Poem: Spiritual Warrior

A tree grows amidst the elements,
it's branches are tormented by the wind,
it's leaves are nourished by the Sun and the rain,
yet they succumb to the power of the seasons,
dying and regrowing. And so it is with our mind.

The tree's trunk stands mighty in the face of the seasons,
year by year. It's branches bend with the wind
and do not break, it's roots reach deep
into the earth; holding, drinking, embracing.
And so it is with our mind.

To be strong is to remain within the uncertainty
and fear of what may be, and to do so with an open heart,
with compassion, with understanding
and with gratitude for every joy and every sorrow.
This is what it means to be a spiritual warrior.