There are some poems which captivate our heart and continue to hold our attention in its grip even though the pages in the book in which we found it have been closed a long while ago.Here's one such poem by the Japanese poet, Mitsuo Aida
(1924-91).
Because it has lived its life
intensely
the parched grass still attracts the
gaze of passers-by.
The flowers merely
flower,
and they do this as well as they
can.
The white lily, blooming unseen in the
valley,
Does not need to explain itself to
anyone;
It lives merely for
beauty.
Men, however, cannot accept that
'merely'.
If tomatoes wanted to be melons,
they would look completely
ridiculous.
I am always amazed
that so many people are
concerned
with wanting to be what they are
not;
what's the point of making yourself
look ridiculous?
You don't always have to pretend to be strong,
there's no need to prove all the time
that everything is going well,
you shouldn't be concerned about what
other people are thinking,
cry if you need to,
it's good to cry out all your
tears
(because only then will you be able to
smile again).
This poem was quoted by Paulo Coelho in his book 'Like the Flowing River'.
