Crossroads

Crossroads matter more to us
when we're lost than when
we know where we want to go.

Unfamiliar Ground

When I enter unfamiliar ground,
I slow down and step carefully.

When the unfamiliar becomes known,
I move quickly without even looking.

What a pity it is to forget that
the universe is new every moment.

Why Not Want to Like?

What makes one person likable
and another person not?

If I like someone,
is it because
of something in me
or because
of something in the other?

If part of it is because
of something in me,
why wouldn't I want to try
to like everybody I meet?

Two People

When two adults are
in love with each other,
why should it matter
what color they are?

When two adults are
lifelong companions,
why should it matter
what gender they are?

When two adults are
committed for a lifetime,
why should the rest of us
have any say in that at all?

Just Show Up

Rolling slowly through
another cloud-soaked day
under an absent sun.
Restlessly at rest.
I hear rain dripping
and worry about the roof.

I forget I'll be okay.
I forget I have
nothing to fear.
I forget I can handle
whatever comes my way --
assuming I show up for it.

What I Don't Know

Knowing what I don't know is more important than knowing what I do know.

Familiar Paths

I travel the same paths, day in and day out. They're well worn in my mind.

I follow them because they simplify my life. They save me from having to think about how to get from where I am to where I want to be. The path is already laid out in my mind.

Is this why I'm here, though? To follow the same paths over and over?

It seems like such a waste to have this extravagantly mysterious experience I call my life, yet not examine it while I'm in it. I'd even argue that's why I'm here -- to explore this unique point of view.

When I help somebody else do the same, that completes the circle.

Without Pain

Without pain,
there is no consequence.

Without consequence,
all paths are equal.

When all paths are equal,
choice becomes irrelevant.

When choice is useless,
freedom becomes meaningless.

Earth and Sky

Earth and sky
meet at the horizon,
but it is a false border.

From the earth,
the sky is a temple
built on solid ground.

From the sky,
the earth is a pearl
growing inside.

From the horizon,
there is only
earth and sky.

Hard Passages

Be grateful
for the hard passages.

You are not the only one
who has scraped through
these narrow pains.

Everyone who makes it
helps widen the passage
for the next to come along.

Pain becomes a blessing
when you help ease the way
for another lost soul.

To Believe or Not to Believe

To believe or not to believe?
If I'm not paying attention,
I'll see this as a question --
not the choice it turns out to be.

What a Great Thing

What a great thing it is
to be here to hear this bird.
Its singing and my listening
are one and the same.

What a marvel it is
to be here to see this sky.
Its clouds and my watching
are one and the same.

What a mystery it is
to be here to live this life.
Its life and my living
are one and the same.