Discernment — Mark Nepo

Mark Nepo is among other things, a program officer at Fetzer Institute. He is also poet and author of several books. He sends a weekly thought. Enjoy this, from this week.

Discernment

The trouble with the mind
is that it sees like a bird
but walks like a man.

And things at the surface
move fast, needing to be
gathered. While things
at center move slow,
needing to be
perceived.

What I mean is
if you want to see the
many birds, you can
gather them in a cage
and wonder why
they won’t fly.

Or you can go to
the wetlands, birding
in silence before
the sun comes up.

It’s the same
with what we love
or what we think.

We can frame them
in pretty cages or follow
them into God’s meadow
till they stun us with the
spread of their magnificent
wings.

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