California Flyin'

 

 

 

 

In Three Days, Relationship

On the first day,
students together, listening,
human and the Divine
intertwined,
seeking, searching
and, finally, finding
it all inside.

On the second day, a man
and family, and friends
and all of us crying
at his passing, and smiling
in our relationship.

On the third day, men gathering
deeply digging
into our hearts, letting out emotion
going deep inside and interconnecting
in relationship.

--Neal Lemery 3/22/10

The Beginning

In the silence of the morning
the first rays of the rising sun
warm my spirit, warm my heart
like the cup of coffee in my hand.

The day awaits me, what shall I do?
The day filled with sunshine,
the starting of Spring
the opening of a flower.

There is a song to be written--
ideas to be born--
there are walks to be taken,
conversations to be had.

Possibilities, opportunities
to be had in the beauty of this day--
sun melting frost, grass turning green--
birds flying high, against blue sky.

In the silence, all things are possible,
in the silence, there is all of what could be
waiting on the sidelines,
waiting to begin.

Neal Lemery 3/14/10

Home Life

Home Life


1.

Chop, chop
carrot and onion
broccoli and red pepper.

Chop, chop
rice cooking, too
its steam rising
mixing with garlic juice on my knife.

Chop, chop,
tossed into hot oil
soon,
sizzle, sizzle.

Mixing, stirring, and soon,
steam rising
garlic in my nose
running around the house,
announcing
dinner ready.

2.

Snow in the hills, cold on my face
hood of the sweatshirt warm.

Feet on the ground, getting moving
coffee brewing, and warm house waits.

Stars out now, the storm gone,
more snow above me, sun an hour away.

Lambs asleep with their moms, horses against the fence
all silent now, awaiting the day.

Sliver moon hangs in the eastern sky
ready to be chased away by the sun.

3.

Fret board slide
up and back, and again
two fingers apart, up, down
back and forth.

Other hand pluck,
pick, beat, pick
one, one, two now,
back to one.

Together, apart
each dancing anew
working toward
harmony.

Again, and again,
the dance, learning new steps
guitar held close, now
part of me
and I, part of the
dance.






Neal Lemery 3/10/10

Remembering Chuck

I remember his laughter, handing me a beer on a summer afternoon
right before he starts grilling the burgers and the hot dogs--
friends and family gathering, just for the joy of it—

simple pleasures, good times.

I remember asking me about my day, and telling me about his--
him seeing the salmon come up the creek, down by the garden
and the elk that come through, once in a while,
and the birds, and the sunrise, and his joy
sharing all of that with his friends.

I remember his smile, as he talked about his family, and his friends
and his latest project, his latest volunteering, getting people
involved, doing what needed to be done, and not being asked.

People come and go in my life, but when I met Chuck
I knew he would always be a friend, quietly, not making a big to do
but just there, a guy to talk to, to share a story, to just be
who he was, which was enough and then some.

A guy couldn’t ask much more of a friend than all that.

Neal Lemery 3/8/10
photo courtesy of  Kristen Chapin

Small Things

Today, I enjoyed the small things in life. The wait at DMV, and watching a young man get his driver’s license, and seeing him smile at his dad.

The sunlight at the car wash, making a rainbow, and then I grabbed a two minute nap, while the machine washed my car, cleaning off the muck of winter while I daydreamed and was warm.

I enjoyed the chat with my barber, as he cut my hair just the way I like, without having to ask me. I caught up on his baby daughter, and how she has learned to love to run and tease her daddy about the remote control.

I chatted with the drive through bank teller, asking her about her day. She urged me to enjoy the weekend, and I realized, now having two weeks off, that it being Friday hadn’t really mattered much.

I gave the auto club guy a big grin, as he pulled up to jump start my car, and I really didn’t mind the wait. My errands could wait. I hadn’t driven for two weeks, and another hour really didn’t matter. One of the battery posts was covered with battery gunk, and he fixed it by pouring part of his Coke over it, and we watched it fizz. But, now my car runs, and I am happy for that, and for him being smart enough to share his Coke to start my car.

I had breakfast with two of my friends, and enjoyed our usual banter, and watching the dawn break over the hills. Even the not so good coffee tasted good. It always does when you are with friends.

I enjoyed watching the dogs romp in the field, as I did my treadmill work at the Y, watching the dogs and the newly planted grass growing taller in the early spring sunshine. I enjoyed the sweat running down my face and my back, feeling myself get stronger, and even upping my speed and the tension in the treadmill, challenging my heart just a bit more today.

I enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine slowly fade in the kitchen, as I sipped my wine and talked with my wife, as she made our dinner and we shared our day, a cat wanting a pet and an ear scratch, just a little bit of attention on a perfect day.

Neal Lemery, 3/5/10

Trying To Be A Warrior

“You can become a horseman carrying your heart through the world like a life-giving sun, but only if you and God become sweet lovers,” Hafiz, a Sufi mystic and poet.

“The warrior is so much in touch with his heart that he can give it to the world. The warrior loves not only his nearest kin and mate but also the world and God. The warrior refers to God as a lover.”

---Matthew Fox, The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Spiritual Masculine. (2008), p. 78

I search for my warrior-ness. I want to lay down my arms as a soldier, and instead pick up the true weapons of the warrior: a well-explored and well-loved soul, a heart open to others and their experiences, the weapons of reaching out to others and seeking peace, a strong and open relationship with God. In doing that, I seek to be well-versed in my own spiritual journey, and in all the facets and ways of love and compassion. I seek to give blessings to others, for their goodness and wholesomeness.

Even though there are those who exude bitterness and anger, revenge and aloofness, each person has within them aspects which can be loved and need to be loved. It is my job as warrior to seek out the inner goodness of that person, and to find the healthy, the wholesome traits of their being. I need to honor and bless those traits, thereby showing my love for the good aspects of each person. In doing that, by focusing on good, the negativity is given less attention and will wither.

--Neal Lemery 3/1/10