I am from Earth

We have fallen into the place where everything is music.*Â
Of course, the light is musicÂ
You already know thatÂ
The sun, the moon, and the starsÂ
That's easyÂ
The rivers and seasÂ
The mountains and valleysÂ
Lovely music, thatÂ
But friend, I tell youÂ
That the darkness is music as wellÂ
The shadow side of being aliveÂ
The drunken, angry father is musicÂ
Even as he berates the shrunken wifeÂ
And ruins the childrenÂ
The lies of the politicians are musicÂ
The sound of shots being fired in the nightÂ
And you cannot tell how far awayÂ
Or how closeÂ
The earthquake, the killer tornadoÂ
The car crash, the unsuccessful operationÂ
It's all a balance, all of itÂ
And one song plays after anotherÂ
Like a concert with no program to followÂ
So pay attention to the musicÂ
It could verily easily be a short concertÂ
One never knowsÂ
James Lee Jobe
*The title is a line from Rumi, used here as a prompt.
Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything — anger, anxiety, or possessions — we cannot be free.
Thich Nhat Hanh
People are going back and forth across the door-sill where the two worlds touch.*Â
Some people hurry with their heads down, wearyÂ
Their minds occupied, worried with mundane nonsenseÂ
Their hearts are closed like a tavern on election dayÂ
Others never cross the door-sill at allÂ
Whichever world they are in is their jail cellÂ
They seldom even glance through the bars on the windowÂ
I say, cross as often as you please, my friendÂ
This world, that world, pause on either side as you chooseÂ
Have a song, have a dance, love some oneÂ
Let the other world wait while you live it up hereÂ
And by the way, where I said there are two worldsÂ
Actually, there might be far more worlds than thatÂ
James Lee Jobe
*The title is a line from Rumi, used here as a prompt.

Leaving the City
-by Tu Fu
It's frost-bitter cold, and late, and falling
frost traces my gaze all bottomless skies.
Smoke trails out over distant salt mines.
Snow-covered peaks slant shadows east.
Armies haunt my homeland still, and war
drums throb in this far-off place. A guest
overnight here in this river city, I returnÂ
again to shrieking crows, my old friends.

Only the holder the flag fits into and the wind*Â
Countries are a ridiculous thing.Â
One country is good, but another one is badÂ
Other countries are fine with one problemÂ
But not so fine with othersÂ
I say phooeyÂ
One world, about two hundred countriesÂ
Should I pray to a flag, a shiny clothÂ
Which one, where I was bornÂ
I didn't have any say in where I was bornÂ
A better way is for us all to liveÂ
As if this world is one place, because it isÂ
Where are you from, friendÂ
Earth I am from EarthÂ
Well now, that is something worthy
of my pledge of allegiance Â
James Lee Jobe
*The title is a line from Rumi, used here as a prompt.
I’ve woven a parachute out of everything broken.
William Stafford

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JamesÂ