“The Forest"
I was walking in the forest
for many a day
letting my skin prune
under the sun’s great rays
But I was stopped dead in my tracks
when I heard the bear say,
“Ashes I am
and ashes you are
It comes for us all
You’re never too far”
His words spooked me
and shook me but on I persisted
Down to the river
should my feet permit it
With my soles in the water
I was nearly asleep
when the stoic, gray fish
came up from beneath
With a low, rumbling tone
He instructed me,
“Know who you are
watch your words and your ways
hear me and heed me
to live better days”
Now I was anxious
Confused to no end
and I thought to myself
I should let down my head
The tree ‘top the hill
Yes, that’s where I’ll lay
at the foot of that oak
’til all problems fade
A pillar of lumber
‘pon that old grassy knoll
finding the tree
was no trouble at all
As I put my face to the sky
under God’s natural shade
the bird fluttered down
with a statement to be made
“Own to your faults
accept your misdoings
ask for good penance
and dodge relational ruin”
Now with each of these creatures
I’d had it to here
Why should I listen to stories
that only fill me with fear?
Scared of each step
I just couldn’t continue
So I ran to the treeline
yelling, “Good riddance, I bid you!”
when all of a sudden
in my frightened pace
a tiny, black beetle had found its right place
at the next spot where my foot would’ve landed
had I not skipped my stride
and fallen back double-handed
And in that troubled commotion
he whispered to me,
“I hear the beast’s talk
and how startled you're seeming
their lessons are good
but they know not of words’ meanings
so take their advice
but don’t overeat it
If you can take one thing,
Love one and Love all
A simple old thing
A golden rule, they call
That’s it, all I got
So breathe in and breathe out
You can always come back
if you’re ever in doubt
Back to the forest
If you so desire
And we’ll retell you the story
from your first odd encounter”
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