Boadicea

You were always a head taller than me
Your slim, strong form
Perched on that fiery horse
Who was only gentle for you

In your presence I was brave and bold
In your aura I knew my worth
My words came free and easy
My thoughts skipped and danced

Your laugh made everything right
In your chuckle a million fairies gathered
Children reappeared like destiny
Grown men listened

Together we could ride into the country
Leaping fences, streams and boulders
Nothing too daunting
With you beside me

Because of you I think clearly
Find the options never seen before
Walk with grace and
Keep my eyes focused

Because of you I hear
The voices in my heart
And pay attention.

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This poem is dedicated to Rosa Fletcher, Stella Henderson, Annette Johnson, Margaret Ballew, Pose Crocker, Charlotte Silver, Miriam Robinson, Marie Stirling and Margaret Timmington.

Losar - Tibetan New Year - Earth Ox Year

No singing, no dancing, no drinking of chang
Our prayers are sent skyward all the day long
For our lamas and kinfolk still in Tibet
We keep in our hearts and never forget

Oh, precious teachers and Holiness dear,
May you all be protected throughout the Ox year
You have taught us to keep our compassion alive
So that no matter what, Buddadharma survives

So we pray for the fallen and we pray for the jailed,
We encourage the diplomat whose efforts have failed,
We honor the ones who secretly pray
Who teach in Tibetan without any pay

We pray for the spirits of all the departed
Who died for refusing to be downhearted
Just as they did not give up, we also should strive
To keep the spirit of freedom alive.

May Tibet, the beloved homeland endure
And the dharma flourish without fear once more,
May the faithful whose hearts have been guided by grace,
Be rewarded by blessings and peace throughout space.

Valentine for the World

It seems rather silly to devote one day of the year to Love when every day is an opportunity to love with a Capital L. Not the little, ego love that shouts from every popular song, that masks a need or want .. but Love that simply is. Love that encompasses all of us, all the time, everywhere, without exception. All sentient beings are loved.

So I reach out my heart to the world today, the animals big and small, from the mighty whale to the tiny ant, the plants and trees in every garden and forest, mountains, rivers, oceans and streams, volcanoes, deserts, stars and planets circling overhead. And even the people.

Let us cherish this beautiful blue green marble that we live on ... not just today but every day. May she withstand even our rude tenancy. Let us protect and maintain her for our children and their children.