Lament to a dead fox.

Buds on Sweet Chestnut trees,

Swollen, green and about

To open as winter turns into spring.

In the woods a fox died

Where it fell. We buried

Its decomposing body in a

Shallow grave with no ceremony.

Blackthorn petals fell like

Flakes of snow on its

Sun dappled lifeless body.

Blackbirds and robins sang

A requiem at the brake of day

To a woodpeckers rhythmic drumming.

At conception a clock ticks

But the alarms secret none shall know.

Twice, (and more), have I

Seen the year of the Water Snake and

Soon I will be like the Fox.

The blackthorn petals will

Continue to fall and the buds on

The trees swell, turn green and burst open.

Then with autumns color change, fall.

Nourishing the earth in the
Never ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

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Thich Nhat Hanh on Embracing Reality: 
The Five Remembrances

When you deny the reality of life, you appreciate it less. Meditate on the Buddha’s Five Remembrances and rediscover the magic of life just as it is.

I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill health.
There is no way to escape ill health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love
 are of the nature to change.

There is no way to escape
 being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings.
I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.

My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project