Spirits of Flower

Consider the rose
sweet, soft on eye and nose,
but with thorns harsh of hand;
Now consider the lotus,
pretty, but found only
in harshest of water;
Both function,
with good and bad,
which is best?

Now that woman looks comfortable
motherly
calm, reassuring
- and so she sounds
and the listener
is comforted and calmed.

Consider that woman
she looks comfortable
motherly
calm, reassuring
- but sounds
harsh, crude, confronting,
and the listener
cringes, and is confused.

And now those men:
one hard faced, tough and crude
in look and spirit,
and the listener
cringes and cries,
but does not think to be confused;
the other,
hard faced, tough and crude in look,
but gentle and caring of spirit,
the listener
is reassured and strengthened
- and confused;

But then the listener
looks within
and sees
woman,
both comfortable, motherly and comfortable,
and hard faced, tough and crude,
and man,
both gentle and caring of spirit,
and hard faced, tough and crude,
and others,
some both male and female,
some neither;
none afraid,
all free of rule and restraint;
all function,
all with good and bad;
which is best?

And now, consider
that woman
who looks so hard faced, tough and crude,
but sounds
motherly
calm, reassuring;
the listener
is comforted and calmed,
and not now confused.

And that woman
she looks hard faced, tough and crude,
and so she sounds;
the listener,
listens to other voices within,
and is unperturbed,
and not confused.

And that man,
who looks so soft and gentle
and sounds so soft and gentle,
the listener
is reassured and strengthened,
and not confused.

Now that man
he looks soft and gentle;
but sounds,
harsh, crude, confronting
the listener,
listens to other voices within,
and is unperturbed,
and not confused.

Consider the rose
sweet, soft on eye and nose,
but with thorns harsh of hand;
And the lotus,
pretty, but found only
in harshest of water;
Both function,
both have good and bad;
which is right, and which
is wrong?

© Kayleen White, 2008