Possessions speak to us all day long. That book you purchased But have never read Says “Read me!” And the empty shelf Says “fill me up with more.” Some possessions warm and nurture While others distract, dissuade, and even harm. If we are not careful, the things we own Can siphon off our strength. Or they can build us up, Make us better. So choose …

They say that not all who wander are lost, And that’s true of me, I think. I wander, wander, Never sure Exactly where I’m going, But also not without a rough idea. The inner light points in a direction And I begin to act, to move step by step Toward the place where it feels that I should go. And I trust the way to open up before me. And it does. Th…

A discussion of "Choose Your Story" It is possible to serve the light For your own sake? To be Dark inside, Filthy with secret pride While outwardly stacking up Your achievements, Allowing others To laud your name, And never once realizing That your soul is lost, Not in gross immorality, But in the actor’s game The hypocrites play. Listen closely T…

There is the part of me that likes to go out And there is the part of me that likes To come back home. And both play a part in the strange way That I support my family, My family. And you are part of my family. I go out, and I come back home. And I share the wisdom that I’ve found from the road With the ones I love, the ones I love. I love you, and…

Lessons from Raymond, the homeless man Who helped prepare me for the road. To view previous lessons, find my playlist entitled: Raymond Lessons. Lesson 11: All Day Long I almost didn’t mention this one Because it contradicts Something else That Raymond said. But it has become applicable. You see, I was skeptical When he implied That everything came…

Many changes are afoot. I stand on the brink Of, yet again, a leap of faith. And somehow, it feels as if These little thoughts Might just not be enough, As if I should be, do, Something more… Something more… And I wonder, Is it enough? What do you think? Might the world feed me and my little tribe If I just keep showing up…showing up? Soon we will …

I weave your dreams from autumn leaves Turned brown and drifting downward Toward the emptiness Of summer skies When the snow flurries Upward toward the starlit heavens And the moon looks down Upon the restless hopes Of careworn souls Who daren’t Believe That anything Could be so real As the grind of wheat upon the wheels of time. And the feet of th…

Today's poem... and the subject for today's episode. I wonder, If I were someone else, Would I be just like them. I can't help but think That to some degree, I would. That makes me think that it's just me Walking around and being everyone. So many people can't help but be themselves, Just like me, just like everyone. I wish that I could be A better…

Taking a new format for these podcasts. Today I discuss the thoughts that precipitated the poem of the day: Note to self: People want what they want, And some graciously give, God bless them. But when it comes to making a living, It may be better me to focus on what others want Not what I want. Sell them something That they are already looking for.…

I am the roots of the tree The thing unseen. I am There but you can’t see me. You think that it is you, That it is he, But it is we Three. Remember. Oh, remember. And when you think that you’re alone Draw deep from the unseen place that lingers In the memory of what you were before you sprung Up from the ground so many years before. There we were t…

I have to slow down and visit meaning Or it escapes me. I have to ask myself, Do I find meaning in what I'm doing now? I ask it all the time, of myself. And to my surprise It often says, Aye, there's meaning. And that's classic, to find it In the most unexpected ways and places. But it's not enough to find my meaning I have to see it in others also…

There are those who try to deny hell But I am not sure why. There are those Who choose hell in this life When the light shines the day long. I can’t imagine that the next life is so different. But I also can’t imagine That the light doesn’t shine brighter there. But that means that the darkness Must also be deeper, The contrast more stark. There is…

I wish that I could give the world His love, Not a system of belief, But the Man Himself. For I am cradled in his kindness. My home is in His heart- And though I wander O’er the earth My pillow a stone, My shelter rain, I am at home In Him. It makes me think of those Who have no home In the love Of One. It makes me want to wrap them up In the harbo…

Old friend, the world that you have chosen, The spoil that you have taken, Sits rotting Under your canopy. “But I could pay,” you say, “I could pay. And here is the receipt.” Fool! You believe that you are the hero, The saver of the day, the victor By the thickness of your pocketbook. And what’s more, that you have escaped The eye that sees all thi…

If the world will ever find peace Good people will have to stop fighting. It is not enough for good people to be good. Being good has a blind spot. It makes you think That you are justified in fighting for what is right, In making war in defense of truth And to preserve your freedom. But freedom doesn’t need to be preserved. It lives within the hea…

Some news. I am going overseas. I don’t know how I’ll get there. But I’ve never known how I’ll get there. And isn’t it strange that I could know such a thing? And yet I do. How long will it take me to get there? I don’t know. How will I support myself when I get there? I think I know. More on that to come. But in the end, God only knows. And how lo…

If I were to just act And stop thinking quite so much I think I’d be better off. So long as our intentions are good, I don’t know that it matters that much What we do so long as we do. Do, do, do. In all things, do. That’s what bodies are made for. Do the best that can be done Under the circumstances And then move on To another do. I wonder if it’s…

Lessons from Raymond, the homeless man Who helped prepare me for the road. To view previous lessons, find my playlist entitled: Raymond Lessons. Lesson 10: Keep writing. Tell a story. Disappear. This one surprised me. It came in the days that followed. Raymond had given me 2 books, One deep, the other bubble gum. Couldn't get past page 40 in the la…

I will gather the apples before they fall, But not my apples, your apples, If you'll let me. You planted the tree with good intentions But we all know how that goes. And they'll soon go to waste. I'll also clean your windows, Mow your lawn, Walk your dog, If you let me. You planned to do it all, But we all know how that goes. I'll even take out you…

You can create another version of the past That serves a better future. When you do something you regret, Rewrite the experience in your mind. And give thanks for God’s grace In helping you to choose the better part Even though you did not choose the better part. Be descriptive in your re-writing, Enough that gratitude wells up For making the right…

Bookkeeping and accountability Is very much like a cold water plunge. It brings me into immediate contact With a cold harsh reality That is at the same time Shocking and invigorating. Holy cow! What a reality check To face the unrelenting numbers. But I love it. Every expense, however minute, counted. Every dollar added up and carefully budgeted Wi…

A fire’s lit within me Where the broken waters flowed, A covenant to purchase All the land they have disposed, The barren wasted places That the Spirit only knows To feed the broken family That in my heart like flowers grow.By Jonathan McCormick

I rejoice that the land is going back. It is being claimed by the owls And by the finches, By the little birds And by the great big bears. For it appears that despite the grasping hands, That the pebbles fall between the fingers. For the time is up. The lease has been reclaimed And soon, it will be turned loose to the wild ones Who have no other pl…

From frugality, comes generosity. Tao Te Ching, Ch. 67 Who would have guessed? But think about it, If I am an extravagant landlord, I can't afford to give you a break When you lose your job And can't pay the rent. The same is true If I'm in debt. The bank is relentless And so must I be. Only the frugal landlord, The one who buys with cash Out of a …

This morning I was trying to decide what to write And a thought came into my mind That had been brewing since yesterday: “Investment is more about valuing what you have Than it is about the acquisition of property.” Is that really right? I wondered. And then the second part came: “If you make good use of your present means, Property will fall into …

I am drawn to the song of the heart, sung with others. It’s been so many years since I sang. Perhaps I will find a choir. The thought feels like home. And yet I live in the boonies, Not many great choral groups nearby. If I do join a choir, I want to find Some people who take it seriously, Not professional musicians, but musicians, Not just a handf…

I am feeling rather practical today, More like a merchant, less like a poet. I am intrigued by watching money, Seeing it slowly trickle in, Marking down the numbers Alotting the returns And pouring a portion of my means, Into the opportunities that wait. And what’s the point? To grow in wealth. How vulgar that once seemed. And yet, as the rivers fl…

In the early journey of the soul, Spirits long to test the waters, To experience all they can. They want to try this And try that. They are curious. And they grow in light Then fall behind, then grow, Then fall behind. And it’s similar for old souls, They too want to know what’s out there But with a different motive. They no longer Believe that the…

We make do as best we can, don’t we? And when we can’t, it’s over. And that’s it. That’s the story of life. People living, people dying. Some live well and some are lost In the problems they find along the way. But that’s all they are is problems. And all the problems are connected To the little life that’s ours here on this earth, Nothing lasting.…

It doesn’t seem so hard now. It’s just a matter of time And patience And movement Toward the destination.By Jonathan McCormick

No more marathons. No more striving for the prize. It’s over. I’ve arrived At the place Where every want Has been supplied. So that finally I can rest In silence.By Jonathan McCormick

Waiting in silence For the word. Sitting. Listening. Looking steadily Into the unseen place.By Jonathan McCormick

Children of the light Dancing into darkness, Forsaking all For the shadow Of the ones Who’ve gone before, Paving the way For future generations, Not children of the body But children of the soul, They transcend The dark. They are the fathers, Mothers of us all.By Jonathan McCormick

The hush of dusk settles in And finds me at my dest Still working. And that feels good, Not because it’s virtuous To work till the sun goes down, But because I want to keep on working.By Jonathan McCormick

As the sunshine touches The uppermost tips of leaves With the day's first rays of microscopic bliss, And as the birds gather to the warmth Of the summer morning, Even so, I sense The hope of healing In the outermost corners of my consciousness And draw my focus upward toward the warmth Of the thought of a body renewed In strength and purpose and vi…

Money is at the same time cold and harsh, And also beautiful. It is beautiful Because it is cold and harsh and plain. It is one thing in life that you can count on To remain the same. You bend to its reality Or crash against its solid frame. Two plus two is four. It is the terrible truth That most men can never wrap their minds around. One day we w…

Never trust the praise of Mammon. It says that it loves you for your hard work, When in reality, it covets or clings to your ability to profit. It claims to respect your responsibility, When in reality, it just wants a piece of your acclaim. It is a jolly mate at sea, A bosom friend In arms. And how it clings to its fellows When the rough seas of c…

There is a gift in single minded work, Especially when it is for a worthy cause. It is that you do not have to think About your problems. And there is a gift in believing That people are supposed to have problems. It allows you to go to work And let go of other people's problems.By Jonathan McCormick

I would guess that more than half Of our ideas are hairbrained. Only by trying do we find out if we're right. So step into the action. Do something, anything Based on a best guess And find out if you are right?By Jonathan McCormick

You will have to come to me, little bird. I cannot chase you any longer. What I have, what I am, Will have to be enough, Since to chase For me means death. And so, I forsake your pretty feathers. I wear my rags with dignity And nurture these old bones with kindness. Come close, little bird. I will not grasp you. I will not harm you any longer. Come…

A dream… You the policeman, I the wandering vagrant. You upholding the laws that join house to house And field to field til there is no more room left in the earth. I complying, moving on from place to place. But everywhere I go, you find me. You are the policeman in every town I come to, The good guy, the one with the law on his side. But you reme…

The lawn is overgrown And there's nothing I can do about it Because I can't afford a lawn mower right now, Not even a $40 used lawn mower. As at other times in my life, I find myself waiting, Wanting to do the socially acceptable thing But unable to do so because of finances. And so the grass and weeds grow up around me With the flowers, flowers ev…

Lazy days, Putzing around the house Doing this and that but with intention, Letting the oil of relaxation, repose, and recreation Seep in-between and lubricate The little movements That I might otherwise call work, As if there is enough time, enough money, enough love To nurture, ease, persuade, this frail body Into another year of living.…

Lessons from Raymond, the homeless man Who helped prepare me for the road. To view previous lessons, look back through previous episodes Lesson 9 - Do It for Yourself I have always struggled with this idea Since it seemed self-centered. But I have to admit that when Raymond said it, There was a ring of truth. “I had a woman,” he said, “Down in Spri…

Deep, deep, into the light there is a city, A country, forest, mountain, plain, Where nobody owns a single thing. And the residents dwell there alone, Alone and with their neighbor. And yet, they don’t protect. They don’t defend. They don't pretend that it is theirs. They renounce and renounce, And renounce again With every breath their sacred clai…

It appears that we don’t make opportunity happen. It seems to come to those who wait for it But who don’t waste time While they are waiting.By Jonathan McCormick

Opportunity comes to those who don't waste time. But that's not the same thing as being busy. You know when you're wasting time. Just stop doing that And opportunity will come to you.By Jonathan McCormick

It turns out that relative morality Is actually founded in a moral absolute. Some things are easy. Rape is always wrong. But it is the grey areas that make us wonder If there is no firm moral law. But when we look closer, We discover that circumstance decides. There is still a right and a wrong answer. We just may not be wise enough to see it. And …

Lessons from Raymond, the homeless man Who helped prepare me for the road. To view previous lessons, find my playlist entitled: Raymond Lessons. Lesson 8 - Keep Asking “Make a trade,” Raymond said. “Ok,” I said. And off we went. We tried a dealership But they were closed. And then we tried a guy Who just sold cars but he said no. “Do you know of an…

Melancholy and reflection are the poet’s friends. They leave and come again. They are the fertile soil That works its way Between the toes of his imagination And prod and shift the kindling fires Of his unknown, unseen, deeply buried passion. And, in time, with much wrestling, They bring forth the most delicate of flowers, Perfect curves and colors…