Cloudy gray Sunday morning on Lake Champlain

A steady breeze from the south
Unfurls the New Zealand flag beside me —
Deep blue background with red-and-white Union Jack in the top left,
Four white stars of the Southern Cross to its right and below.
This the new flag of our expatriate hosts,
Happy to revisit their native land
Yet happier still to call New Zealand home.

Looking at the world with fresh eyes
Taking in its immensity
And the limits of what I’ve experienced of it
Thus far on this my 76th birthday

Grateful for how far I’ve come
To get to this point of recognition
Of both how much and how little
I’ve lived and loved

The exquisite lyricism and beauty
Of Boccherini’s cello concerto
Playing through my hearing aids now,
The supreme artistry of Yo Yo Ma’s indomitable
Spirit lifting and inspiring mine

What a rich ride this life can be
In the midst of even
The most challenging blockages
Of fear, ignorance, pain, disappointment…

The exuberance of the life force
Persists and finds a way to express itself
In the world around us,
In you, in me

John Bayerl, 7/13/2025