Author: Jeff Shapiro

Life is different when everything is bigger than you…
It is like always being under a cattle stampede…
With very few narrow openings…
Feet, all widths, lengths, and colors.
 
There are hundreds of questioning eyes looking down…
Mouths twittering like birds…
I’m always in fear of one striking blow…
Why, Oh Lord! Why did you make me so short!
 
But there are advantages…
The herd drops and discards all manner of things…
Question:  Have you tried those cinnamon things?
I had one the other day smothered in whipped cream…yum!!
 
From nearer my own level there is a different world…
I can see the universe is a continual chain…
All connected with very few gaps…
Tall and short, black, and white, all connected together.
 
Do you feel the earth is bigger than you?
Of course you do, everyone does…
Be like me and dodge and weave…
If you look diligently, you may find one of those yummy cinnamon things…
And on a really good day, it will be covered with whipped cream.
 
I love you,
 
Annie

What if…
Doing nothing isn’t an option…
That peace is at the end of a long stretch in the road…
And we must accept that anything can happen, and anything will.

What if…
We view each morning as a new creation…
With no blur in detail…
Full of kindness and calm…
All behind a curtain we have to say “yes” to pass through.

What do you think?
Will you follow me here…
Take a step with me, out of your own mind…
Don’t be afraid…
It’s as easy as turning the page in the morning paper.

Or will you hesitate…
Claiming this is not what the teachings require…
That it is better to stay the same…
That courage is not for the likes of me.

But life is not meant to be a black and white circus…
We should search for the clusters of flowers…
Don’t you want to stop the “what-ifs” that are buzzing like bees in your brain?
Take a step forward, be kind to another, and watch the bees fly away.

I love you,
Annie

Now that I’m 15 years old and a wise old pup, I have learned…

That suffering is life…
It comes from unknown shores…
There is no place for me to run…
It is as sure as if written on a coin.

Yet, I always find refuge in the strangest places…
Things nuzzle me gently…
Coming brightly and quietly…
Like a starry night.

They comes through warmth…
A kind word…
A scratch on my head…
A hug so big, that it makes me sigh…
Or laughter, most importantly laughter.

Suffering is what has molded me…
A visage of the decade past…
Hope for the decade unwritten…
Making me strong enough to carry another suffering soul.

At the end of suffering there is always a celebration…
A place for the victorious, a temple for loss…
A safe house where we can listen to each other…
And wonder, how something so painful, can produce so much beauty.

I love you,

Annie

From the inside of a cloud…
Alone in its whiteness…
The perfection of calm…
Unwithering peace.

Inhaling the fragrance…
Like dipping a paint brush…
Choosing a light snowy blue…
Creating an image…
That looks kind of like you.

Acres and acres of snowballs…
Acres and acres of rain…
An untouchable peace…
Until the thunder roars.

I can’t help but cheer…
With the claps of brilliance…
As if the whole universe is hooting and shouting…
Even though we have seen it time and time again.

Now I must return…
This world can be a thief…
Stealing back my attention…
But with a few deep breaths I can bring myself back…
To the inside of a cloud.

I love you,

Annie

I know everything about the wild…
The mountains and the trees…
I know they have an inside like the rest of us…
Often smiling at the miracle.

I understand nature’s maze of stitches…
Can follow the needle work all the way down to the root hairs…
I treat nature with respect and love…
As one visits a friend.

I know everything about the city…
Bustling like bees…
Sips of whisky instead of milk…
Even know the alleys that turn me all the way around.

Like nature, the city is made of a myriad of fabrics…
With new adventure within the patches…
The city ebbs and flows…
Like a love lorn country song.

I am still learning about you…
Your quiet lowered glance…
I’m so blessed that God pointed you out to me…
So, we can have a lifetime of discovery.

I love you,

Annie

When I’m in nature, I find….

Silence belongs to Her…
Depriving fear of its power…
Enlarging the spirit…
Casting a spell of freedom on every living thing.

When I’m in the city, I find…

She walks down streets and alleys in silence…
Never asking directions…
Into the teeth of it all…
Her feathers fluttering downward.

As I sit and ponder….

I embrace Her silence…
I almost always can find it…
I squint my ears to hear Her teaching…
But I hear nothing at all.

It is so difficult to comprehend…
And accept that growth can come from silence…
It takes a do-or-die courage…
To take our foot off the gas.

Together we sit…
Drinking from chipped teacups…
She nods at me…
I nod back at Her.

I love you,

Annie

Is it possible for me to be too optimistic?
Be flush with too much cheer?
To believe the smallest chance will turn into the biggest?
To replace every drop of fear with hope.

Why am I so optimistic?

I have not yet tasted the best fruit…
Even though I know that I will…
As I focus on the positive…
My loves, my friendships, and everything in this life becomes perfectly clear.

People say, You crazy pup!
Sooner or later your optimism is bound to break…
Look around you, this world is a mess!
Wait until you are really in the midst of it…
We’ll see if you can defeat despair.

My answer is simple….

Despair! Let’s get rid of that word right now!
I keep that word ten steps behind me…
Despair is just a mindless stutter…
The killer of the soul.

I believe the best is yet to come…
That I will always end up on solid ground…
Is it possible for me to be too optimistic?
Nope, no way!

I love you,

Annie

It is not for my lack of trying…
I keep thinking that the summit is just a short scramble up…
When the far side is still a long way off…
And the bottom has no bottom.

I will go to the bend in the river…
I know its waters are sparkling clear…
I’ll slide into the sunlight…
And ask the churning waters.

She whispers….

Search for the language deep inside you…
You knew it fluently when you were a child (puppy…)
Haven’t you wondered why words and phrases keep popping up in your memories?
Like you’ve lived a 100 lives before.

Who told you that this journey would be fast?
That there would be no dry and barren places?
Why are you surprised that the clock moves quicker than it should?
And time has so many bends and twists.

It is difficult to find yourself among so many sudden changes…
Life comes at you unannounced…
Like me, you need to keep flowing…
And soon you will find your way to the sea.

So says the river.

I love you,

Annie

Last night I woke myself with my own snoring…
Thoughts erupted through the floor of my brain…
I was startled by all the crazy thoughts
And I wondered…
Can I really see myself?

Yes, there is that reflection in the mirror…
Yes, I can see forward and back…
But what about the parts of me that matter?
What about the parts that are really me?

One thing I know for sure is…

I can see you…
And you my friend are a wonder…
Your kindness has touched me so many times…
Your love has been so warm and true.

I can see you through your actions…
I can see by their results who you are…
To me, you don’t have to say a word…
Your life is written plainly, in black and white.

Maybe we are meant to be each other’s mirrors…
And there’s no need for pretend…
Perhaps there is no other way of truly seeing ourselves…
Other than the reflection that comes from each other’s eyes.

I love you,

Annie

In the act of becoming…
Friendship is always enough…
It is time to change the focus of our eyes…
And see that love is all around us.

Friendship is the path of paths…
Within me, within you…
Echoing forever…
In hushed whispers.

Yes! We can include each other in our calling…
Share the trail, hand in hand…
Together gather enlightenment…
And separate ourselves from the pangs of guilt and sadness.

Just as the sun is meant to give light…
And the plants are meant to grow…
We are meant to be together…
And take our cues from each other’s angels.

Come and taste freedom…
Before the last of the dirt is settled…
In the act of becoming…
God has given us each other.

I love you,

Annie