Great stone walls shut out stars
to the east and west, loom and close
as night deepens. A breeze
stirs the willows. River.
Dark sandstone seems to breathe.
A thin new moon struggles
over the brooding cliffs
and glitters, askew
in the brimming water. Shadows lurk
in the cottonwoods. A night creature
slides into the clearing,
moves toward the river, seems to bend,
drink. It blends into sighing night,
the haunted canyon,
its warm wind,
crescent moon, shadows,
deep-throated song of water.

~David Lee

from this glittering ground under our uncertain feet, may we know our lives are considered and whole……

inquiry for today~ what helps you to know who you are?

no, I don’t think so

If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live,

or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair,

but ask me what I am living for, in detail,

and ask me what I think is keeping me

from living fully for the thing

I want to live for.

~Thomas Merton

Sit quietly with these words, reading them a few times, and meditating on the images and feelings that arise. Then write down your answers to the question “What am I living for?” and “What do I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for?”   ~Elizabeth Lesser