FootprintsintheWind.com

Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1190

I see more when I look away from my computer screen and out the window. I see leaves and grass and pond; nature and green and blue. A leaf is waving Hi to me, and the pond water is wrinkling the corner of its eye to me. Friend, a beautiful fall day and here you are in the many-tinted world outside my window. Look up, look out, wink to me.

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1189

Leave the tear upon your cheek awhile
It is your baptism, a washing clean
Or salt to nourish our community

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1188

I’m turning red! I’m turning orange!
Fire now I have, the brightness of my life
Is now revealed, and in the wind
I will dance! Dance with me!
Shouted the leaf, and the whole tree
Came alive with color!
Soon enough we will fall away, rot away,
Become fertilizer and elements for
The whole earth, and for now:
We dance! We share our true colors!
That all the world might be happy
And sad at once, and know wisdom:
So with leaves, so with elders

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1187

Elder, at the pinnacle of adult
knowing, you are called to jump into
these wider openings you now can see
so to grow us by community

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1186

Violence seeks to make some other less than whole. Seek wholeness.

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1185

Humans like you & I
have a need to reflect
to hear the voice of another
to discover in another’s
pains & quandaries
the source of
our
strength to go on
Neither given nor received
Simply present in being
with

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1184

Many we are, one dance

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1183

The only places work gets created are between and among people. Gather some people and you can create work—even paying jobs. Stay home alone or look in the old places…and you will never find the new thing that was waiting to be created…waiting on you.

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1182

If we go there
If we take into
Our insides—that rape
This starving of children
I am the man
You are the woman
I ate too much
I bought junk only
To throw it “away”
I averted my eyes
From war’s widow’s eyes
I built a wall
To keep out peoples
Here before my own
I have not yet
Lived out my dreams
But I could have
This we have done
This rebounds back to
Us—then we find
The pain will heal
The remorse make us
Whole

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1181

Our human birthright?
Sun’s rise, snows floating homeward,
We two conversing,

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1180

This babe dying of human caused famine…
This politico’s bile…
This hardness of heart…
Even this
Turns our collective face
To see we can yet be humane
We, even daily we, can yet choose
They matter, we matter
Grey matter, heart matters

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1179

Enjoy this life as it comes to you
Sneaking in its little happinesses
Hiding them between daily sorrows and tasks

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1178

The Great Rift
Who will heal the great rift
between those with money & those without?
between those with power & those without?
between those with voices & those without?
between Republicans and Democrats?
between Republicans and Republicans?
between neighbor and neighbor?
between you and me?
Separation is a lie
There is no hero to heal us
except you & me
together
We must stitch & stitch
for fifty years, a hundred, more
keep telling each other
& every other
healing is the way
healing is the only way

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1177

Every time we see something that disturbs our sensibilities about what is right and wrong, every time we notice something that makes us greater or lesser as humans, this is evidence that we are progressing. Now all we have to do is act upon our new-found realizations: say something, write something, do something larger.

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1176

We’ve already come this far
Despair not
Just a little ways more &
You’ll see it too
How far we’ve come
Where we are &
The road ahead undulating higher

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1175

The sun
and the wind
& the dragonflies
are one

and sitting among
all these
you and I
with them
are one

hawk wheeling above
dew glittering
cars with
pavement singing
are one

tree frogs
not heard
but deafening
remind us all
are one

storm & thunder
greening gardens
destruction & babies
even politicians
are one

sweat and
all breath and
one last breath
are one

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1174

No new taxes—on whom?

You say we are taxed enough already; you will stand for no new taxes.

But the reduction of help to the fragile elderly, or the helpless infant, or others like them who have no where else to turn, is on them and their right to live nothing but a tax.

So then upon whom do you choose to place your new taxes?

And what makes you think the culprit causing new taxes is anyone but you?

So taxes are a matter of whose ox is being gored, and you, even you, have to choose.

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1173

What is eldering?
Grandmother dandling a baby while
Tending a teary 5 year old
Grandfather taking grandson fishing for
Any man to man talks it might occasion
One at the picnic whom people
Seek out for advice, presence

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1172

Once upon a
Firefly’s wing
A dolphin swam
Up a laughing stream
To a house in
The woods
Where lived a
Wart with a magical
Friendly old
Crone attached
Who helped us draw a
Circle back
Home to our
Comfy beds
Of such as these
Are composed
Children’s tales
Adults’ songs
Grandparents’ dreams

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1171

Teach that life will come to us because we have life. Be in the assembly, in the mix, and do some of the mixing. Guide the hand that seeks to turn you. Touch ever gently.

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1170

Every river flows to the sea
Whole-work is opening ever
Opening even who’s open already
The ocean flows to larger

When you are born you opened another
When we die we have opportunity to open ourselves
Even before we were born one parent opened the other’s coeur
Every river flows to the sea

There is ever more whole work to do
Ever more to be done in us
This river flows to the sea
Our ocean flows to larger

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1169

Culture cures culture kills
What’s ours up to?
Listen to tones
Is our public debate
Full of hate and bile?
Or do we value
Being gracious to all?
Do we fear loss of Things or
Do we open & share what we have
Who they are?
When it is so ill can
Culture cure?

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Footprints in the Wind^sm # 1168

Can we give up tomorrow?
Live only with whom we have?
Live only off our generosity?

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© c 2011, Learning Works, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Easy reprint permissions: 574/291-0022, or by e-mail to mailto:Doug AT FootprintsInTheWind.com. Back issues available at http://www.FootprintsintheWind.com