starfields

The planets spread out along the horizon,
Mars gleaming a pale orange low in the east
Saturn piercing the darkness toward the south
Jupiter shining in the southwest.

I spin slowly on the grass beside the river,
watch the planets' steady light
among the glimmering stars,
Randy pointing them out one by one.

We sat on the grass,
saw a satellite fly high overhead,
watched a jet blinking across the sky,
laughed at my inability to name the stars
in the summer triangle ... after all these summers together.

I should study.  Next time I'll know them:
Deneb
Altair
Vega

Maybe it was after looking at a night sky like this, that Bruce Cockburn wrote these words ...

Lord of the starfields
Ancient of Days
Universe Maker
Here's a song in your praise.

Wings of the storm cloud
Beginning and end
You make my heart leap
Like a banner in the wind.

O love that fires the sun
Keep me burning.

Lord of the starfields
Sower of life,
Heaven and earth are
Full of your light.

Voice of the nova
Smile of the dew,
All of our yearning
Only comes home to you.

O love that fires the sun
Keep me burning. 

playground friendships

she inserted herself seamlessly into their monkey bar routine
not butting in but waiting confidently for her turn
stepping in between the brothers
for her turn to swing across

understood the relationships
watching out for their little sister
called her "little sister"
made sure that she had a chance to swing, to play

and when they were all hot and thirsty
she offered them a drink of water from her 7 Up water bottle
she knew they were thirsty too

it was only when she cried out
after a swing came back
to unceremoniously cuff her on the head that
one of the older kids who had been playing

confidently swinging
playing those games with rules that
morph with the day and the playmates

quickly came to her aid
made sure she was alright
called her back - once

then she came back to us
called me Grandma too
asked me for a push on the swing

My view from the deck as I think about the gifts of this day.