Great Oak

Great Oak

Ancient, yet steeped in wisdom;
Massive, yet enlightening;
Never tired of growing or vexed by seasons,
You stand glorious in summer;
Monumental in winter.

And as you overlook your forest
With sagacious governance,
They all defer to you - dependence in hand:
Children of the undergrowth;
Arboreal underlings.

Veneration earned, you now command
The awe that few can.

Ever graceful, your evangelistic branches
Cast their serene shadow
Of reassuring calm.

Mark R Slaughter

Enjoy A Cup OF Tea

You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.

Only in the awareness of the present,
can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup.

Only in the present, can you savor the aroma,
taste the sweetness,
appreciate the delicacy.

If you are ruminating about the past,
or worrying about the future,
you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of tea.

You will look down at the cup,
and the tea will be gone.

Life is like that.

If you are not fully present,
you will look around and it will be gone.

You will have missed the feel,
the aroma,
the delicacy and beauty of life.

It will seem to be speeding past you.

The past is finished. Learn from it and let it go.

The future is not even here yet.
Plan for it,
but do not waste your time worrying about it.

Worrying is worthless.

When you stop ruminating about what has already happened,
when you stop worrying about what might never happen,
then you will be in the present moment.

Then you will begin to experience joy in life.

Vietnamese Buddhist monk and philosopher,
Thich Nhat Hanh

Leaves of Silver

LEAVES OF SILVER

Leaves
Shimmering, silvery
Illuminated by the sunlight
Glistening now with each breeze
Cascades swaying, turning
As a few have been caught by the wind
They twirl and tumble then;
Standing upright
They are soldiers marching
Marching in a joyous parade of nature

Nancy Ellen Crossland

Bird in a Gilded Cage

Bird in a Gilded Cage (Excerpt)

"She's only a bird in a gilded cage,
A beautiful sight to see.
You may think she's happy and free from care,
She's not, though she seems to be.
'Tis sad when you think of her wasted life
For youth cannot mate with age;
And her beauty was sold
for an old man's gold,
She's a bird in a gilded cage."

Arthur J. Lamb