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The Obligatory Prayer

Sitting on the rock of Eagle Falls at the Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, when my heart was closest to the nature, I said the obligatory prayer:

“I bear witness, O my God,
that Thou hast created me
to know Thee and to worship Thee.

“I testify, at this moment,
to my powerlessness and to Thy might,
to my poverty and to Thy wealth.

“There is none other God but Thee,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

So powerful that my mind’s eye
Sees the light of eternity.

So dim, and so bright, that I know
The pass is narrow and long.

So blissful that I am shown the way,
And my heart throbs with joy.

Life and Death of A Tree

This Independence Day weekend, we went to Lake Tahoe. A hike to Eagle Falls gave me unexpected inspiration….

At the bridge of Eagle Falls,
A dying tree
Stands, strikingly,
Against the vitals of green.

A few inches below its roots,
The life-giving water creek
runs, ceaselessly,
toward the valley.

To the sky above,
The lifeless branch,
Stretches, desperately,
As if asking for its life back.

Alas, a narrow distance,
A thin line
Separates, eternally,
Life and death.

Nearby, beside it,
A young tree
Martyrs, peacefully,
To be in the arms of the eternal.

Courage

Copyright 2007 Helen Wang

Courage is to speak the truth
when the truth is hard to tell;

Courage is to stand up for what’s right
even if it’s unpopular;

Courage is to go beyond the convention
and challenge the unchallengeable;

Courage is daring to be hopeful
while there seems no hope.

Surrender

Copyright 2004 Helen Wang

Surrendering, I let go my ego,
Surrendering, I am in no fear,
And surrendering, I am set to be free,
– I turn to Thee.

Let my pen be Thy Pen,
Let my words be Thy Words,
And let my wonder be Thy Wonder,
– I turn to Thee.

In Solitude

Copyright 2007 Helen Wang

In solitude, I pause to freeze the moment
so that I can be;

In solitude, I journey far in distance
so that I can feel;

In solitude, I stand in the shadow of the moon
so that I can see the sun;

In solitude, I create eternity from transients
so that they can last.

I Ask….

I asked the dawn: “Where is the dewdrop that wet my lips last night and was suddenly gone before the sunrise?”

The dawn smiled: ‘It’s in the lightness of breezes and fragrance of flowers.”

I asked breezes and flowers: “What is the color of my love and that shall never fade?”

The breezes and flowers whispered: “It’s the color of the Spring that is dancing on the hills.”

I asked the hills: “How many more peaks and valleys on my path before I reach the blue sky?”

The hills echoed: “As many as you can endure until your inner and outer strengths lift you high.”

I asked the sky: “Why did the most innocent eyes, that are as pure as you, have to see the agony of death?”

The sky wept: “The eyes of the innocent see beyond death – they see the ocean.”

I asked the ocean: “Where is the vastness of your mercy now that I only taste the bitterness in you?”

The ocean sighed: “Without bitterness, how would you know the sweetness of joy?”

Finally, I asked God: “What is the happiness of life when it is full of tribulation?”

God answered: “The meaning of life is rejoicing in the face of adversity.”

— Dedicated to my friend Jennifer and others who face the great difficulties in life with amazing strength and grace.

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