He taught me how not to hurt anyone
And not to trade in his name
For my ambitions are not his for blame

He taught me about the quiet air all around
And how what I could not see
Would be the life breathing inside of me

He taught me how not to love war
And why those are blessed
Who tell us only peace feathers their nest

He taught me about the sounds we hear
And how man would discover
That wood and steel could speak of a lover

He taught me to accept all human difference
And to know of his presence
For what I do not understand is his providence

He taught me that what is holy is the ground
And that all who walk are seeds
Planted for those who follow to fill their needs

He taught me that my children are my life
And that time passing is to know
That they will fill the river that my age made low

He taught me that his word is our bond
And though life itself may lie
It was his promise that we would never die