Begin
The river was carved to flow one direction,
The tree to grow only up.
Those who attempt to swim up the stream will forever struggle in place,
Those who wish to be rewarded without work will wait for countless years in vain.
The deepest lake began as a small drop of rain,
The strongest bull as a young calf.
Time
Energy
Understanding
Each one constantly develops and rolls forward
Their paths run deeper as they move along
If one wishes,
To be complete
To be rewarded
To understand
To be mighty
To be wise
To be one
They must begin
Where all other life
And force
And energy
Finds its source
The Tao
The first beginning
The ultimate purpose
The greatest life-giving
The strongest of forces
If you wish to know,
Then Begin
Okay! Wow! This is like a super great representation of one of the principles of Tao, and is very well written! I love the way the first two lines are written to start the poem!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the figurative language used, and how you conveyed the idea through rich, descriptive details. The short, one-word lines really make the poem stand out. Awesome :)
ReplyDeleteI love your poem! It flows really well and I like the format. Also, the message is clear while the poem is still very Tao de Jing-esque.
ReplyDeleteWow! Julie, your words flow so well, and I love how you incorporated the stye of the Tao Te Ching :)
ReplyDelete