PEACE

I see you, deer,
outside the window, 
resting on fallen leaves
between the wooden fence rails 
and the blue spruce. You appear peaceful 
and content, while not twenty feet away 
your son or daughter nestles under the apple tree.
How sweet you look in repose, 
like the rambunctious toddler 
who wreaks havoc when awake, 
yet when asleep melts my heart 
and I want to give soft kisses,
and think only loving thoughts.
With the view of you, my shoulders release, 
I breathe softly. I prepare dinner, 
eat, then linger at the table and
relish your presence as you watch over us. 
When you are ready, you rise, 
wait for your young one, 
glance back at the house, 
and walk away toward the river.
I thank you for your gentle visit. 
Peace—in this moment—
so easy and uncomplicated.

“It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.”

Aristotle

“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.”

Eckhart Tolle

“World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”

Dalai Lama XIV

Ongoing Resource List: Reading for Heart and Mind

http://janisdehler.com/ongoing-resource-list-reading-for-heart-and-mind/