Poetry « HELEN H WANG

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.

In Solitude

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 Am Grateful

I am grateful that the sky is blue, trees are green, and life is peaceful;
I am grateful that the tea is brewing, music is chanting, and home is beautiful.

I am grateful that the right books were given to me at the right times;
And I am grateful that I heeded the beckoning signs.

I am grateful that I am walking in my childhood’s dream,
and that dream is not lost;
I am grateful that I have kept my sanity in this insane world,
and the world is spinning.

I am grateful for the faith that has sustained me through the darkest nights;
I am grateful for a love that has endeared me at crimson morns.

I am grateful that all the pains, although still hurting, are healing;
I am grateful that all the hopes, however far reaching, are coming.

I am grateful for the bounty of God that is boundless,
and I am grateful that I pray –
I am grateful for little things in life – the rose petal, sweet peach and cherry
blossoms, for only I know how grateful I am!

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The Obligatory Prayer

Life and Death of A Tree

In Solitude

I Am Grateful