Paint peels like old habits, and life goes on. 

Urban Diversity in Lausanne

come out to play, if you please

I came upon a pond in desert place
where sounds for ears
and sights for eyes are plentiful. Yes.
Sounds and Sights
The buzzing of insects droning over the water
dropping their sylphlike legs in perfect circles, hovering.
Bodies light as air they alight,
and wait

The dragonfly passes
and sings her breath upon my neck;
caves of fish mouths hunting the unsuspecting
water spiders, calling me to come
and play,
to die.



Overhead, the groaning arms of trees
holding tiny flags toward me, dropping
benedictions on occasion,
one to catch my hair, they laugh.
I see light through leaf in this heart, thank God -
He has come.

There is the feel of cool water edging upon my ankles,
lapping its tongues upon me, higher
with every step.
Sunlight in water drop on lily pad
reflects bare skin back to me, calling
come.



Pour out on me
gift and goodness
I come to feel fingers,
Yours,
running down my head,
my skin,
my heart
; my grief.

There is only yielding now, as sunbeam pierces branch,
and You come upon me,

here

and take the desert vastness of a heart.

We knocked down the old fireplace, which was deemed hazardous, and discovered this behind. Color and texture in the hardware.



The contractors told me I can't keep it this way, but I think it's grand just like it is.

Three angels paid a visit this Saturday to lend the muscle power of their youth to my Russian. Look at how happy he looks!



Before and after ...

"You should have seen them... they came in like a tornado and it took 'em a matter of minutes to rip the ceiling down and get the kitchen out. It was all I could do to keep up!"

Hugs all around, and THANK YOU BOYS!!!

In the box with Grandfather's Bible was Great-grandmother's clock.

It had been a wedding present in her youth, and chimed the hours of her lifetime until she took her final leave.



My Russian - who works in the watchmaking industry - was swift to take it in his hands, carefully studying the movement before attempting to bring it back to life. And as I watched him working with a patience I personally know not of, I couldn't help but think that this clock, my Swiss great-grandmother's treasure when she espoused my Swiss great-grandfather, had found its way back to the vaterland and into the care of watchmakers, the keepers of its very soul.



Perhaps in years to come it will chime my own final breath.