A living pantomime
where silence resides on your tongue
and every movement is one of love.

Bearer of the Sea
a river in full spate
sound of the waterfall
forever returning,
weeping from a clear blue sky.

spirit finer than light
unseen beneath this flesh
does express itself
gives in secret
lives unknown
free to love
everyone.

At the forest edge

all foliage is mist-covered

strange silence pervades

And I'm reminded
of that night

an argument

the never-ending loop that rip tide
we were caught in

our fingers
trying to break free

of the bamboo handcuff
that bonded us

and it's futile to ask
what happened or try

to make sense of what
it all meant

whit howland © 2021

a new semester
filled with uncertainty
for teachers . . .
more anticipation of the unknown
fear for our colleagues,
our students-
and yet,
I can't imagine a career
I'd rather risk my life for
than for the smiles of students
our crazy, harmonious connections  
I can't fathom being
any other than what I am
one who loves and supports
our future
when I rest my mind on this affection,
all the rest dies away
for all at once
I smile, again, meeting
a new family, collaboration
filled with possibility
together, we are reborn
again
and fear falls away
we are students and teacher
engaged in the beauty
of a journey
an exchange, even CoVid
can't deny