zen – Leaf And Twig

Which Way

no right way
straight or meandering
still arriving at the same place

oh to be
a leaf in the water
that shapes the rock

bluebird box
on the lily marsh
commencement of happiness

in the present
facing the future
honoring the past

as the tree
shades the ground
a quiet mind
cultivates the soul

here now
heron holds tight
to the present moment

at the end
of the path
of quiet contemplation
the cows graze

the flowers whispered
life needn’t be solved
it just – must – be lived

the field mowed in circles
a meditation on fall

without fear
grasshopper sits
on the edge of darkness

the first surrender is to color
the second is to be untethered by the wind
and the final surrender is to perish in form and replenish the earth

The place to be
is precisely where you are.

The sky is my teacher
offering lessons in
fleeting, ephemeral, perfection.

Walk the soft path
in the cool water.
It is purpose enough.

Nature will keep the pond’s promise that the world will green itself in Spring.
Things may appear upside-down, but everything is as it should be.

Water flows over and around the boulder.
It is not an obstacle, this is just the way of the path.