After Awhile

After a while you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,

And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises

And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child

And you learn to build all your roads on today,
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth,
And you learn and learn...
With every goodbye you learn.

~Veronica Schofstall 1971

On Self Knowledge

Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge.
You would know in words that which you have always known in thought.
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.
And it is well you should.
The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea. And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure.
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless.
Say not, "I have the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."
Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have found the soul walking upon my path."
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself like a lotus of countless petals.

(An excerpt from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran)

I dedicate this to my fellow bloggers, and the readers of our blogs, because thoughts of you is what brought this to my mind...and because we are all in this world together.

Just a Note

Just a note here, folks, to tell you that this doggone thing is fighting tooth and nail to keep me out of my own doggone comments! So, if you don't see a comment from me, after you were kind enough to comment on my blog, at least now you know why. I won't give up, if you won't!