November~Grateful; Prayer for the Great Family

I slept and dreamt that life was joy.I awoke and saw that life was service.I acted and behold, service was joy.

~Rabindranath Tagore

Prayer for the Great FamilyGratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day–and to her soil: rich, rare, and sweetin our minds so be it.Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing light-changing leafand fine root-hairs; standing still through windand rain; their dance is in the flowing spiral grainin our minds so be it.Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and the silentOwl at dawn. Breath of our songclear spirit breezein our minds so be it.Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets,freedoms and ways; who share with us their milk;self-complete, brave, and awarein our minds so be it.Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers;holding or releasing; streaming through allour bodies salty seasin our minds so be it.Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light throughtrunks of trees, through mists, warming caves wherebears and snakes sleep–he who wakes us–in our minds so be it.Gratitude to the Great Skywho holds billions of stars–and goes yet beyond that–beyond all powers, and thoughtsand yet is within us–Grandfather Space.The Mind is his Wifeso be it.

~Gary Snyder