Steve Garnaas Holmes Ashes

I have a small vial of clay
that used to hold my father’s ashes.
They’re on a hillside in Montana now;
the vial is clean and empty,
ready for me.

I should keep it in my pocket,
hold it deep in the folds of my coat,
until I am folded into my little vial of clay.

It asks me, what is the difference
between you and clay?
The answer is water.
That, and love.

The little vial of clay says daily: drink water while you can, and love. +

-Steve Garnaas-Holmes
from Unfolding Light blog

Steve Garnaas Holmes Being Trees in Autumn

These trees in Buddhist saffron robes, renouncing everything,
becoming naked without fear,
in wind that is a part of them,
disclose a beauty in this death,
become new shapes, interior.
To live they cannot hoard;
this losing, too, is growth.
New shapes emerge, new vision clears.
Surrender strengthens in the soul another song.
This emptying is confidence in spring, but more—a faithing in the growth that’s come before, a counting of the gifts
and then releasing one by one,
so as to give again,
knowing growth is not a season,
but is in the root of things.
This is no losing,
but a becoming.
Coveting such openness
of limb and heart and hand,
such bareness in the singing, I only now discover that I want
this wind, blowing where it will,

Pastor Steve Garnaas Holmes
(Poem was published in September 2015 issue of Weavings monthly newsletter)

Steve Garnaas Holmes Autumn Blessing

Prospect Park in Brooklyn

As the trees bear fruit and the harvest is bought in,blessings ripen in you.

As the earth holds dear the roots of trees,
God’s love for you holds you fast, and gives you life.

As the trees shed their leaves in beauty
and the garden gives up its riches in abundance,
you learn to surrender gracefully,
forgive deeply, offer gifts generously,
and in all your losses trust that deeper blessings are given you.

As the earth turns toward winters’ darkness
in its gentle dance of seasons,
you walk through life’s challenges without fear,
trusting the unseen spring yet to come.

As autumn’s colors pour into the world,
blessing unfolds in you;
as autumn puts its gold in your hands,
you grow in love and become more beautiful,
and make the world more beautiful.

And even the trees, amazed, thank you.

Steve Garnaas-Holmes
(From Unfolding Light blog)