I love the flow, not the rush,
I cherish the spontaneous, not the forced.
I love the natural, not the imitation,
The gentle breeze, not the storm.

I adore a ripple’s soft caress,
Not the crash of towering waves.
I embrace tranquility—
I am peace.

I welcome what is meant for me
And release what is not.

My wife
Wanted me
To take my kids
And her so fair
On a shopping spree
For this Christmas
At the “Lifestyle” store
Near here
For according to her
It had everything
Anyone could ever require.
I then quietly
Asked her
If it had the money
That I did so require...

All things must die
Even the beautiful rose
Must one day wither
So cutting those
To give them
To someone
And make them happy
Is better than
Them withering
On the stem

Empty words
Never mean anything
"I love you"
Means nothing when they don't show it

Empty words
Are useless words
Because actions
Speak louder than words

Empty words
Are worthless words
Because heavy words
Will always be more meaningful
Than weightless ones.

Trust me on this

Dew collects on each tiny blossom
reflecting on
every pedal and sparkling
anger, blue, white and new
morning light multiplied
sapphire makes broken dreams worth it

If we are obedient
we will be broken.

When I submit to my calling
as a human being,
if I am true to the ambition
of the puffy spear-shaped cloud,
to the voice of the smooth rock
formed as a heart,
I will stop
stay still
let their messages
sink through the borders of my brain
saturate the surging energy
within.

I will allow myself to be pierced
by her fears of being evicted  
I’ll feel the angst about her futility
before the indifferent landlords.

I will ignore my own heartache
about Uncle Jan’s fanatical raging
and instead
ask him about his son’s cancer
hug him when he breaks down sobbing.

Obedience
to the highest measures of my humanity
has its costs…

and rewards.