John
Daleiden, US
Reflections on Tranquility
When fears
overwhelm me
like a fierce hurricane,
then I picture grandpa's pasture
of cows.
Sublime,
cows sit and chew
or stand and graze all day—
at dusk they trail back to the gate
content.
We milk
them in the stalls,
talking with gentle hands,
coaxing the white gold from udders
brim full.
Later,
in solitude
Daisy leads the whole herd
back to pasture, nibbling grass
all night.
Secure
in their safe world,
the meadow and the barn—
they escape our moments of fear
and doubt.
Could we
achieve the calm,
deliberate life of cows?
Or are we condemned to suffer
from fears?
