Seasons of the Mind - II

by JLR

Seasons of the Mind

II

I am called an old man now,
having enjoyed seventy-three
cycles of another springtime.
Plenty of seasons in which,
I have had the opportunity,
to express joy and happiness,
instead of the bad pill of sadness
and woe.

Everywhere I go,
I try to plant more seeds of joy.
Being ever so mindful
of the present moment... right now!

Surrounding me is this vast land of opportunity.
I could spend a lifetime making it a job,
to fertilize the soil, killing the weeds
of sadness and woe.
Simply by sharing a smile.

During my elder years, I celebrate having had
more days that are richly spent peacefully and serenely.
Free of fear and those other unwholesome emotions of
hurry and worry.

Free, knowing, with a capital K,
that this freedom comes from within my soul,
and not from those burdensome
material possessions,
now, too heavy to carry.

As I look in the mirror at the old man
staring back, I chuckle; for surely the
days have long since passed when he
frolicked in the fields of new spring flowers.

But as I stroll in the park,
watching people with children
and playful dogs friskily fleet afoot,
their very presence is like an elixir.
Nourishment that I need to grow

more loving, kind, and compassionate

further along the cycles of springs, I have left to go.

Humbly, I thank my Higher Power
for the seasons that interconnect our existence.
Remaining mindful of how dependent
humans, animals, and plants are on each other.

For certain, it has taken me far too many cycles of spring
to set aside my beliefs and intuitions and replace all manner
of actions, words, and deeds with patience and clarity of vision.
Understanding the challenges brought by learning,
growing or becoming enlightened so that,
I don't waste a single present moment on the blame game.

So, before my final spring
gives over to winter crippled with strife,
I want to harvest the fruits of this life!
Ever mindful that my inner peace,
inner strength, my inner voice,
remembers to say, "Thank you, Abba/Father,"
for the wisdom that comes to this simple old man.

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