12 Comments
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Stanley Wotring's avatar

Never be afraid to do the right thing.

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

The only thing to fear is fear itself

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Stanley Wotring's avatar

I think I’ve heard that

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Patris's avatar

wisdom

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

Thank you

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Gary Spangler's avatar

I appreciate your clarity, Jonathan.

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

Thanks, Gary

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Viola Weinhold's avatar

I love this poem. I’m following the I-Ching with you. Out of curiosity, what are those six bars to the right?

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

Thank you, Viola. Those are little wooden staves that can be used to generate a hexagram for consulting the I Ching. Each hexagram is made up of six lines read from the bottom up. Each line is either a young yin (broken line), a young yang (solid line), old yin (line with the x in the middle), or old yang (line with the o in the middle). The old ones change into their opposite (yin becomes yang and yang becomes yin) to form a new hexagram. Traditionally those four different types of lines are associated with the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 — which I’ve incorporated into the syllable counts of some my poems.

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Martin Mc Carthy's avatar

This is a very wise poem with a great message for life and living. I'm very tempted to print it out and put it on the wall above my desk. Thank you, Jonathan.

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

Thank you, Martin. Send me a photo of it on your wall if you do!

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Nourishment sought for body and soul

Feed what matters, make oneself whole.

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