This morning we attended the Quaker Meeting for Worship in Westerly, as we have been for the past many months, and I had a wonderful hour of silent meditation. Well, it wasn't all silent, because three people stood and shared beautiful, moving thoughts about their spiritual lives. I was deeply touched by their words, and it was a great help to my meditation.

Later, we hosted a very successful lunch with Jane, Charlie, Ken, and Paula as our guests. We sat at our dining room table covered with a bright new tablecloth, and enjoyed splendid conversation and delicious food prepared by Cia, including an out-of-this-world home-made apple pie. We loved having our friends over, and we both would love doing it again, many times.  

Cia cutting her pie at lunch

TWO POEMS FOR TODAY

GUIDED WITH GLORY

(Billy M., age 51, Blessing, CT)

He's often guided with glory,

as if he's a king who's cared for

by servants. Some days, seeing leaves

loosening in a breeze brings him

inspiration about what to do next

and how to do it. Some days,

the sky suddenly darkening

guides him to hold the light

of his life up higher. He can't help

being guided, because goodness

always gathers near him

to show him how to go.  You feel

victorious when you have

that kind of guidance, the leadership

of leaves and darkness, and of course

the flow of kindness,

the river that cares and steers.

* * * * *

 OK

(Sharon Z., age 79, Blessing, CT)

Are you ok? someone would ask.

and she would sometimes say no,

I'm mg, mighty good, or apap,

as perfect as possible. She seemed

to see each moment as a miracle

made for her and for all of us.

even for the silver fish in her

small aquarium, even for the mice

that she sometimes heard rustling

in the attic above her desk.

She knew mice and fish found

something special in every moment,

and so did she, so she smiled

at the fish as they found their

happiness, and she nodded

as the soft sounds of the mice

made her see some blissful truths

once more and know that her

old life is totally mg and apap,

a power prepared just for her.