Open My Eyes ...

Foot path in Cameron Park ~ Waco, TX

(Photo by Karen Wood)

Lift the veil from my eyes, Oh Lord!

Let me peek out from behind the curtain

That shrouds my vision,

Keeping me from seeing You ~

My Beloved, my Teacher, my Guide!

Unmask me!

Remove the shades from my eyes!

Let me open wide to Your Beauty,

Your Wisdom, Your Eternal Truth!

Let me see as I have never seen before

Your abundant Grace ~

The feast You have prepared for me

And the foot path You have

Marked for my Way.

Open my eyes, Oh Holy One!

Open my eyes so that I may see You!

Blind me with Your Holy Presence

So that I have no need to ever see again,

Except by Your guiding, ineffable Fiery Light

Within.

~ By Karen Wood

The Wisdom Teacher

(Photo by Karen Wood)

To see the mark of wisdom

In a stately tree ~

One must cut it open.

Its rings bespeak

The years ~ or eons ~

It has watched and waited ...

It has weathered

Seasons and storms,

Diseases and dangers ...

It has nurtured within its leafy arms

Birds of song

And birds of prey ...

It has withstood mighty winds ~ icy assaults ...

And wept inner tears to sustain itself

During unrelenting droughts ...

It has shaded playgrounds

And watched lovers

Stealing kisses ...

It has borne silent witness to unspeakable horrors

Committed beneath its branches

Under the cover of darkness ...

Through the ages, it has suffered neglect ...

Lack of appreciation ...

Isolation ...

As time unfolds, it has enjoyed occasional acknowledgement ...

Sometimes respect ...

Rare devotion.

Yet it always reaches out its arms,

Open and wide ~

And up ~ ever up ...

As it sends its roots deep into The Source

That birthed it ~

And will one day reclaim it as Its Own.

Yes ~ to see the mark of wisdom

In a stately tree ~

One must cut it open.

Only when one can gaze inside ~

At its innermost core,

Can one see the ageless wisdom it held within ...

It must die first ~

Before one discovers how truly wise was

That Wisdom Teacher.

~ By Karen Wood