I Am Born Again

I am born again when I realize
I am not who I thought I was.

I am born again when I discover
that everything is connected.

I am born again when I let go
of trying to control my future.

I am born again when I stop
looking for security in my past.

I am born again when I watch
the unfolding Tao before me.

I am born again when I listen
to the voice of wisdom inside me.

I am born again when I recognize
I have no need to be saved.

What I Am Not

Before I can become who I am,
I have to realize what I am not.

Another Tribe

Old Christmas lights hang
from trees in the backyard.

Lightning bugs prick
bright holes in the night air.

We are six or seven sitting
around an outdoor table.

Empty plates. Full bellies.
Long talking in the dark.

This is how tribes are born.

No Questions to Ask

If I am a pianist,
where does the music go
when I have no piano to play?

If I am a gardener,
where do the flowers bloom
when I have no garden to plant?

If I am a teacher,
where do the lessons land
when I have no students to teach?

If I am a mountaineer,
where do the footprints lead
when I have no mountain to climb?

If I am a seeker,
where does the truth hide
when I have no questions to ask?

Season After Season, Year After Year

In the spring, cottonwoods spread
their seed in a snow of white cotton lint.

In the summer, rivers shrink and move
slower in the dry heat of a cloudless day.

In the fall, cattails break apart into seeds
and fly away on the wind like tiny birds.

In the winter, ice forms on shallow ponds
and tempts children to test its surface.

Season after season, year after year,
what was forgotten seems new once again.

Help a Beggar

Help a beggar,
and you become a beggar.

Help a child,
and you become a child.

Help an invalid,
and you become an invalid.

It is through helping
that you discover
your own humanity.

Sitting Under an Apple Tree

I sit and wait
for an apple
to fall into my lap.

One always does.
It is part of the physics
of sitting under an apple tree.

The secret is
finding one
heavy with fruit.

Open

Open your eyes and see the next mountain peak.
Open your ears and hear the next bird singing.
Open your hands and hold the next moment.
Open your mind and recognize the next question.
Open your heart and experience the next pain.
Open your life and discern the next step.

The Person I Want to Be With

I want to be with someone who makes me feel good.
I want to be with someone who accepts me as I am.
I want to be with someone who doesn't judge me.
I want to be with someone who supports me.
I want to be with someone who encourages me.
I want to be with someone who wants to be with me.
But first, I have to become the person I want to be with.

Critics

Make peace
with your inner critic,
and you will discover
how much your outer critics
reveal about themselves
when they're pointing out
your faults.

Below the Surface

Grass will grow through
cracks in a sidewalk,
yet never raise a blade
in a bald patch of ground.
It just depends on what is
going on below the surface.

Daily Tasks

A morning sun drives away the chill of night.
Gray clouds carry rain across the landscape.
Starry, moonless skies guide wayfarers home.
What tasks do you do everyday without knowing it?