Peace is Green like Alfalfa

Peace is Green like Alfalfa

The sun beat down

      BRIGHT

            BURNING

                BOILING

                     BRUTAL


Sweat trickled, no relief, no chill but...

My sandaled feet pounded the road

        DUSTY

            DIRTY

                DESOLATE

Furtive glances for grouchy farmers and then dive into a row of soft, tender plants.

I spread my arms slowly, soaking in

          COOL

               CALM

Heart slowing, sweat evaporating, silence pervasive


             PEACE


Peace is green like alfalfa



It seemed that a poem was the only way I could describe where I would go when I was a young child living in the heat of Mexico. 

We didn't have air conditioning.

The heat of summer had a physicality to it that makes it hard to express if you have never had that experience.  The idea of siestas was not a mystery to me even then.  It was necessary for well-being.  The sun was a harsh master.

A farmer near our house had a field of alfalfa and when there was no other cool place in my little world, I would run there.

I would lay in the middle of that field soaking in the cool of the plants feeling like the smartest and richest child in the world. 

It was so quiet and smelled so good. 

I would close my eyes and luxuriate in that field until I was afraid my mother would worry.

Even now, in my mind, Peace is Green like Alfalfa.



         


   
         

Goals are Scary

Goals in my life have been tiny ways to feel guilty.  One sidetracked moment at a time when I SHOULD have been doing something meaningful. 

I hesitate to write down goals because my subconcious is convinced the goal police are waiting to strike as soon as I let one goal fall by the wayside.  I decided this year would be different.  I WOULD be accountable to myself.  I sat down at my desk and pulled out my trusty journal.  I lifted my pen and froze. 

Ink seemed risky.  There are stories about things come to life via the power of a pen.  Perhaps I wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility.  I briefly pondered a pencil but discarded that thought almost immediately.  Pencil wasn't permanent enough!  A few dashes with an eraser and there would be no accountability whatsoever.  What to do...

I sit here staring at Post-It notes.  They are written in ink.  They look messy.  BUT!!!  I wrote stuff down.

I am not really feeling brave enough to list out my goals for you.  Sorry, they haven't even made the jump from post-it to journal yet however, I will tell you what some of my categories are:

Personal:  Things that make me happy and I want to do for me

Spiritual:  Things that make me more like Jesus

Physical:  Cause this body should not just look like a temple on the inside and it is hard to reach other goals when the siren call of the bag of candy is the loudest one in the room.  Can I get an amen?

House:  Project oriented, trying not to be the house that makes our neighbors despair of their property values

Books:  I love them, I am trying to be more mindful in my choices


Hopefully I'll do better than the masses and this little exercise will last more than a couple of weeks and I actually get some of these goals accomplished.