practice is what you can’t imagine
by Genju
CAN YOU IMAGINE?
by Mary Oliver
For example, what the trees do
not only in lightning storms
or the watery dark of a summer’s night
or under the white nets of winter
but now, and now, and now – whenever
we’re not looking. Surely you can’t imagine
they don’t dance, from the root up, wishing
to travel a little, not cramped so much as wanting
a better view, or more sun, or just as avidly
more shade – surely you can’t imagine they just
stand there loving every
minute of it, the birds or the emptiness, the dark rings
of the years slowly and without a sound
thickening, and nothing different unless the wind,
and then only in its own mood, comes
to visit — surely you can’t imagine
patience, and happiness, like that.
from Long Life: Essays and other writings
this is such a lovely evocative piece. reminds me of the qi gong pose called “standing like a tree”. we have a lot to learn from trees!
Such lovely innocence – touching this Heart… As a child I wanted to know such things, as what a tree does when no one is watching; do they talk to each other
And, where the water flowing through the street gutters goes… Seems that at least part of “the practice” is to recover that curious wonder, the heart of innocence about life again; seeing the *aliveness* of Life in everything around us…
Thank you for the inspiration!
Trees are the best species on the planet, I feel……….& they teach us so much! PATIENCE is definitely one of their gifts to us:)
ZDS: solid, grounded, deeply rooted.
Christine: Oh that lively inquiring mind. It takes us into such beautiful places!
MindMindful: Trees give us so much. Life itself. I had never thought of it as patience but it is, isn’t it? Enjoying your presence here. _(|)_
i’ve always hugged trees when i felt in need of grounding. I also recall the times i would hear their screams when they were beeing cut down