Welcome to the World of Stress

Searching

I was speaking to a netpal, Gopalan, on ICQ and he wrote the following words to me, that touched me and brought tears to my eyes:

happiness never is
balance never is
dont search
then you have it

The next day I visited Michelle's endowment, a plant at Eden Gardens where her ashes were interred. As I cried over the plant, tears dropping onto my hands and onto the leaves of the plant, the following poem came to me:

Searching

A little drop of salty tears
Doesn't do me any harm
Trickling down my sullen cheeks
Dripping on my open palm
Soon a hurricane appears
Building up from stormy seas
Flooding waters drown my soul
Sunshine comes with summer breeze
Seasons come and seasons go
So it is, with heartfelt pain
Changing moods, the ups and downs
Full of fun, then cry again
Searching for some happiness
Searching for some balance now
Stop the search, then I might find
That I possess it anyhow.

The last verse of the following poem was posted in reply to my poem above on my cousin's poetry message board (now shut down). I asked Wayne if I could put it on this page and he sent me the whole poem that he and his wife wrote, which you see below. More of his wonderful poetry can be found at his website,
click here: A. Sailor's Poetry Page

CHASING PEACE

Most people work too hard at life,
or so it seems to me
They chase their paper dreams
and then go crazy by degrees
Folks try to fix their problems
without looking for the cause.
They spend their lives engaged
in mortal combat without pause

I don't know all the answers;
I've made mistakes beyond compare
But along the path of life
I've learned some things I'd like to share
It won't hurt to stop and listen
to the things I have to say
I may not have your answers friend,
but then again I may

Perhaps if you would take the time
to stop and analyze
To view yourself from the perspective
of another's eyes,
You'd find the silver linings
and the rainbows in your life,
And the strength and resolution
to deal with all the strife

You must learn to trust your instincts;
to do what you know is right
Learn to value those who love you;
love them back with all your might
You should listen to the children;
knowledge often outweighs years
A child can find the laughter
hidden right behind your tears

Be sure to give your body
the respect that it requires.
Have a plan to feed your hungers;
don't be driven by desires.
Don't be afraid of education,
for knowledge sets you free
Set your goals to reach the sky,
be as much as you can be

Don't be afraid to face your past;
your experience is wealth
Your past provides the tools you need
to reinvent yourself
Cherish all those moments filled
with luck and love and laughter
Perhaps if you don't run so hard,
you'll catch the peace you're after.

Another friend's response to Gopalan's words were these:

Happiness is never found by searching
Balance is not kept by moving
Don't worry about these things
Relax and they will come to you

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