Mettika from the Therigatha (Songs of the Nuns), poems composed by early female followers of the Buddha,

“Though I am weak and tired now,
And my youthful step long gone,
Leaning on this staff,
I climb the mountain peak.
My cloak cast off, my bowl overturned,
I sit here on this rock.
And over my spirit blows
The breath
Of liberty.”

Psalm for Body Beginnings by Celeste Snowber,

“Each day the petals
unfold their face to the sky
an act of surrender
open hearted to breathe
for a new day
Await each breath as if it was pristine
your lungs living in the glory of
inhabiting air for the first time
everything is old today
everything is new today
all your issues remain
family, finances, relationships, work details, and
endless domestic disasters
but there is a spring
rising within your torso
you know it by its pulse
the energy where you cry yes
to this tiny alive moment
let the morning birds sing inside your chest
and cultivate body beginnings
new ways for fingers to touch earth
glances for being a lover in the world
finding ease through baby steps
the big deals – the big problems
will be with you
but there is something else arising
a ripe heart – a softened soul
an eternal arm embraces your weariness
and calls you back once again
to body beginnings.”

“Want what you have. Do what you can. Be who you are.”

UU Minister Forrest Church (1948 – 2009)

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost, born on this day in 1874

“Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.”

“A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the place of another and many others; the pains and pleasures of his species must become his own. The great instrument of moral good is the imagination.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley, expelled from Oxford University on this day in 1811 for co-writing and distributing an atheist pamphlet

Pathless by Alfred K Lamotte,

““There is strength in gentleness… gentler, gentler, so gentle it hardly has any substance… the breath of Silence. Then it is infinitely powerful, infinitely creative.” ~Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
That path is best
whose first breath is all
you will ever need
because it is the stream
of wonder
that created the world,
whirling earth
and stars like milkweed
over the bee-wildered
meadow.
Now it is midnight.
Stay awake.
This is when
the Goddess comes,
lovely, nearly naked,
draped in her golden veil
of stillness.
Almost, almost.
Use the flowing
to polish your heart.”

Greeting the Spring by David Ensley,

“Sing of the EAST, the realm of AIR,
There gifts of sight and wisdom fair.
Dancing March breeze on this blest morn.
We celebrate the SPRING newly born.

Sing of the SOUTH, where FIRE burns bright,
There gifts of passion and ardent light.
Length’ning warm days on this blest morn.
We celebrate the SPRING newly born.

Sing of the WEST, deep WATER clear,
There gifts of health and love draw near,
Flowing with life on this blest morn.
We celebrate the SPRING newly born.

Sing of the NORTH, and strength of EARTH.
There gifts of life in joyous rebirth.
Springing up green on this blest morn.
We celebrate the SPRING newly born.

Sing of the LADY, and LORD of Green Wood,
Joyful Spring Maiden, and Shepherd Good,
Bringing us joy on this blest morn.
We celebrate the SPRING newly born.

Sing of the SPIRIT, Source of all,
Giver of life, to you we call,
Moving in us on this blest morn
We celebrate the SPRING newly born.”

“Promise me,
Promise me this day,
Promise me now,
While the Sun is overhead exactly at the zenith.
Promise me,
Even as they strike you down with a mountain of hatred and violence,
Even as they step on you and crush you like a worm,
Even as they dismember and disembowel you,
Remember brother,
Remember, man is not our enemy.
The only thing worthy of you is compassion –
invincible, limitless, unconditional.
Hatred will never let you face the beast in man.
One day, when you face this beast alone with your courage intact, your eyes kind, untroubled (even as no one sees them), out of your smile will bloom a flower.
And those who love you will behold you across ten thousand worlds of birth and dying.
Alone again, I will go on with bent head, knowing that love has become eternal.
On the long, rough road the Sun and Moon will continue to shine.
Man is not the enemy. Our enemy is hatred, anger, ignorance, and fear.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

“The soul is a breath of living spirit, that with excellent sensitivity, permeates the entire body to give it life.
Just so, the breath of the air makes the earth fruitful.
Thus the air is the soul of the earth, moistening it, greening it…

The air, with its penetrating strength, characterizes the victorious banner that is trust.
It gives light to the fire’s flame and sprinkles the imagination of believers with the dew of hope.
Thus does trust show the way.
Those who breathe this dew long for heavenly things.
They carry within refreshing, fulfilling, greening love, with which they hasten to the aid of all.
With the passion of heavenly yearning, they produce rich fruit.”

Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179)

“Building bridges between our divisions,
I reach out to you; Will you reach out to me?
With all of our voices and all of our visions,
Friends, we could make such sweet harmony.”
Greenham Common Women