I Blog Poetry and Prose

I contemplate the animals I've ridden
an elephant,
a pony,
a horse,
and now a virtual camel.

The Lotus Temple--
The Dawning Place of the Mention of God--
is open to all humanity,
Ir represents:
         the oneness of God,
         the oneness of the foundation of religion,
         and the oneness of humanity

Out of the blue-green ocean
stone islands rise
reaching toward
cloud decorated blue sky.

To sleep on a cruise ship
in a comfortable bed,
get up in the morning,
and look out the window
at stony islands
surrounded by a blue ocean
is every insomniac's hope.

Sometimes,
I think I would like
to go to a zoo
with living dinosaurs.

The City Temple's4 moat--
is more than just part of the ground water system--
it was designed to assist
in the stabilization
of the temple's foundation
during the area's
seasons of flood and drought.

Nature's beauty revealed
at Kings Park and Botanic Garden,
where you can inhale the fragrance
and wild elegance
of an inner city park.

Restful night,
good night's sleep
in a real bed,
and a delicious breakfast.

Inhale the fragrance
of the Outback
as you watch the show
and how the animals are trained:
working horses,
working dogs,
a beautiful experience.

Did my Great Aunt Opal ever wear an opal necklace,
an opal ring,
or an opal broach?
I don't know,
I do know
that she was
as beautiful as an opal!

Behold the beauty
of snow,
of ice,
of reflected blue light,
of penguins on the rocky shore,
and of humpback whales surfacing
in the icy water.

Coffee and chocolate--
my favorite drink and snack--
are good separately:
I prefer to add chocolate to my coffee
rather than sugar.

The soul, the "inmost reality" of every human being, is sacred. It is the mirror capable of reflecting all the attributes of God. In order for the soul to reflect the radiance of God's light, it must be detached--cleaned of the dust and dross material desires. This occurs when the individual passes a test or overcomes aver come a difficulty that has kept it from expressing or accepting the Will of God in their life.

On the last Sunday in July 2020,
I contemplate detachment--
freedom from all except God--
and ask myself,
"Am I detached from the things and situations
in my surroundings
and my life?"

My Grandmother, Mary Florence, was a wonderful cook. She baked pies for all our holiday occasions. She always took some type of salad to every potluck dinner she attended. The dish I remember fondly was her Spanish rice. She had her own recipe, and would make it usually for lunch or the noonday meal. Her Spanish rice was different from what one usually considers Spanish rice because she would make it with hamburger meat. In fact, it wasn't until I moved to Las Vegas that I found out Spanish rice was a vegetarian dish.

I appear to be coming out of whatever depression I've been dealing with. I'm not sure whether it had anything to do with COVID-19 self-isolation, social distancing, or wearing a mask. Over the past few weeks I've gotten out of the house a few times. While wearing a mask, I went to the beauty parlor, to pick up senior commodities, or to Quest Diagnostic for a blood draw. Next week I expect to pick up senior commodities for this month. On August 4 and 6 I have doctors appointments. I will be wearing a mask when I go out.

How am I staying sane with COVID-19 numbers increasing daily? The sanity of a human being is precarious at any time. It becomes even more so during a national or international crises such as a pandemic. I am staying sane through prayer, meditation, scripture reading, reading and reviewing on writing.com, and attempting to keep my mind focused on the world around me.