Restlessness
Strange energies
ebb and flow
like currents
of air
skimming
over wings
and as they shift
I stand still
waiting
knowing unrest
is a warning
that something
comes
Gideon’s Challenge
Gideon’s Challenge
The Nurse Log
Damp forest
full of life with
little nubs
and clinging scales
feathered wisps
and waxy skins
fuzzy tendrils
clinging close
to jagged cracks
on rough bark sides
fallen trees
teeming with life
nurturing growth
with sacrifice
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Transitioning
Summer sliding
to a close
as August
sighs its last
and delicate petals
seek the sun
and a bit more time
before they
fade away
as each day
that passes
brings the dark
to stretch longer
and flowers
fade away
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
The Lazy Day
Sit with me
on gritty sand
among the stones
on the shore
and tilt your head
to lean back
and rest with me
look up
beyond verdant green
to the stretch of blue
above
and daydream
away the day
in the summer balm
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Never Enough
Over 157 miles
of coastline
and over 8000 lakes
dot along the land
all cold
and when you
wade in
with rocky sand
beneath bare feet
the chill stings
sharp
like stone edges
numbing
and I want to go
deeper
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Defense Mechanisms
Even the most
beautiful of buds
with silken petals
in alluring shades
have sharp thorns
to protect them
but how
do we learn
to ease up
on the thorns
and let in
the sunlight
of love and hope?
Twisting the Leaf 