|
The Sensible Bird
Look up, Mankind!
I am the brightly colored bird
soaring far above you.
Not to make holes in the dense,
white forms
protecting the firmament,
do I fly so high;
I need to rise above those blinding obstacles;
while I search for heaven’s gate.
As I disappear from your sight,
I see faces,
watching me from below.
They may be spirits, disguised as clouds,
who have been seeking heaven’s gate
for ages.
They watch with envy.
Some stare up at me,
while others,
distraught,
show me only their silhouettes.
Some appear to be looking down at you,
hoping that you will also rise above your obstacles?
You have thoughts that can locate heaven’s gate. You can fly much higher
than I
by using your mind.
At such altitude,
I am too cold to continue my search.
No mere bird can bridge the invisible wall
that guards the dwelling place of souls. Only psalms of praise can do
that.
You can sing psalms!
See the way I flit in-and-out
of the lacy clouds,
leaving little trails of white mist?
Beautiful sights were created for your eyes.
Observe my striking colors,
then look around you at trees,
flowers and waterfalls.
Because you may not see my brightly colored wings,
I will descend to the top of a nearby tree. Now, you can watch my colors
flash
and know that I, too, am a gift for you to see. |
 |
 |
The gift of song has been given to birds.
Listen to me sing!
God does.
His eye may be on the sparrow,
but He prefers to hear me sing.
Would you be more entertained
by the voice of a crow?
Would the voices behind heaven’s gate
sing music such as yours?
Have you ever heard the soothing
music of a harp
play a song of peace?
If every morning,
each man would greet his neighbor
with a note for him to match,
the world would be filled with such harmony
as to make the clouds seek heaven’s gate
on Earth.
Music has no purpose
except to make every day of your life more beautiful.
Without arms,
one cannot touch another’s hand.
Without beautiful music,
how can one touch another’s soul?
To practice singing as I do,
listen to silence,
then respond with melody.
|
|
If I could be your friend,
we could learn wonderful things together.
May I come and perch on your shoulder?
Would you harm a fragile creature such as I?
If I would dare to light on your shoulder,
would you stroke my shining
feathers gently,
or would you use them to decorate your hat?
Fear is a great blessing for little creatures;
it prevents the lamb from lying down
with the lion,
and prevents birds from making similar mistakes.
You can move other beings with love;
it is a blessed way to feel
without touching.
The greatest love in the universe
lives behind heaven’s gate.
|
Mankind,
because of your sense of smell,
does a fresh,
hot apple pie, warming
in an open windowsill,
speak to you?
You say that one’s nose cannot speak!
Of all of the features on your face,
your nose speaks most loudly!
It leads wherever you go!
You rely on it for direction or discovery.
Because of scent,
the blind see more than the sighted.
If your sense of smell were lost,
You couldn’t taste an apple pie.
If your home were
surrounded by roses,
the thorns would have the same aroma as the flowers.
After a heavy rain,
you can enjoy the pleasure of inhaling freshness
to have your spirit renewed.
The air you breathe comes from behind heaven’s gate.
Smell the gift of life!
It is everywhere…
and it belongs to you!
|
|
What a miracle taste is!
Taste can inspire the imagination.
The very thought of it
can lead one to heavy decisions.
If given the choice,
what would be your final menu?
How would you decide?
On Monday, your fare might be selected,
but on Tuesday,
you may fancy something else!
Taste,
like all else on our planet,
Is always changing!
Without change,
nothing can be new.
Behind heaven’s gate
there is manna,
the food of angles.
There we will learn what a miracle taste is.
…and much, much more.
|
|
The Friendly Frog
Frog.
Man’s best friend is a frog,
not a dog.
Ask any little boy.
Women’s best friend is a dog,
not a frog.
Ask any little girl.
A frog doesn’t have a friend,
but he is a friend to every living thing!
As I sit on my lilly pad,
Snake calls to me:
“Sssit ssstill, my friend,
I’ll beee right there.”
Big Fish,
below me,
looks up,
with huge round eyes,
and gurgles:
“Come! Come! Come!”
as if he wants to play a game with me
in the water.
He only plays “Hide and Seek.”
As Snake glides toward me
on top of the pond,
and Fish darts excitedly
beneath my seat,
I leap high above my problems
only to see Bird diving towards me
as I am in the air!
When I land on the beach,
I am full of joy!
Ah, for a new chance to start over!
Ooops!
Here comes Lizard!
If I leap,
there is Bird;
if I swim,
there is Fish;
if I skim,
there is Snake!
Mankind,
you think you have troubles!
There are more frogs
than any other creatures on land.
Every day,
all over the world,
we join in chorus
to sing the glorious “Song of Life”!
The Servant Tree
Mankind,
your Creator sent me here to serve you.
In the morning,
I brush the skies to clear your air.
I house a chorus of songbirds
who start your day with music.
At noontime,
I cool your streets
and shield you from the blazing sun.
My branches provide you with fruit and nuts.
In the evening,
I hide your homes from prying eyes
and guard your estate from vicious winds.
My roots trap raindrops,
hold your soil,
and protect your crops.
In summer,
I repel harmful sunbeams
and keep you safe.
In winter,
your eyes are thrilled by my crystal branches
bathed in ice and light.
In Fall,
my leaves provide you with individual works of art,
each one,
different from any other.
And in Spring,
I am the first to prove that life is never lost;
it simply awaits new birth.
Just as frozen icicles become fresh water
in the warm air,
living souls become spirits at heaven’s gate.
If you listen to the rustling of my branches
as I inhale a breeze,
you will hear me join the chorus of trees
in a song of praise for the gift of life.
|
