No Longer Estranged

Birds bring me news of an approaching storm

thunder has announced its arrival

the refreshing droplets of liquid life grace the land

an orchestra begins a symphony of life

raindrops upon the roof offer comfort

the sound I hear as nature delivers its song

is like the plucking of the strings of a sanshin

the traditional music of Okinawa now remembered

I am taken back to the time I spent in Naha

I was young then

I had no appreciation for the cherry blossoms

their beauty meant little to me

I had no real understanding of life

nor of the importance of peace of mind

body

and spirit

now older

my heart is ready to accept the natural order of life

I revel in all that it has to offer

if it is true that we came from dirt

and unto dirt we shall return

then it is not news that I and the Earth are one

it is that we are no longer estranged