure how this happened. But it did.) He said he felt unfairly treated, poorly understood. He was a dragon after all. He had to stay true to himself didn't he? Fire breathing was in his nature. What could he do about that? I told him I understood; that he had every right to be his dragon self but if he never let people know he had feelings, was forever threatening death by fire, he had to expect there would always be opponents out to slay him. He was so relieved to tell his side of the story, he offered to be my protector when I went off into the unknown. I told him it felt like protection enough just to finally understand him.                   ~ Linda Albert

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