Trees and Water

A silent walk with trees and water....

Winter

Winter is here -
barren trees
with nothing
to give
but of their
emptiness.
Silence.
Stillness.
And their
stark presence.

They look to
the distant sun
that seems to have
forgotten
its cloak
of warmth and light.

Huddled close
in starched white sheets,
no respite
from the pain
that stings their marrow;
frozen into nothingness -
sombre sentinels,
tired of being alive.

The wait is long;
loneliness gnaws
her way in
to their spirit,
which knows
that spring
is just round
the corner,
if only they can
hang in there
and rest
in their waiting...

On Giving

Give like the old banyan,
which even in giving
of its whole self,
gives birth to roots
that hold sway, to give,
long after it has gone.

Give like the towering palm
which stands not in its own shadow,
breathing life into
its roots, leaves, fruits and wood,
only to give all of itself
to someone else in need.

Give like the young neem
which even in owning
its tart bitterness,
soothes and cleanses
weary, ailing wayfarers
of their unspoken misgivings.

Give of yourself
with love and joy -
the quiet, fragrant being-ness
that fulfills itself.
Give of yourself
with a deep knowing
that you are needed
only as yourself.
Give of yourself
so you keep
the wheel of life and love
moving and turning.
Give of yourself
freely and fully,
for in that sacred giving,
you learn how to live.