Contemplative Photographer
@dwalkerarts.bsky.social
Contemplative artist, poet, photographer, playwright, news announcer… happy to be here.
Things are feeling
Quite rocky right now:
The values that lit our way
for so long
Appear to be behind us,
increasingly obscured
By clouds of self-interest
and greed,
But now’s the time to reach within
And find the courage
to sail forward
Into a brighter future we define
Ruled by compassion and hope.
Quite rocky right now:
The values that lit our way
for so long
Appear to be behind us,
increasingly obscured
By clouds of self-interest
and greed,
But now’s the time to reach within
And find the courage
to sail forward
Into a brighter future we define
Ruled by compassion and hope.
January 3, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Things are feeling
Quite rocky right now:
The values that lit our way
for so long
Appear to be behind us,
increasingly obscured
By clouds of self-interest
and greed,
But now’s the time to reach within
And find the courage
to sail forward
Into a brighter future we define
Ruled by compassion and hope.
Quite rocky right now:
The values that lit our way
for so long
Appear to be behind us,
increasingly obscured
By clouds of self-interest
and greed,
But now’s the time to reach within
And find the courage
to sail forward
Into a brighter future we define
Ruled by compassion and hope.
There are five
Components to a scene in a play.
I wonder if that applies
To a picture as well,
and stare at this one.
There are the cattails
in the foreground,
the water and the houses,
The trees and the clouds,
But do they tell a story?
Have they anything to offer
Besides stillness and beauty?
Components to a scene in a play.
I wonder if that applies
To a picture as well,
and stare at this one.
There are the cattails
in the foreground,
the water and the houses,
The trees and the clouds,
But do they tell a story?
Have they anything to offer
Besides stillness and beauty?
January 2, 2026 at 2:54 PM
There are five
Components to a scene in a play.
I wonder if that applies
To a picture as well,
and stare at this one.
There are the cattails
in the foreground,
the water and the houses,
The trees and the clouds,
But do they tell a story?
Have they anything to offer
Besides stillness and beauty?
Components to a scene in a play.
I wonder if that applies
To a picture as well,
and stare at this one.
There are the cattails
in the foreground,
the water and the houses,
The trees and the clouds,
But do they tell a story?
Have they anything to offer
Besides stillness and beauty?
May the New Year that awaits us all
Prove as peaceful as this scene,
And may everyone find a place
at the table.
Prove as peaceful as this scene,
And may everyone find a place
at the table.
January 1, 2026 at 3:57 PM
May the New Year that awaits us all
Prove as peaceful as this scene,
And may everyone find a place
at the table.
Prove as peaceful as this scene,
And may everyone find a place
at the table.
Awake in the wee hours
of the morning,
Thinking of my daughter,
Born this day, so many years ago,
And such a treasure;
Such a pleasure in my life —
And there, in the dark
outside my window,
Glows the moon, so full of light,
Just like her smile:
blessing all it touches…
of the morning,
Thinking of my daughter,
Born this day, so many years ago,
And such a treasure;
Such a pleasure in my life —
And there, in the dark
outside my window,
Glows the moon, so full of light,
Just like her smile:
blessing all it touches…
December 31, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Awake in the wee hours
of the morning,
Thinking of my daughter,
Born this day, so many years ago,
And such a treasure;
Such a pleasure in my life —
And there, in the dark
outside my window,
Glows the moon, so full of light,
Just like her smile:
blessing all it touches…
of the morning,
Thinking of my daughter,
Born this day, so many years ago,
And such a treasure;
Such a pleasure in my life —
And there, in the dark
outside my window,
Glows the moon, so full of light,
Just like her smile:
blessing all it touches…
I could ask which shot you prefer,
But the truth is — it doesn’t matter,
Because I love them both.
It’s like being asked to choose
Between my children:
I love them both
For all the ways they are alike
And for all the ways they’re different.
I just like waking up and knowing
That they’re there.
But the truth is — it doesn’t matter,
Because I love them both.
It’s like being asked to choose
Between my children:
I love them both
For all the ways they are alike
And for all the ways they’re different.
I just like waking up and knowing
That they’re there.
December 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
I could ask which shot you prefer,
But the truth is — it doesn’t matter,
Because I love them both.
It’s like being asked to choose
Between my children:
I love them both
For all the ways they are alike
And for all the ways they’re different.
I just like waking up and knowing
That they’re there.
But the truth is — it doesn’t matter,
Because I love them both.
It’s like being asked to choose
Between my children:
I love them both
For all the ways they are alike
And for all the ways they’re different.
I just like waking up and knowing
That they’re there.
Sometimes, if you’re determined
To head straight a problem,
The likelihood is strong
that you’ll run aground.
Broaden your options,
Look at things from a different angle,
Be willing to turn away
Before turning toward,
And you may find obstacles
Devolve into mere signposts
along the way.
To head straight a problem,
The likelihood is strong
that you’ll run aground.
Broaden your options,
Look at things from a different angle,
Be willing to turn away
Before turning toward,
And you may find obstacles
Devolve into mere signposts
along the way.
December 29, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Sometimes, if you’re determined
To head straight a problem,
The likelihood is strong
that you’ll run aground.
Broaden your options,
Look at things from a different angle,
Be willing to turn away
Before turning toward,
And you may find obstacles
Devolve into mere signposts
along the way.
To head straight a problem,
The likelihood is strong
that you’ll run aground.
Broaden your options,
Look at things from a different angle,
Be willing to turn away
Before turning toward,
And you may find obstacles
Devolve into mere signposts
along the way.
Looking back over this year
As we move toward the next,
I wonder what it is we will remember,
And if that will be tempered
By the year that’s still to come,
Or bear fruit somehow
In a variety of creative endeavors…
As we move toward the next,
I wonder what it is we will remember,
And if that will be tempered
By the year that’s still to come,
Or bear fruit somehow
In a variety of creative endeavors…
December 28, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Looking back over this year
As we move toward the next,
I wonder what it is we will remember,
And if that will be tempered
By the year that’s still to come,
Or bear fruit somehow
In a variety of creative endeavors…
As we move toward the next,
I wonder what it is we will remember,
And if that will be tempered
By the year that’s still to come,
Or bear fruit somehow
In a variety of creative endeavors…
Living on the edge can be great
If the edge you’re living on
Is a body of water,
The cliff is solid,
and there are no storms.
But the other less pleasant edges—
Joblessness, homelessness,
Relationship issues, disease—
are much more challenging,
And we’re grateful for the friends
Who get us through.
If the edge you’re living on
Is a body of water,
The cliff is solid,
and there are no storms.
But the other less pleasant edges—
Joblessness, homelessness,
Relationship issues, disease—
are much more challenging,
And we’re grateful for the friends
Who get us through.
December 27, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Living on the edge can be great
If the edge you’re living on
Is a body of water,
The cliff is solid,
and there are no storms.
But the other less pleasant edges—
Joblessness, homelessness,
Relationship issues, disease—
are much more challenging,
And we’re grateful for the friends
Who get us through.
If the edge you’re living on
Is a body of water,
The cliff is solid,
and there are no storms.
But the other less pleasant edges—
Joblessness, homelessness,
Relationship issues, disease—
are much more challenging,
And we’re grateful for the friends
Who get us through.
In troubling times,
the temptation is strong
To retreat into a lonelier,
quieter space,
Thinking other folks
are making our lives miserable,
And watching from a distance
Will ease our pain.
Yet once alone we often learn
How much of what we treasure in life
Is found in interactions
with other humans.
the temptation is strong
To retreat into a lonelier,
quieter space,
Thinking other folks
are making our lives miserable,
And watching from a distance
Will ease our pain.
Yet once alone we often learn
How much of what we treasure in life
Is found in interactions
with other humans.
December 26, 2025 at 3:45 PM
In troubling times,
the temptation is strong
To retreat into a lonelier,
quieter space,
Thinking other folks
are making our lives miserable,
And watching from a distance
Will ease our pain.
Yet once alone we often learn
How much of what we treasure in life
Is found in interactions
with other humans.
the temptation is strong
To retreat into a lonelier,
quieter space,
Thinking other folks
are making our lives miserable,
And watching from a distance
Will ease our pain.
Yet once alone we often learn
How much of what we treasure in life
Is found in interactions
with other humans.
Christmas blessings to all!
December 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Christmas blessings to all!
Like the objects in this mirror,
Christmas is closer than it appears,
And are we ever ready
For the shift in consciousness
That birth was meant to bring;
To truly love one another
as ourselves?
Christmas is closer than it appears,
And are we ever ready
For the shift in consciousness
That birth was meant to bring;
To truly love one another
as ourselves?
December 24, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Like the objects in this mirror,
Christmas is closer than it appears,
And are we ever ready
For the shift in consciousness
That birth was meant to bring;
To truly love one another
as ourselves?
Christmas is closer than it appears,
And are we ever ready
For the shift in consciousness
That birth was meant to bring;
To truly love one another
as ourselves?
Whatever your plans for the holidays,
Whether you’re flying
or traveling by boat,
Car or train, or staying home,
I wish you warmth, comfort,
and the special joy
Of family and good friends.
Whether you’re flying
or traveling by boat,
Car or train, or staying home,
I wish you warmth, comfort,
and the special joy
Of family and good friends.
December 23, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Whatever your plans for the holidays,
Whether you’re flying
or traveling by boat,
Car or train, or staying home,
I wish you warmth, comfort,
and the special joy
Of family and good friends.
Whether you’re flying
or traveling by boat,
Car or train, or staying home,
I wish you warmth, comfort,
and the special joy
Of family and good friends.
A lighthouse without a light,
However beautiful,
Is just an empty shell
And has lost its purpose.
Each of us has been born
With an inner light as well:
May it never be extinguished,
But continue to light the way
For ourselves and others.
However beautiful,
Is just an empty shell
And has lost its purpose.
Each of us has been born
With an inner light as well:
May it never be extinguished,
But continue to light the way
For ourselves and others.
December 22, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A lighthouse without a light,
However beautiful,
Is just an empty shell
And has lost its purpose.
Each of us has been born
With an inner light as well:
May it never be extinguished,
But continue to light the way
For ourselves and others.
However beautiful,
Is just an empty shell
And has lost its purpose.
Each of us has been born
With an inner light as well:
May it never be extinguished,
But continue to light the way
For ourselves and others.
May the light of our integrity
Be so strong that it’s still visible
When darkened by the clouds of injustice,
And in time will prove so powerful
The clouds will melt away.
Be so strong that it’s still visible
When darkened by the clouds of injustice,
And in time will prove so powerful
The clouds will melt away.
December 21, 2025 at 4:01 PM
May the light of our integrity
Be so strong that it’s still visible
When darkened by the clouds of injustice,
And in time will prove so powerful
The clouds will melt away.
Be so strong that it’s still visible
When darkened by the clouds of injustice,
And in time will prove so powerful
The clouds will melt away.
Sometimes life’s a mystery:
Layers upon layers
Of reflections and incidents
That may or may not add up
To anything recognizable
Or even understandable,
Yet still we persist in hoping
There’s some kind of rhyme or reason
And that everything will turn out
for the best.
Layers upon layers
Of reflections and incidents
That may or may not add up
To anything recognizable
Or even understandable,
Yet still we persist in hoping
There’s some kind of rhyme or reason
And that everything will turn out
for the best.
December 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Sometimes life’s a mystery:
Layers upon layers
Of reflections and incidents
That may or may not add up
To anything recognizable
Or even understandable,
Yet still we persist in hoping
There’s some kind of rhyme or reason
And that everything will turn out
for the best.
Layers upon layers
Of reflections and incidents
That may or may not add up
To anything recognizable
Or even understandable,
Yet still we persist in hoping
There’s some kind of rhyme or reason
And that everything will turn out
for the best.
Sunrise after a storm:
Just what we all need,
To reassure ourselves
That things will get better,
That life will go on
After all the devastation is past.
Just what we all need,
To reassure ourselves
That things will get better,
That life will go on
After all the devastation is past.
December 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Sunrise after a storm:
Just what we all need,
To reassure ourselves
That things will get better,
That life will go on
After all the devastation is past.
Just what we all need,
To reassure ourselves
That things will get better,
That life will go on
After all the devastation is past.
We ripped the weeds
From our garden
And planted so-called
deer-proof plants,
Only to watch the deer chew them
Down to the stalks.
I’m reminded of the words
Of Scottish poet Robert Burns:
“The best laid plans o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley.”
And now I miss the weeds,
Much as I miss past presidents…
From our garden
And planted so-called
deer-proof plants,
Only to watch the deer chew them
Down to the stalks.
I’m reminded of the words
Of Scottish poet Robert Burns:
“The best laid plans o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley.”
And now I miss the weeds,
Much as I miss past presidents…
December 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
We ripped the weeds
From our garden
And planted so-called
deer-proof plants,
Only to watch the deer chew them
Down to the stalks.
I’m reminded of the words
Of Scottish poet Robert Burns:
“The best laid plans o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley.”
And now I miss the weeds,
Much as I miss past presidents…
From our garden
And planted so-called
deer-proof plants,
Only to watch the deer chew them
Down to the stalks.
I’m reminded of the words
Of Scottish poet Robert Burns:
“The best laid plans o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley.”
And now I miss the weeds,
Much as I miss past presidents…
We used to have a sign that read,
“You can’t control the wind,
But you can adjust your sails.”
I think of this
As the same loud wind
That kept us awake last night
Becomes a recreational opportunity
For someone else this morning.
How, I wonder,
might we adjust our sails
To deal with the coming storm?
“You can’t control the wind,
But you can adjust your sails.”
I think of this
As the same loud wind
That kept us awake last night
Becomes a recreational opportunity
For someone else this morning.
How, I wonder,
might we adjust our sails
To deal with the coming storm?
December 17, 2025 at 5:23 PM
We used to have a sign that read,
“You can’t control the wind,
But you can adjust your sails.”
I think of this
As the same loud wind
That kept us awake last night
Becomes a recreational opportunity
For someone else this morning.
How, I wonder,
might we adjust our sails
To deal with the coming storm?
“You can’t control the wind,
But you can adjust your sails.”
I think of this
As the same loud wind
That kept us awake last night
Becomes a recreational opportunity
For someone else this morning.
How, I wonder,
might we adjust our sails
To deal with the coming storm?
Today I offer flowers
For all who wrestle with losses
Large or small:
There seem to be more right now
Than any of us can count —
Not just of lives and jobs and homes,
But of kindness and generosity,
Of sympathy and empathy.
What can we do to restore belief
And trust in this hurting world?
For all who wrestle with losses
Large or small:
There seem to be more right now
Than any of us can count —
Not just of lives and jobs and homes,
But of kindness and generosity,
Of sympathy and empathy.
What can we do to restore belief
And trust in this hurting world?
December 16, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Today I offer flowers
For all who wrestle with losses
Large or small:
There seem to be more right now
Than any of us can count —
Not just of lives and jobs and homes,
But of kindness and generosity,
Of sympathy and empathy.
What can we do to restore belief
And trust in this hurting world?
For all who wrestle with losses
Large or small:
There seem to be more right now
Than any of us can count —
Not just of lives and jobs and homes,
But of kindness and generosity,
Of sympathy and empathy.
What can we do to restore belief
And trust in this hurting world?
We introverts are shy,
But shy can be interpreted
In lots of different ways:
As timid, or as snobbish;
As uninterested, or unwilling,
Or sometimes just invisible —
Which sometimes is exactly
What we’re hoping for..
But shy can be interpreted
In lots of different ways:
As timid, or as snobbish;
As uninterested, or unwilling,
Or sometimes just invisible —
Which sometimes is exactly
What we’re hoping for..
December 15, 2025 at 4:09 PM
We introverts are shy,
But shy can be interpreted
In lots of different ways:
As timid, or as snobbish;
As uninterested, or unwilling,
Or sometimes just invisible —
Which sometimes is exactly
What we’re hoping for..
But shy can be interpreted
In lots of different ways:
As timid, or as snobbish;
As uninterested, or unwilling,
Or sometimes just invisible —
Which sometimes is exactly
What we’re hoping for..
An ordinary afternoon
In an ordinary, imperfect forest,
Transformed
by late afternoon sunlight
Into an invitation,
into magic and mystery.
This is the transformative
power of light,
And we, too, can be light;
Can choose to illuminate
The beauty in the ordinary.
In an ordinary, imperfect forest,
Transformed
by late afternoon sunlight
Into an invitation,
into magic and mystery.
This is the transformative
power of light,
And we, too, can be light;
Can choose to illuminate
The beauty in the ordinary.
December 14, 2025 at 2:51 PM
An ordinary afternoon
In an ordinary, imperfect forest,
Transformed
by late afternoon sunlight
Into an invitation,
into magic and mystery.
This is the transformative
power of light,
And we, too, can be light;
Can choose to illuminate
The beauty in the ordinary.
In an ordinary, imperfect forest,
Transformed
by late afternoon sunlight
Into an invitation,
into magic and mystery.
This is the transformative
power of light,
And we, too, can be light;
Can choose to illuminate
The beauty in the ordinary.
Prayers flying today
For all who live in Washington
Close to rivers or the sea:
May their homes and their lives
Be safe from the floods.
For all who live in Washington
Close to rivers or the sea:
May their homes and their lives
Be safe from the floods.
December 13, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Prayers flying today
For all who live in Washington
Close to rivers or the sea:
May their homes and their lives
Be safe from the floods.
For all who live in Washington
Close to rivers or the sea:
May their homes and their lives
Be safe from the floods.
Remember that old saying:
“When the going gets tough,
The tough get going”?
These two look like they’re escaping,
But what? And why?
That urge to flee
May not always be your best choice:
It’s always important to ask yourself
What you’re running from,
And what might be improved
If you chose to stay?
“When the going gets tough,
The tough get going”?
These two look like they’re escaping,
But what? And why?
That urge to flee
May not always be your best choice:
It’s always important to ask yourself
What you’re running from,
And what might be improved
If you chose to stay?
December 12, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Remember that old saying:
“When the going gets tough,
The tough get going”?
These two look like they’re escaping,
But what? And why?
That urge to flee
May not always be your best choice:
It’s always important to ask yourself
What you’re running from,
And what might be improved
If you chose to stay?
“When the going gets tough,
The tough get going”?
These two look like they’re escaping,
But what? And why?
That urge to flee
May not always be your best choice:
It’s always important to ask yourself
What you’re running from,
And what might be improved
If you chose to stay?
Whatever your objective,
The path to reach it
May not be that direct.
Don’t be afraid
If life seems to be taking you
Aside, or around the bend:
Look forward to finding
A new perspective
While moving you ever closer
to your goal.
The path to reach it
May not be that direct.
Don’t be afraid
If life seems to be taking you
Aside, or around the bend:
Look forward to finding
A new perspective
While moving you ever closer
to your goal.
December 11, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Whatever your objective,
The path to reach it
May not be that direct.
Don’t be afraid
If life seems to be taking you
Aside, or around the bend:
Look forward to finding
A new perspective
While moving you ever closer
to your goal.
The path to reach it
May not be that direct.
Don’t be afraid
If life seems to be taking you
Aside, or around the bend:
Look forward to finding
A new perspective
While moving you ever closer
to your goal.
When I first discovered photography,
I became obsessed
With photographs of driftwood:
Their curious formations
Looked like metaphors to me.
This morning this one called to me,
And spoke of predators,
Feeding on the entrails of their prey;
Unpleasantly reminiscent
Of the current state of my country…
I became obsessed
With photographs of driftwood:
Their curious formations
Looked like metaphors to me.
This morning this one called to me,
And spoke of predators,
Feeding on the entrails of their prey;
Unpleasantly reminiscent
Of the current state of my country…
December 10, 2025 at 3:55 PM
When I first discovered photography,
I became obsessed
With photographs of driftwood:
Their curious formations
Looked like metaphors to me.
This morning this one called to me,
And spoke of predators,
Feeding on the entrails of their prey;
Unpleasantly reminiscent
Of the current state of my country…
I became obsessed
With photographs of driftwood:
Their curious formations
Looked like metaphors to me.
This morning this one called to me,
And spoke of predators,
Feeding on the entrails of their prey;
Unpleasantly reminiscent
Of the current state of my country…