Welcome to this morning, this day. It’s a quiet morning at my house, or rather I am quiet…amid the sounds of birds and breezes and breakfast cereal crackling. As I sifted through my book just now, I encountered the following short poem by Japanese poet Ariwara no Narihira, translated by Kenneth Rexwroth:
I have always known
That at last I would
Take this road, but yesterday
I did not know that it would be today.
———————————-
For all the times
we gaze
down a new road
with longing
and our unreadiness
for adventure
holds us in place;
May we be blessed
with a view wider than seeing
only missed opportunity
and lost chances.
May we, like the poet,
rest assured
that the road awaits
another day
another decision.
Awaits our state of readiness
to step into the unknown.
When the day comes
when we take that road
we never saw coming,
may it feel
like it was always
meant to be.
Amen.
