On The Last Retreat Day at Blue Cliff Monastery 

By Anh Nguyen 

Five days I got to wallow in your peace
To sink my feet in soft, rain-dampened moss
To let my weary heart and body ease
Into a joy untouched by gain and loss 

I would admire the hanging mist at dawn 
That weaved among the leaves still wet with dew
Breathed deep to fill my lungs with mountain air
And with each step my clarity renew 

So now I bow—until we meet again 
I’ll carry what I’ve learned with you abroad
Walk slow, explore the garden of my mind
And each day touch my rediscovered Source 

Anh Nguyen, Sacred Source of the Heart, has been practicing in the Plum Village tradition since 2014. She is currently an Order of Interbeing aspirant and practices with the Wake Up Sangha in Boston, Massachusetts, US.  

Today I Took a Walk 

By Amanda Zasada 

Today I took a walk,
and I hugged a tree— 
or perhaps I clung to it in grief.  
Maybe they’re the same? 

She held me close and spoke: 
Hello there, little one. 
Take a look above you. 
See all our branches spread, 
intertwining near and far?
This is the place of the leaves,
of the comings and goings, 
of the seasons cycling through.
This is the historical dimension, 
and this is where you’re stuck.

You sense the movement,
you’re dazzled by the action, 
and you strive for connection here,
but the winds will always come.
Instead, close your eyes.  
Lean on me, 
and I’ll show you rest. 

Let us go down, 
grounding within ourselves. 
Feel these roots spreading wide? 
Though you think my leaves are my lips,
this here is my true tongue.  
This is where my strength resides,
interwoven with my sisters’ spirits.

Oh, little one, can’t you see?
The ultimate is the unseen.

Do not open your eyes. 
Learn to open yourself. 

Amanda Zasada, Joyful Gift of the Source, is a Wisconsin-based creative spirit with roots spreading throughout the Midwest. In addition to scribing for the trees and verbalizing soul through song, she practices regularly with the SnowFlower (Madison, Wisconsin), Honey Locust (Omaha, Nebraska), and Prairie Oaks (LeClaire, Iowa) Sanghas in the US.