A cold day in January

Clouds make the sky dull gray

Overhead I hear something

That I think I should not

At this time of year

Geese flying overhead

peace, wayf

Over the waterfall the stream

Dropped into the valley far below

Bubbling and jumping and

Going on its way in the welcome bright

Sunlight in the middle of winter

Shining on the faces of revelers

Who stepped outside to feel

The briefest hint of mid winter’s warmth

On their cold faces

 Peace, wayf

I feel the solid earth beneath me with its resonant voice speaking from ages passed

Echoes of life come and gone but always present, always changing

New and old mean nothing to this earth long and short are not discerned

All things pass as they always have with no thought of future or past, loss or gain

Let be what will be and do not fight

No contention

No trouble

And all is well

This is what the earth resonates to me from its fiery bowels

These are the teachings that well up in my heart

Touch the solid earth and feel the ancient rumblings of its upheaval and rest

Peace and war are things the earth does not know and never dwells upon

To the earth there appears only two things

The shady and sunny sides of the hill

Light and shade are necessary

War and peace are not

Contention is not useful, violence and anger are ours

Not the earth’s

We are natural things that act unnatural

And that is our problem

peace, wayf

White clouds

Blue sky

Brown geese

Fly

Hushed mind

No words

Closed mouth

Heard

peace, wayf

Bouncing playing

Giddy sounds flowing

Tongue wagging fast

The mind unknowing

Words play little games

While confusion’s growing

Falling down on paper

Or from loose lips blowing

They can cut or injure

Without their ever knowing

Peace, wayf