'Tis like the birthday of the world,
When earth was born in bloom;
The light is made of many dyes,
The air is all perfume:
There's crimson buds, and white and blue,
The very rainbow showers
Have turned to blossoms where they fell,
And sown the earth with flowers.
- Thomas Hood 1799-1845
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Ryokan a Zen master lived alone in a small hut at the foot of a mountain.
One day, on returning to the hut, he discovered a thief inside.
Ryokan grabbed hold of him and said, “You can see that I have no possessions, in fact all I have are the clothes I’m wearing.”
The thief was astonished when Ryokan took off his clothes and handed them to him saying “Please take them as a gift from me.”
Later that night, as Ryokan sat naked watching the moon, he thought “Poor fellow, I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon.”
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Pansies, lilies, kingcups, daisies,
Let them live upon their praises;
Long as there’s a sun that sets,
Primroses will have their glory;
Long as there are violets,
They will have a place in story;
There’s a flower that shall be mine,
‘Tis the little Celandine.
- William Wordsworth 1770-1850
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The Lesser Celadine
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If we are peaceful.
If we are happy.
We can smile and blossom
Like a flower.
And everyone
In our family,
Our entire society
Will benefit
From our peace.
-Thich Nhat Hanh b.1926
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Now online
JOHN'S POETRY PAGE
at
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