I Followed a Path

Wanting to meditate and discover the good,

I followed a path deep into the wood,

Until before me a great oak tree stood,

Its branches mighty, its crown regal and thick,

The kind of tree I’d be if I had my pick,

I wondered, how long has this oak been around?

What made this oak special? Why hasn’t it blown down?

Of course, I mused, when a storm came through,

The massive trunk deserves the credit for what would ensue,

Yet I realized there was more than what met the eye,

The trunk needed support to stand and touch the sky,

Roots keeping the oak anchored were beneath the tree,

Spreading out in all directions for stability,

I could see the mighty oak was more than a tree,

It was a symbol reminding me not to judge what I see,

Because like the oak there’s more within me,  

T here’s part of me that’s in public view,

Exposed so people can see what I do,

But beneath my surface my values are set,

The part of me that might be stronger yet,

To survive the storms of life these roots will grow,

When troubles are encountered my character will show,

Storms in life are impossible to outrace,

So the challenges they bring I will embrace,

I’ll be like the mighty oak if I learn to endure,

The storms of life with a heart that’s pure,  

I left with knowledge from where the oak tree stood,

Followed the path out of the wood,

My search was over, I finally understood.