A lovely family of
Birds arrives to
Enjoy the season.
Chattering cheerfully,
Snacking on blossoms,
Socializing enthusiastically,
Brimming with life.
Optimistic games played
Amidst the branches,
Passing days enjoyed
To their fullest.
Before long they leave,
The passing of time,
Fleeting, evanescent.
I never knew how excruciatingly
Uncomfortable things could get
Until I opened my mouth and let
My inner thoughts take flight.
The ensuing deluge of silence
Underscoring the deep rift
Like a jagged rupture in the
Landscape extending to the
Horizon and falling off the edge
To crash upon unyielding ground.
An old man opened one eye
And saw what was on that side.
He opened the other eye and
Saw what was on that side.
He opened both eyes and saw
The entire landscape.
He closed both eyes and
Saw everything else.
So she listened to what everyone said and
Found herself no closer to happiness than
When she started. Something missing,
Fleeting motivation, satisfaction absent.
A gift she didn’t want, need, appreciate.
Taking a quiet walk along a small stream,
Ideas make their appearance.
Not that one, not this one, what will people think.
Stop. Listen to the only one who matters,
Who knows you, who can decide.
An old tree stands
Alone on the edge
Of the pond,
The last one of
His family to enjoy
The gentle breeze
Blowing across the
Water, the birds
Visiting from faraway
Places, the people
Resting in its shade,
The magic of being.
