There are Glimpses

Whenever I need solace and comfort, I turn to Taoism. There are many reasons why I am drawn to it. For instance, I like how The Tao Te Ching tells us that we all have our own journey to follow. It also describes the world of today, just as it describes the world thousands of years ago.

For seven years, I studied Taoism with my dear teachers, Dr. Joseph Thomas and Crystal Leaman. My poem "There Are Glimpses," is dedicated to them.

How do we know Tao?

There are glimpses of it

In the dappled light of the woods,

In the way that sunflowers follow the sun.

There are glimpses of it

When a hummingbird dances in an old man's beard,

When a little girl kicks off her shoes and splashes in the mud,

When a little boy tastes sweet honey on his lips for the very first time,

It's when two children lean in for their very first kiss.

There are glimpses of Tao when a woman sings,

"Amazing Tao, how sweet the sound that holds a soul like me,"

To calm the voices inside her head.  

How do we know Tao?

There are glimpses of it

When a wild colt runs free in the wind,

When a wolf howls at the moon.

It's when a mother holds her baby at her breast,

When a husband visits his wife every morning in the nursing home

and tells her, "Darling, I am your husband, and you are the love of my life."   

How do we know Tao?

We feel it in its everlasting rhythm --

We cry

We sing

We dance

We love.

We feel it inside of us,

In our hearts --

It is a soothing sound.

Note: The above image is by Tamara Gore.

(C) Lorraine Darnell