A Final Affection

I love the accomplishments of trees,
How they try to restrain great storms
And pacify the very worms that eat them.
Even their deaths seem to be considered.
I fear for trees, loving them so much.
I am nervous about each scar on bark,
Each leaf that browns. I want to
Lie in their crotches and sigh,
Whisper of sun and rains to come.

Sometimes on summer evenings I step
Out of my house to look at trees
Propping darkness up to the silence.

When I die I want to slant up
Through those trunks so slowly
I will see each rib of bark, each whorl;
Up through the canopy, the subtle veins
And lobes touching me with final affection;
Then to hover above and look down
One last time on the rich upliftings,
The circle that loves the sun and moon,
To see at last what held the darkness up.

Paul Zimmer

CultFit Tree


Alive, I

In Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves-

How different would everyday life become, if we embraced silence?

Over the course of writing this blog-o-thing I have adapted a leisurely pace in life Attending more yoga classes, spending more time unconnected from the web and partaking in long, flowing bike rides without a care in the world.

As Festivus and winter set in, the bikes resting at ease in the front bedroom. I turned my attention homeward, focusing more on the events of my daily life. It truly is possible to attend a silent retreat, where my only interactions with my surroundings are with a smile and an attentive ear. I stopped listening to the radio while driving, the TV stays off when I get home from work and magically  My son and I are reading more in front of the fireplace.

It is such a relief to be free of “noise The stillness in my heart is based solely on silence rather than a frantic beat or change in tempo.

I have begun to notice in this “silence,” the crunch of salt on the walkways leading into work, the rustle of a few stubborn leaves in the breeze, a red tail hawk gliding past

Silence has kindly given me clarity and inspiration.

Daily Meditation:

Be kind your body and heart today

CultFit Silence1