great love

Your love is so great that you can send it to the entire world, and still it is endless." ~Don Miguel Ruiz


by staying safely
within the cocoon of self
no growth ever comes

sending out heartfelt
songs and dances of loving,
return with more  songs

reaching the earth's ends-
only to find, there are no
borders in a heart at home

signposts along say
tell a stranger something nice
without need for an answer

give more than you thought
you had to give-just be that
unlimited love

pushing through the walls
created for safety, until
the bricks drop on their own

a new design--trust
seals in the cracks in between
letting soaring happen

Kate Lamberg
12/22/11

hiking, frost, dreaming

hiking along calm lake
trees tower in elegance
we're small, but so deep

frost lines the fences
indicates no sun quite yet
waking to whiteness

dreaming of meeting
minds by the still blue waters
crystalline wishes

Kate Lamberg
12/23/11

whisper pink roses

whisper pink roses at portland rose garden

after cleaning the whisper pink roses
some petals decided to fall;
while placing the flowers
inside the crystal vase
more petals got away

still, this morning, after everyone
got up, we witnessed twenty four
roses, more open than ever before
growing towards the windy grey

no light to upstage the roses
as it is a darkened windy morning
the pink stars greet us in the form
of flowers, perfumed air rising--meeting
olafactories, fairly middling of the road

Kate Lamberg
12/27/11

we stumble in grace

we stumble with grace
for trembling shifts to peaceful
waters lap canoe

why do we need this
slowing down the momentum
at river's in-breath

telling sleepy tales
by the light of krishna's eyes
needled piercing prose

flames rise upwards now
nearing states of forest fire
no water for miles

sagitarius
rises in both of our charts
spinning adventure

sweep the chords to "c"
as a way to have them back
coffeed bolder notes

Kate Lamberg
12/29/11

white smoke rises up

"White smoke rising up in the valley, against the light, slowly taking animal forms, with a dark background of wooded hills behind."--Thomas Merton, December 13, 1960.


white smoke rises up
santa clause jumps down into
conjoined merriment

letting the smoke clear
in distant skies-- allows dreams
to capture more joy

beneath the scalped sky
lie tiny angels singing
sleep will come in time

Kate Lamberg
12/24/11

watcom lake

blue lake borrows sky
while we worship mountains' song
sky lake mountain hymn

Kate Lamberg
12/30/11

blue nights

"during the blue nights you think the end of day will never come" joan didion
for joan

blue nights melt into
dark nights of peace
taking forever

to find the light switch
the turning of light into dark
seamlessly cutting one

longitudinal laceration
skin, bone, muscle, marrow,
blood orange organs,

hairs not dancing--
dark nights of peace
seemingly taking forever;

when we sleep we forget
what endless days notate-
how souls slip into a deeper
listlessness, lowering the boon

breaking the surf, as falling
cormorants dive with more
than enough oxygen to last
out of the windy town

where purposes swirl around
country paths too muddy
the scream is muffled

paper mache' expresses
all that the epithelial cells cannot:
forever changing art, breathes
best on its own


Kate Lamberg
12/28/11

the wind takes no sides-a tanka

the wind takes no sides
although it swings you over
brings you to your knees
settles the score with more space
o-boes, sweet-  playing etudes


Kate Lamberg
12/28/11

sunny cool monday

sunny cool monday
walking among melting frost
all out of coffee

Kate Lamberg
12/12/11

this day, a miracle

gary's geraniums

today, while walking around the pond
my vision, i realized, was too much downwardly focused;
this business of earth, how we need to maintain
our ground, upon a spinning globe, which never rests

firmly, yet gently-- i took my own hand, to help lift
my eyes to see such beauty, i could hardly contain
the simple orange beauty of geraniums in bloom
within a  wooden window box, on the south side

of the grist mill's cottage-where in summer
kids can take arts and crafts, and dream
of whatever a kid dreams in summer
to last throughout the school year grind

the geranium flowering in december-
a miracle of simplicity, caused my breath
to slow, and my sneakered feet to suspend
judgement of this day being anything less
than the miracle it was created for

then i walked some more, to gaze
upon the stone bridge, pond on left
and cascading waterfall to my right
eyes caught the eyes of the great blue

heron, perched wise one on a log
beneath the bridge, so close to where i stood
we were practically breathing the same air

the more i looked at my wise bird friend,
the less i did stare, as we were both
becoming lighter than air, without leaving

the ground; the flight was temporary,
but invigorated spirit's thread connecting
me to him, and him to me--
something gentle, palpable, holy

i sang some oms to the tune
of mary had a little lamb-
he turned his head once,
and then back to the pond's center

i swear he knew-- i was trying
to get his attention,
but with respect to him,
let him be in his element

it was a meeting of spirit,
soft as silk-
the caress of his gaze
haunts me as i write

knowing, he, in his own way
over sushi and moonrise dinner
would register the simple,
divine meeting of me and him-
and smile his classic heron grin

i am not invested in your believing;
this day wrung out my own disbelief
of anything miraculous happening--
as this day was truly a miracle


Kate Lamberg
12/8/11

great blue heron by the pond

the night, once again

the night, once again
has embraced us with her quiet
darkness, letting stars shine

i love the way you
step back to listen, just so
i can shine my love

we write as a way
to make sense of sweet stirrings
comings and goings

like that bird, landed-
and soon after, flew the coop
blessed wing story

shine the truth on wings
different lights for different times
god knows how we shine

do you know the difference
between shining shells at dusk
and shells that glow at dawn

well, my friend that's good
because distinctions have left
my nest of true light

no discerning truth
from fiction; no caring- now
spin eternity

parallel worlds collide
a ride in heaven's dreamscape
earth marries the sky

the whole world presides
within the miraculous
no sides are written

presiding in circles
we worship words, love strokes bliss
dancing round lanterns

purposes served by
all mediums meeting- centered,
arrowing out

blessing the graces
same as gracing the blessed
burnished beauties shine


Kate Lamberg
12/10/11

moon rises golden

moon rises golden
she is so full, she does burst
butters up the sky


Kate Lamberg
12/9/11

She Noticed the Wind~(a haibun)

I don't believe
people are looking
for the meaning
of life
as much as
they are looking for
the experience
of being alive.
~ Joseph Campbell



She noticed the wind was coming from the south east. The small gold and scarlet japanese maple leaves were still holding onto the tree. As if they did not want to leave, but had the wisdom to know, that in time they would take a long rest on the ground. The breeze that caused the maple leaves to flutter, moved slightly south, to entice some hip-high sea grasses to bend, sway and hoolah in the november warmth. The grasses seemed to nod, in attunement with the japanese maple leaves. They indeed had been stirred by the same teasing wind.

She continued to watch and think about how this same dynamic occurs in human relationships. Someone hears a piece of transcendent music, and his heart stirs  to a loving opening. He then steps into a room, and his eyes meet hers. She can feel the quickening in his chest, his shining eyes of peacefulness. She, like the hip-high sea grass resonates with this new friend's movement, as if he were the fluttering maple leaves.

He appears to initiate the powerful swirling of hips. They enter into a dance of commingling energies. They step out of the room, and wander among the fields. One moment they are separate beings. Now they are  one, just like the swaying tall grasses and the fluttering maple leaves.


how oneness teaches-
oneness learns though soft dancing
loving picture show


Kate Lamberg
12/5/11

your presence

Your presence is a river that refreshes everyone,
a rose-garden fragrance~Rumi

when we were speaking
on the phone last night,
i swear i smelled
the soft scent of roses

we were talking about
your bringing flowers to your mom-
when i asked the color, you said pink;

that's when the fragrance began to stir-
the rich scent, bordering
on a formal rose garden;
i had to open the window-

even after we finished talking,
i stepped out into my rock garden,
and smelled the pink roses,
fortissimo, my quickened heart

Kate Lamberg
11/29/11

pink rose at the portland rose garden

tuesday evening

listening to rain
classical music- reading
into evening

Kate Lamberg
11/29/11

sitting at the base of a ponderosa pine

i read women poets, saintly, long dead
and try to breathe in their experience
as nature can help to create
various states of being,

just by my being
within the fresh autumn air
back upright, against a huge ponderosa pine
feet and knees submerged in soft pine needles

at the end of november,
feeling blessed beyond measure
sitting outdoors,  my sanctuary
of green, and brown earth beauty

focused, relaxed,
present to all that is,
and ready
to be a part

of all that is yet  to be--
i dangle, drop,  release...
all the past,
that no longer serves me


Kate Lamberg

we do discover on our own

we don't receive wisdom;
we must discover it
for ourselves
after a journey
that no one can take for us
or spare us.
 ~Marcel Proust




we do discover wisdom,
beginning with a tiny flicker of light
gaining momentum,
with our attending to it

nurturing the light
until it burns our soul
filling up our auric fields
for miles and miles--

a realization to relax any fears
one to allow the release of tears
to fall, and to help grow wild flowers
to forever bless and brighten the field
of our vision, we have started alone

soon to embrace the knowing...
we are all doing this in one fashion or another
and we shall all meet in the field of flowered visions
all of us lit from our hearts cleaving to truths

we have received on our individual journeys
eventually pooling together in one finite center
the circle to include all
in the family of forever unfurling light

just not from an outside source,
other than our inner heart beating
in resonance to rising tides,

hands held with people
we thought were strangers
strangers no longer
as we all walk towards  the fiery  center

no longer holding back the truth
that love and light rise together
above the forever field of greening wonder


Kate Lamberg
12/1/11





'in resonance to rising tides' (long island sound)

lostness and wonder

"In the cold days of Advent I recapture the lostness and wonder of the first days when I came here twenty-three years ago, abandoned to God, with everything left behind."--Thomas Merton, December 1, 1964




we must leave behind all things,
to embrace the one
that wraps around all things
with beauty, bursting
softly whispering
only love

 Kate Lamberg
12/2/11

eyes are window souls

Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts
-Albert Einstein-


our eyes are window souls: they shine
both what we keep as secrets
from ourselves,  and all who see us;

soul knows- without words;
in silence, prayer like-
no need to explain

our eyes also reflect every thing:
some things hold more love---
like babies, blue jays, and sunsets

other things, bare the truth--
like dust, electric bills,
ripped jeans and garbage

our eyes, composite rocks, revel
with all we see, & all we refuse to see-
(so we breathe this knowing in, scrupulously)

when looking out at the rain that falls,
or simply opening up our eyes,
for the first time in morning-

seeing the one we love
tell us, "i love you"
and hear it

as if
it was
our very first lover,

leaning in to say the words
that make our tummy flip flop
like a fish out of water,

loosening the cords
of hearing anything else- just
feeling the tender nascence-

striking chords of bright light,
flashing wonder-- peeking
into windows, made warm-

by sun radiating freely,
embracing both
the calm and the thunder

Kate Lamberg
12/2/11

gratitude

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. ~Johannes A. Gaertner