Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise, May 23, 2010

I, clothed in nature
he, in a white bathrobe
observe the streaming by
of islands and inlets
green with spring

Dreams and wishes
blend into a soup
of contentment and regret

At some age, too advanced
for further adventure
you lose the ability to count
your blessings too numerous
your body's aches too unpleasant
You focus your mind
and your vision
on what's immediately before you
Your attention turns to God

God of All Creation,
scatter my molecules
among the stars
for future generations
to inhale and breathe me in
May my loves and experiences
mean something to humankind
May my life be a sweet refrain
that resounds like an echo
of a good idea
the memory of a good meal
the scent of a fresh mountaintop breeze
that calls your soul to soar.