begin

on a day

of falling leaves

and soaring inner spirit

a golden thread

of sunlight

holds the multi-hued tapestry of it

all together

following this golden thread

across the landscape of the day

i come across

the wonder of green

in a clearing

where

somehow a sward of grass

has been overlooked

almost as if it is beginning

rather than ending

and standing on the improbable

emerald ribbon

bathed in the warmth

of the mid-autumn sun

i am so glad

to be here

now

because very soon

very soon

it will be hidden

begin

this is now. now is,

all there is. don't wait for then;

strike the spark, light the fire.

sit at the beloved's table,

feast with gusto, drink your fill

then dance

the way branches

of jasmine and cypress

dance in a spring wind.

the green earth

is your cloth;

tailor your robe

with dignity and grace.

rumi