The heart’s reasons
seen clearly,
even the hardest
will carry
its whip-marks and sadness
and must be forgiven.

As the drought-starved
eland forgives
the drought-starved lion
who finally takes her,
enters willingly then
the life she cannot refuse,
and is lion, is fed,
and does not remember the other.

So few grains of happiness
measured against all the dark
and still the scales balance.

The world asks of us
only the strength we have and we give it.
Then it asks more, and we give it.

~Jane Hirshfield

how can I leave all of this so unfinished?

inquiry for today~ there is a place, a special room for the delicate heart…..

when there’s nothing wrong

Love is the capacity to take care,

to protect, to nourish.

If you are not capable of generating

that kind of energy toward yourself-

if you are not capable of taking care

of yourself, of nourishing yourself,

of protecting yourself.

It is very difficult to take care of

another person. In the Buddhist

teaching, it’s clear that to love oneself

is the foundation of the love of other people.

Love is a practice. Love is truly a practice.

~Thich Nhat Hanh