​Today I was
stopped
in my tracks
by the sweet
earthy smell
of rotting leaves.
Heaven on earth!
A tree's offering
to the soil.
This scent tells
the curious truth:
death can be achingly,
exquisitely,
lovely.
Death is not
a final ending,
it is a transformation,
a continuum,
an outpouring
of love.
- Wendy Janzen

​Thoughts for heading into municipal elections.

How do we measure progress?
We’ve gone off track,
lost our way following
stats for economic growth,
quarterly profits,
housing starts,
and GDP.
Why not measure
a city’s success through counting
how many species of insects we have,
how many people are not hungry,
how many different birds children can name,
how many stars can be seen at night,
how many green spaces there are,
how easy public transit is to access,
and how healthy the waterways are…
Let’s exchange our lawn mowers
for native plant gardens.
Dim our insecurity lights.
Talk to our neigbours.
Park our cars.
Be happy with enough,
and no more.
Draw the circle wide.
Care for the least.
Measure compassion,
not consumption.

​- Wendy Janzen

​Last Sunday I went
to bird church,
or maybe
it was river church.
Either way,
I was greeted by gulls,
mallards, heron,
cedar wax wings,
and approached
by Mystery.

There were flowers
offering praise and beauty
in purples and gold.
The sky opened
space for us,
the constant flow
of the river whispered
ageless truths.

I wandered prayerfully
then returned and waited,
wondering who would
offer the benediction.
I suspected it might be gull,
perched proudly
on a rock in the
center of the river.

But, no.
Soundlessly,
a single yellow
leaf spun down
from above,
swirling to a
resting place
in front of my feet:
Go in peace.

​- Wendy Janzen

To breathe the fresh morning air,
To observe the variety of tracks in the snow,
To greet the crow flying overhead,
To hear the joyful chirping of birds,
To admire the silhouette of an old tree
in front of the rising sun,
To feel the bright, warm sun on my cold skin:
This is to be alive
and to remember 
I am not alone. 

- Wendy Janzen

Sometimes grandeur is great - 
mountains and sunsets
and oceans and such... 
But sometimes 
all I need is simplicity -
a wildflower,
a birdsong,
a bit of blue sky,
my feet connected to 
the good earth,
the colour green,
not much to do,
someone to sit with,
a cup of coffee,
a prayer on the breeze - 
simple sabbath gifts
to fill my soul and
remind me that 
ordinary, everyday 
moments are 
holy too.  

​- Wendy Janzen

Sinking...

I dive beneath dark water,
immersed and held 
briefly in
another world.
Surfacing, 
I breathe deeply.

Floating 
face to the sky,
with each exhale
I sink slightly.
I align my body to the 
sinking sun in the
hazy sky;
a brilliant orange path
glistens across the water, 
reflects fires burning
in the northwest,
points right to my feet.

My heart sinks with 
the knowledge
we are all sinking,
burning, melting
choking.

God, save us from
ourselves.
Have mercy on us.
Have mercy on the Earth,
on the trees, sky, glaciers, 
communities, and creatures…
Save us from this
path of self destruction.
Save us from sinking
into oblivion.

You are our bright light,
fresh air,
quenching rain,
enduring solace,
solid ground,
our hope beyond hope.

- Wendy Janzen

Sometimes I see the world in poetry...
words shimmering like light
just behind or within
everything I see.
But neither word
nor image do justice
to the beauty, the wonder,
the deeper meaning.
​
To simply witness
is enough.
To feel in my bones
something more
is going on.
To trust this
sacred moment
and say
thank you.
​
- Wendy Janzen

Poised as for prayer,
spring ephemerals
call out gently 
from the forest floor,
inviting reverence 
and reflection.
I offer my attention, 
recognizing the holiness 
in the moment - 
too soon they 
will be gone.
Meanwhile, 
the sound of traffic 
in the near distance
reminds me of the
world that never stops. 

Stop what you are doing 
right now.
Stop and step out of
the climate-controlled box.
Step away from the
mediated world of screens.
Step into the world
where rain might 
soak your skin,
where smells of 
Earth can fill your lungs,
where birds freely
and joyfully
offer the soundtrack 
of a life 
where you get lost
in the beauty
and glory
of spring flowers,
where you feel 
fully alive, a re-
membered part 
of the community
of creation.

​- Wendy Janzen

Less than perfect.
These pandemic days,
weeks, months...
have left me feeling off.
Floundering at times
for focus,
for energy,
for direction,
for peace.
But when I go out
and walk, or
poke around in the garden, or
sit for a bit
and just be
in the presence
of flowers,
I breathe deeply
and let the worries
slip away.
I catch glimpses
of the freedom
they have to be
less than perfect
and still beautifully,
uncomplicatedly,
offering themselves
to the world
as gift freely given
and received.
That is enough.

- Wendy Janzen