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TREASURE
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We can let it go with our blessing
No matter how this year went
The treasure chest of 2023 is empty
Every last coin spent
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Here is a new year, the balance is full
Placed in your capable hands
I hope you take these shiny new minutes
To spend on your dreams and plans
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OVERFLOW
Let forgiveness, encouragement, and kindness
Flow through our thoughts like a river
Beginning as a tiny mountain stream
Becoming a powerful flow washing away
Regret, self-blame, mistakes, bitterness
Until the beneficial flow reaches the vast ocean of mankind
Contributing our inner peace and love
To a world greatly in need of those blessings
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COPE ON A ROPE
When we encounter an unfamiliar situation
We not only learn about the current challenges
But we also learn about ourselves
In this new circumstance
What inner resources we already have
Plus what we will need to develop to cope
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THE PAST IS A GHOST
A new year is like a book mark
It doesn't change the contents of the book
But it shows a good place to make a fresh start
Once we have cleared our minds
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HAPPY 2024
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The old year is leaving, we will say good bye
With singing and fireworks that light up the sky
Ring out the old year, ring in the new
So many adventures are waiting for you.
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PERHAPS YOU ARE ALARMED
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Perhaps you are alarmed at the state of mankind
The wars, violence, greed, want, suffering
Oh you might conclude that we are in a sorry state of affairs
Unless
You have seen a baby develop into a toddler
A toddler to a preschooler, all the way to adulthood
It is one thing after another with them
Ups and downs, near misses, tumbles and collisions
Which is to be expected because they are new and inexperienced
This is how the young develop, trial and error
Fall and get up, over and over
Adults encouraging the young ones to keep trying
Learn and master new skills
We are the toddlers, lurching around awkwardly
Towards some shiny object, oblivious to the danger on every side
We are determined to crawl, stand, walk, run, until
The stars are the limit
Starship Earth, manned by cranky toddlers who perhaps need a nap
Going through the terrible twos, having just pulled ourselves upright
(Geologically speaking) like five minutes ago.
We throw tantrums, act up in all kinds of ways
A mature adult would not consider
Perhaps you are alarmed so here is a suggestion
If you can possibly be the compassionate grown up in a situation
That would be a sign we are growing in wisdom and discernment
We just need the very precious and not guaranteed treasure
Of more time to grow up.
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CHEERS!
May this be a season of healing and peace
May your heart feel joy and cheer
Success and prosperity in the coming months
And an abundant, healthy new year
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SAVED
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He was on track to be a criminal
He had all the markers
Already a rap sheet of petty offenses
Yet
When he saved the child from a raging river
He was labeled a "Hero"
On the front page of the paper
The principal of his school had a special assembly
To pin a medal on the same kid
He had in his office last week for fighting
Now he is a hero
Girls are looking at him differently
His parents on the news looking slightly surprised
At their challenging son's sudden heroism
Yes, now he is on track to be something heroic
Instead of a small-time loser rotting in a cell
So - whose life did he really save?
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GLOW-ER
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We don't want to stoke the smoldering fires
Of resentment
In the hearts of those already unhappy with us
We might not ever be able to be harmoniously reconciled
With the discontents
But we can refrain from fanning the flames
With the breath of our harsh words
Even if we think we are blowing on the fire to put it out
We can't
Because that red hot coal of the Life Force
Glows in each individual heart
It should never be diminshed by word or deed
Because it is necessary and precious
The Spark of Life in a vast, cold, lifeless universe
A treasure
Even if some irritated bad driver making a rude gesture
Does not at that moment look like the Divine Jewel
In the heart of the lotus.
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HEART FULL OF PEACE
We don't have to solve things with warfare
We COULD solve them by flipping a coin
We like the power moves for winning
And we are so very slow to learn
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Killing doesn't actually prove anything
Except that we know how to kill
I guess calm reasoned compromise
Does not give the same ego thrill
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But I commit myself to negotiation
In what ever form that might be
Let there be peace on our Planet
Let it begin with you and with me
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EFFICIENCY MEASURE
In order to streamline my thought processes
I have given up retro-planning
In order to plan what I will do
In the future
Instead of what I should have done
Could have done, in the unchangeable past
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TOO SMART FOR HIS OWN GOOD
He was misfocused
In the way that very smart people are
He could describe photosynthesis
In great scientific detail
But he couldn't see the forest for the trees
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THE ABANDONED ORCHARD
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In the prime of its heyday the orchard produced
Big perfect red apples by the bushel
But now the orchard has been ignored for a long time
Weeds grow, lichen spots the bark, rot has taken hold
Of some branches, yet
The bees visit the delicate buds in the springtime
Songbirds sing from the branches that were once weighed down
Heavy with crimson bounty
Yes, apples still grow, not big and red and perfect perhaps
But when picked and the bad spots removed
They are still oh so sweet.
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ZAT WAZ ZEN
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My life could have gone in so many ways
It is useless to speculate
How better I could have used all those days
Because right now it's not too late
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Happiness and peace of mind
Are the real ultimate goal
When I look at my life, whatever I find
Becomes the future plans I can control
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MY HOLIDAY TREE
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My holiday tree lives in my back yard
All year
In December Mother Nature sends the Green Man
To decorate the tree and surprise me
With glistening snow, scarlet birds, and a solar spot light
The tree dances in the wind, with stars in the branches at night
A branch waves to me, and I wave back
We wish each other a fine holiday and a good growing season
Next year
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REINTARNATION
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If we don't pay attention
We have to do it again
If we were not mindful
We have to do it again
If substances addled our wits
We have to do it again
Or if belligerance and mule-headed stubborness blinds us
We have to do it again
Again and again
Until we do it while paying attention
Perhaps taking notes
Reviewing things with a trusted counselor
Learning valuable lessons that we already paid for
In full
A lesson that means we do not ever ever
Have to do it again.
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BURN OUT - BURN IN
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When you are in outer space
In low orbit for a while
And you finally decide, or are forced
To come back down to Earth again
The re-entry will be dramatic
A fireball streaking through the sky
Wrong ideas, crazy notions
Lower-self motives - all scorched away
Burning and tumbling
Seemingly out of control
To finally splash down, charred and smoking
The worse for wear
Ready to open up and debrief, thus the cosmic traveller
Tells of their adventures to a counselor or sponsor
Until the trip is understood and all valuable information gained
Then we turn the burned-out shell of our space capsule
Into our new Earthly dwelling place
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LOUDER THAN WORDS
Little kids have a built in instinct to crawl
Pull themselves up to their feet and walk
Which isn't all that remarkable
Nature seems to give many creatures a way to mobilize
And the desire to do it
Some within minutes of their birth
But the remarkable thing is
Those same little kids, toddling around in their diapers
Will instinctively dance if you put lively music on
This speaks of some deep need for the human heart to express
Joy
And dance becomes a second language to express
What can not be said in mere words
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UNWRAPPING
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Once you give someone a gift
You cease having any control over the gift
You have no say in when, where and why
The gift is used, or unused
All your rights have ended
All the choices are theirs
Remember this before you give the gift
Of your trust, resources, efforts, treasure
Wisdom and wealth
Before you gift wrap your heart, your good intentions
Your help, life changing kindness, or advice
Make absolutely sure you can afford to give away
Your precious treasures, that you have worked so hard for
Suffered so much to attain
There is no guarantee your gift will not be used
In exactly the opposite way
From what your generosity intended
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PACI-FIST
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I could have caused trouble
But I didn't
I'm patting myself on the back
For finally arriving at that blessed place
Where I value my peace more these days
More than I used to value retaliation and attack
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OB-STICKLE
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Obsessing about something
Is often the biggest
Obstacle
To attaining it
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THE BOUNDARY
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Life can be a jungle, a forest, a meadow, a desert
It can be lived in a lone hut, a village, a town or city
No matter where life is
Off in the distance is a Boundary
On all sides, a dimly glimpsed divider
Between our life, and what lies beyond
This is a fearful thing, this Boundary of Not-Being
So let's hold hands, boost each other up with lively tunes
Interesting stories, bright noble thoughts
Let's stick together and be of good cheer
Walking by faith, with courage and peace
In our brave, wild, untamable hearts
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DONE AND DONE
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When I see time has passed
While I was happily entranced by some engaging activity
I look back on that section of time with solid satisfaction
At the fruit of my labors
That I was able to be, as my grandmother said,
"Useful as well as decorative."
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NOT JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
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Intelligence is a mosaic
By putting all the fragments and pieces of info
Together and arranging them into a pattern
Sometimes the picture we get
Is fairly accurate, but sometimes
The picture is very flawed, unusable really
For any practical purpose
We keep arranging the bright bits of information
Fill in the blanks with conjecture
Ending up with an image, a fantasy
That might bear no resemblance to the truth
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LAST MEAL DINER
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At first we eat the pretty words and dessert of lies
But the more we eat, the emptier we feel
We keep hoping something will come along
We can sink our teeth into, that will nourish us
But we get nothing, at best, and slamonella poisoning
At worst
We mustn't hope until we starve to death
We must learn how to forage for ourselves.
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AAARRRF
Beware the jolly dogs
Who invite you to join their pack
Once you break from polite society
It's almost impossible to go back.
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NEW KITCHEN TOY
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I forget what my last kitchen toy was
It might have been a zuchinni spiralizer
My latest new toy is an air fryer
It is in my kitchen, but more important
It is in my mind
In the front of my mind I think "air fryer"
I read cook books, watch videos, concoct ideas
In my excited thoughts
Yes, right now it is all about the air fryer
Until the next new
Kitchen Toy
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TOXIC
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Some folks put the "hell" in hello
And the "good" in goodbye
They can't help it
I avoid them
I can't help it
Because there is nothing and no one to help
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THE MACHETE OF PHILOSOPHY
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The character and content of my life
Changed when I changed the character and content
Of the thoughts in my head
My thoughts are the wellspring of my life
Any change I want to make in my life
I must first change in my thoughts
Becoming aware of my thoughts and trimming them back
Like jungle growth obscuring the Path I wish to walk
Once thoughts become tamed they become useful
Calm and supportive, even fun and dynamic
So I hack and slash my way through the Jungle
Of crazy, worried, sad, self critical thoughts
Cutting back noxious vines that spring up overnight
With the Machete of Philosophy
Until there is no longer a nightmarish jungle
And the Path forward is clear and bright.
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DEVIL FOOD
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Oh wow! You want to lose weight
So you think of the steps you must take
You come up with plans you will make
But then ..... Someone shows up with a cake
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The cake looks yummy and good
But you know this is not something you should
You see everyone having a slice
You want to say "no" but surprise!
You say yes and have cake instead
While you make a quick deal in your head
"I'll have this cake right now
But tomorrow I swear and I vow
I will be twice as strict and good
Spare eating and workout like I should"
You eat cake as the bargain is struck
And tomorrow, if you have good luck
You can eat mindfully all day
And no one brings temptation your way
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WHAT I ASSUME ABOUT YOU
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You are doing the best you can
When you learn how to do something better
You do it better
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You do things for a reason
Your reasons need only apply to you
I don't need to understand them
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You feel drawn to a higher purpose
Keeping your nose to the grindstone is practical
But adding to the good and kindness in the world
Is your real goal
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Art and nature are vitally important to you
On a daily basis
Music, paintings, forests and clouds
All draw your attention
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You think about the nature of reality
You live the examined life, the only game
Worth the candle
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