"What We Need Is Here"

Geese appear high over us,

pass , and the sky closes.  Abandon,

as in love or sleep, holds

them to their way, clear

in the ancient faith: what we need

is here.  And we pray, not

for new earth or heaven, but to be

quiet in heart, and in eye,

clear.  What we need is here.

Wendell Berry

Playful, focused ...

Playful, focused,

and endearing,

Welcome in the Goat,

Celebrate.

"The Peace of Wild Things"

When despair for the world grows in me …

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief.  I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light.  For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry

"It is always ...."

"It is always what I have already said: always the wish that you may find patience enough in yourself to endure, and simplicity enough to believe; that you may acquire more and more confidence in that which is difficult, and in your solitude among others. And for the rest, let life happen to you. Believe me: life is right, in any case."

Rainer Maria Rilke

"Toward a True Kinship of Faiths"

“Obey the injunctions of your own faith; travel to the essence of your religious teaching, the fundamental goodness of the human heart.  Here is the space, where despite differences, we are all simply human … Open your heart so that the blessings of your faith may reach into its deepest recesses … Always embrace the common humanity that lies at the heart of us all.  Always affirm the oneness of our human family.  Let your heart be softened by the balm of compassion, reflecting deeply upon the needs and aspirations of yourself and others.  Let not your differences from the views of others come in the way of the wish for their peace, happiness, and well-being.”

Toward a True Kinship of Faiths”, The Dalai Lama