The Trees Remain the Same

I took these two pictures moments apart this morning as I was writing in my journal.  The poem that follows below spilled out on the journal page.

We think there is a solidness,
Immutability,
In the reality of the
Material world.
"Is what it is"
We say of things,
And life.
Just as the shore
Across the creek
Is what it is--
A mix of cedars,
Maples, fallen trees,
A blooming bush.
Yet within moments
It's transformed
By light--
And then again
Gone dark.
What do we
Make of that
Within our life--
The light that brightens,
Turns things to gold,
Then disappears.
What is our role
In the creation
Of that world?
How do we choose?
The trees remain the same--
Yet everything is changed.

 -Judy Brown, April 30, 2016.
West River, MD

 

 

Here are questions that occur to me after sitting with this morning's poem.

1) life has its ups and downs.  Am I able to see the darker seasons as a natural consequence of changes in the "weather" of my life?

2) the Quaker tradition talks of the Light within, that of the Divine within. Whatever my spiritual tradition, Am I able to sustain access to that Light?

3) can I look at changes--from light to dark and back to light--with curiosity rather than fear?

4) is my presence creating light or shadow for others?

5) are there practices available to me--meditation, exercise, gratitude, journaling, yoga, connection to others, eating healthy food--that increase my access to "light" in my life.

6) does the story I run in my head suppress or increase the light that I can spread around me?