the path to enlightenment

Many many days of rain,
followed now by clear clear skies.
the night is frosty, and the mossy rock mossy.

Like a telepathic friend, the lone arbutus tree
understands my needs
and the grassy knoll doth nature’s virtue extoll.

Upon the emergence of the sun this week,
I set out with garden tools upon deer trail in my backyard,
and made a lovely walking path from the top of my cliff,
through the grove of fir trees, over the ferns,
amidst the old man’s beard (green zen),
switching back half-way down
over the orange leaf floor,
and into my large open yard.

On the far side of the yard, I have planted hedges
to shield my delicate sensibilities
from representations of rural suburbia.

My local gardener supplied me with California Lilac,
which will grow tall and hardy and make vibrant purple flowers.
The flowers in fact may be a little too pretty for me,
but the hummingbirds will love it,
and the deer won’t eat it.

On this full-moon night, to you my
spirit allies
the message I wish to deliver
is not about owning land or buying a house,
but about cultivating what we already have,
as I did with my trail,
nurturing nature and un-succumbing to the pave.

The walk through my trail in its entirety is three, maybe four, minutes long,
but if you stop in just the right places
you can make it last for hours.

Aside from the grassy knoll with its gracious view,
my favourite part is the grove of fir trees.
Large as these trees are, they don’t feel so large.
they feel like a really friendly family that gets along really well.
They seem to know that they will live a long and happy life,
and they treat me as an old friend when I drop by.

When I am in nature,
I meditate a great deal
on the absolute insignificance of success as it it defined in almost every way,
and the paltry purpose of progress as we’ve called it.

When viewed against the soft and silent woods,
these houses, cars, and computers
are specimens of hilarity,

and of all these anthro escapades, the moon could care less…
yet she continues… to illuminate the Night.

nature