Cherry Blossom Meditation
All works of the Lord,
Bless the Lord-
Praise and exult God
above all forever.
Daniel 3: 57
this single cherry tree-
filled with pinks and greens and
backed by the blue of a May sky
and the white of well-placed cumulus-
– holds me with its subtle scents,
gently welcoming this goldfinch,
that sparrow, a trio of jays,
and offering sanctuary to
industrious communities of
ants and nectar-sipping bees.
I, beneath its laden branches, host
gnats, tiny spiders, even
an early mosquito or two.
Slowly, Earth turns.
Shadows lengthen.
I feel the sun’s heat upon my neck.
I catch whiffs of mown grass, cows, and swamp.
I do not need to page open Vespers,
For right here, around me,
through me, in me
Is Evening Prayer-
and all that it can mean
and all that it has ever meant.