My daily prayer starts with images.

 

I look at the images life has given me. 
And I imagine them together.

 

I quilt them together. 
Add a backing to my quilt.
And sew the goddess into it
With threads of mitochondria.

 

The process is different
When I make slides for my classes.
I imagine first,
And then find images that fit,
Images that make me smile.

 

In addition to my photographs
And the photos Justine sends me frequently
And gift images from students and friends,
(Thank you Feather Hawk),
I find images at Wikimedia commons.

 

I've used Wikipedia for as long as it's been around.
(And I contribute yearly.)
Although it sometimes falls short of what I'm seeking
(Like nothing-much entry for Jeannine Parvati)
I trust the information there.

 

But I only discovered Wiki for images a few years ago.
Here are some of my favorites from Wikipedia's
Pulled for my recent classes on
Herbal Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum.

 

The central image is a photo Justine took
At her home in Costa Rica.

 

And I swear, that must be a painting of Juliette,
There on the left.
It looks like a scene recounted in her book —
Spanish Mountain Life —
When she couldn't nurse her newborn due to typhus,
And engaged the help of a nanny goat.

 

I've never seen that painting before,
Nor even a photograph of that scene.
And Juliette opened her photo archives to me,
Since I publish her books,
So I've seen hundreds of photos of her.

 

I miss her presence.
Feel eternally grateful for our friendship.
Juliette's words always fill my heart with green blessings.

 

When I was given her book,
"Common Herbs for Natural Health,"
She turned me on to "Standard Brews,"
Which I renamed Nourishing Herbal Infusions.

I owe so much to her.
What a delight to find a new image of her as a young mom.