Joyce's Bird Poems

  15 January 2021 Gratitude Why should I waste my time and energy just to be grateful, As l etting my heart fill with gratitude doesn’t pay my bills, I have more than enough to do just to live each day Without having to be thankful for everything, including my ills. When, as a game, I take the time to list all the things, Like friends, nature, and music , that I am thankful for I end up including everything I can think of in my life, And even then, could just keep adding more and more. Even my sore and battered hip that slows me down, And the complete insanity of our world that is nearing its end Get added to my list when ever I reluctantly admit That what I see as dangerous and annoying is also my friend For the many complexities and mysteries of life Which I wonder about but don’t fully understand, All are entangled together in deep and mysterious ways That I can never hope to begin to comprehend. And somehow, equally mysteriously, just the...

  "Joy, laughter, and delight are so powerful because, like all mysticism, they abolish  conventional divisions... The often boisterous laughter, especially of women, is part and parcel of the everyday  life of mystical movements. " Dorothee Soelle's book: "The Silent Cry" with thanks to Anne Smith for the quote 2021: The Year of Joy, Laughter and Gratitude How c an I greet 2021 as a year of joy, laughter, and gratitude, Knowing many challenges, and disasters, are loom ing th is year, Would n’t it be more sane and sensible just to expect the worst, And bunker down in ‘safety’, filled with horror , and fear? Do I have any right to hope for joy and laughter in my life? I know that wishful thinking may b lind me to the ‘ real’ future that await s . How do I find the strength and courage to seek joy and laughter, Knowing that much pain and misery may also be part of my fate? I have no control over any of these co...

  18 December 2020 L et It Be T ime: flying, twisting, creeping, Stretching, stopping, and racing Until it dances with laughter As the memories of what has been, The richness of what is, And the infinite possibilities of tomorrow Blend into one. And through this laughter We discover what really matters: Connections to f riends, family, and community, All of which enrich our lives and let us share our laughter , Curiosity, play, music, art, and creativity to keep our horizons expanding, A nd our joy for life itself alive and growing. And most of all, our amazing and complex earth and environment, Which both support us and make our lives possible, And link us to unseen realms of limitless potential. Within all this, and still supported by the freeing power of laughter, W e acknowledge the magnificence of the mystery of it all That lets us embrace our dance in time and space with all its many faces, As we enter an ...

  8 December 2020 Gratitude in our Dying World Gratitude – giving thanks for life itself, For our amazing, complex, and troubled earth, After a year filled with joy, sorrow, and confusion, It’s now time to pause, and let new directions give birth. This is a time when I am struggling to comprehend How our greed and indifference could come to this: That the earth will soon be unable to support us all , And I begin to truly think about all that I will miss. It is well past the time when promising to do better will help , As the damage is done, and it is useless even to hope . M ore importantly, I want to fully live until I die It is certainly not a time to just curl up and mope . I want to learn to think more often and more openly Of all the many things that bring me happiness and joy And to realise that I no longer have time To moan and complain, as it is now time to truly enjoy. I have an endless list...

4 December 2020 Connection and Entanglement Connections, connections, – and entanglement. If we are all connected across space and time, In a web of energies – seen, unseen, felt, and unnoticed Why do I see my sel f as separate, living in a world of grime? What would my life be like if I truly believed and lived As if everything I see, and all my connections are one And I am but a miniscule point in a network of energies Created to let me experience life in all its sorrows – and fun. For fun it should be to fully celebrate The gift of being part of the whole Without need to do, to achieve, or to have B ut just to explore and expand my soul. There are of course many connections that show other sides Of our intricate universe of infinite variety With its continuous network of interaction s and change s That also create mistrust, fear, and anxiety. There is much that I will never comprehend O f the myriad ...

  2 7 November 2020 Into Entanglement Confusion strikes as I start my journey inside Seeking clarity about my muddled web of life. I see that everything is connected To all that is good – but also to all our strife. I cannot just choose to live as I want As we have many different views all tangled together Though it would be simpler if we were all like me In reality it is a huge muddle – just like the weather. Just as I can never control the weather I cannot change what others thinking There is no such thing as a single truth It’s annoying enough to drive one to drink ing . We all have many precious needs and values Which we share, despite many differences and views Laughter, joy, friendship , beauty, peace, and more Are they also part of our entangled web to use as we choose? Is it possible to look at our troubled, confused world As an entangled web of all our challenges and fears With the centre a haven fo...

  20 November 2020 Why do I feel so sad when I remember happy times? Gloomy thoughts -‘never again’, ‘I can never go back’ S uddenly fill my mind and soul And instead of richness and joy , I feel only lack. I have lived a full and eventful life Of travel, with chances to explore Many amazing places, and meet fascinating people But when I remember these times , I only want more! I often see my life as limited and short And of my many experiences, most were brief W hen I remember that ‘I was there’ and ‘I saw them then’ I find myself suddenly flooded with grief. The grief says, ‘It was great when it happened, But I want, need, and deserve more and more. This endless greed is, for me, an important belief One that resonates from deep in my core. Why am I so overwhelmed with grief and greed That I ignore the beauty and magic of the past? Is there any way of convincing my inner soul That the se most magi...