In the soft glow of evening sun,
Grandpa whispers a tale just begun.
His life’s experiences echoes,
Lyrics of lessons, stories told.
Truth dances in each moment’s breath,
Reality, our collective quest.
We shape the world with dreams and deeds,
In unity, we plant the seeds.
Seven steps to heaven we climb:
Awareness, Kindness, Knowledge prime,
Understanding, Love, and then
Wisdom, Oneness without end.
We are the gardeners of light,
Tending life from day to night.
Not fruit alone, but roots we seek,
In silence, let the heart speak.
Your attention creates your world,
Choose wisely where your thoughts are aimed.
For what you think of,
Multiplies in the canvas of your skies.
Life’s not hours, but who we’re with,
Each moment a precious gift.
We’re songs with highs and lows linked,
Captain of our journey, unconfined.
Friction sparks the light within,
Be gentle as your tales begin.
You’re the story, music, and art,
Imagination sets you apart.
In every face, a mirror gleams,
Fragments of our shared dreams.
We’re co-creators in this symphony,
Bound by love, not circumstance.
Like trees, we root and reach for sun,
In giving, our strength has begun.
Live fully, don’t just survive,
In connection, we truly thrive.
In the quiet of the night,
Stars twinkle with infinite light.
Your voice, a brushstroke on life’s art,
You paint wonders from your heart.
Speak your truth, sing your song,
In the narrative’ miracles, you belong.
The pen is yours, the stage is set,
Write your story without regret.
Wisdom Sown Through Generations
Isn’t it beautiful how wisdom can be passed down like seeds, ready to bloom in new generations? This piece paints a vivid picture of life as a garden we all tend together, each of us both gardener and plant.
The image of Grandpa whispering tales in the evening sun reminds me of what Maya Angelou once said: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” These shared moments of storytelling can shape us profoundly.
The poem’s emphasis on intergenerational wisdom (“Grandpa whispers a tale just begun”) aligns with Joanna Macy’s concept of “deep time” work. In “Coming Back to Life,” Macy advocates for reconnecting with the wisdom of our ancestors and considering the long-term impacts of our actions on future generations. This echoes the poem’s call to “Protect these wonders / For generations yet unborn.”
In his seminal work “Ecology, Community and Lifestyle,” Naess writes, “The flourishing of human and non-human life on Earth has intrinsic value. The value of non-human life forms is independent of their usefulness for narrow human purposes.” This sentiment is reflected in the poem’s lines “We are one world, one family, / One Earth to nurture wisely,” emphasizing the unity of all life and our responsibility as stewards.
The concept of seven steps to heaven echoes what the philosopher Spinoza meant when he spoke of the levels of knowledge leading to what he called “the intellectual love of God.” As he put it, “The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.”
When the poem speaks of being “gardeners of light,” it brings to mind what Thich Nhat Hanh taught about mindfulness: “People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.” Our everyday actions of care and attention are miraculous in their own right.
The idea that “your attention creates your world” reflects what William James, the father of American psychology, observed: “My experience is what I agree to attend to.” Our focus shapes our reality in profound ways.
As the astronomer Carl Sagan put it: “We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” In our connections, our stories, our art, we’re exploring and expressing the universe’s wonder.
Furthermore, the exploration of the transformative power of attention (“Your attention creates your world”) resonates with the deep ecological principle of expanding our sense of self to include the natural world. As Naess states, “The higher the Self-realization attained by anyone, the broader and deeper the identification with others.” This aligns with the poem’s portrayal of a deeply interconnected existence where our actions and awareness shape not only our personal reality but the world around us.
So what does all this mean? Perhaps it’s about recognizing our role as co-creators in this grand symphony of life. It’s about understanding that every thought, every action, every moment of connection is a brushstroke on the canvas of existence.
Remember, every moment you spend in awareness, kindness, and connection is a seed planted in the garden of life. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
So next time you interact with the world around you, consider: How can you tend to life’s garden with more care and intention? Because in the end, isn’t that what makes life so wondrous? This ability to shape our world through our thoughts, our actions, our connections. Your story is a vital part of life’s grand narrative. How will you write your next chapter today?