Devote: Practicing Patience

As things are going
Ever so well,
I will cultivate the patience
To endure any unexpected downfall,

This will perfect my effort,
Keeping me on track,
Should stormy seas
Or great misfortune attack;

I strive to unpack
All the virtues needed to succeed,
In uprooting the poisons
Of hatred, ignorance and greed,

And armed with patience
I will persist
In the face of difficulties
That challenge my resolve;

So that, when there are problems to solve,
I will not balk or shrink
From wading in
Or hesitate when confronting them,

Slow progress will not deter
My continuing efforts to do better
And I will be prepared to wait
For fierce headwinds to abate;

Gradual headway is not too late
But only preparation for passing through the next gate,
Towards a fuller and happier state
That will at last emerge on the appropriate date,

And then all will be well
For another interval,
Until the next obstacle appears
Before more clear seeing eyes.

Development: Regulating Effort

Traces of irritability
Have begun to arise,
Signaling the need
To reappraise;

Decision made
To slow the pace,
Inserting metta
And yoga stretching into its place,

Pausing regularly
To reconnect with body and mind
Rejuvenates both, helps unwind
And prevents my work from becoming a grind;

Making even effort into a habit
Ensures a stable energy supply,
Which enables me to apply
A steady hand upon which I can rely;

Then my tasks go smoothly
And I do not tire,
As my vigour does not expire
But continues to rise even higher,

And in my metta wishes
I include the following:
That I may direct this fuel
In the wisest way,

The consequences of which will be
Even more zest with which I may
Accomplish ever more and stay
On track with what I need to do;

And now, as I prepare to resume my tasks,
I wish everyone the same good fortune,
To have enough strength and discretion
To make consistent their efforts
And aim them in a wise direction.

Determined: Returning to Effort

Snags may come and go
But the river still flows,
Regardless of the trees that fall
And clutter up the stream,

Fishes shelter from the hot sun
Beneath the boughs
Or conceal themselves from predators
While the leafy green persists,

Until death and decay take them both,
Which is after all the direction we all take
No matter what we do,
So we might as well relax into the water,

Floating along as far as we can
Through the sparkling turbulence,
Down the waterfalls
And over the smooth stretches,

Cruising into the estuaries,
Beyond which the sea beckons,
Gliding over the waves
Or slipping below them to the sandy bottom,

Resting there for how long?
Or maybe simply dissolving
For who knows what duration?
Or how often;

Is there another shore
Upon which we climb?
Or is it really the end
Of our journey to which we are going?

Finally, I abandon these fruitless musings
And return to the glow of metta fires,
Embracing the happiness to which my heart aspires,
Leaving behind all doubts and desires.