Cleansing and renewal and wonder.

Waning day and a waxing Salmon Moon

Mindful, centered before the vast swell of streaming

Ocean beneath vermilion rays of a declining sun.

There is observed

Profound stillness commingled with ebb and flow,

Infinity and respiration in concert with the waves.

There is observed

The movement of a mortal span, breath to breath, tide to tide,

Season to season; a procession of small and measured steps

Upon a planet careening amidst whirling constellations.

Moonrise on my left shoulder. Sunset on my right. A piercing

Icy wind. A body of water soon choked with floes. Poured out

My cup is never empty. I feast upon sensation and serenity.

I am thriving in this rocky place. What is not to be grateful for?

Beneath sinuous aurora, I turn

And proceed once more; knee deep in autumnal debris

Toward cloud flocked mountains

Toward the falling snow.

michael s. queen all rights reserved