Mind-Makers

If your mind is a ship,

Sail in waters vibrant

And not in pungent oil in which to sink.

If your mind is a box,

Let it be a golden treasure chest

And not a bin for garbage.

If your mind is a piece of fractured light,

Let its true colors show;

Don't paint them gray.

If your mind is a pillow,

Fill it with feathers.

Not rocks.

If your mind is a tree,

Plant it in a green field,

Not a desert.

If your mind is a lightbulb,

Don't smash it.

Give it electricity.

If your mind is a bird's wing,

Don't let the bird fall from the sky

Quite unsatisfied.

If your mind is a door,

Give it a discerning door-man.

Leaving it wide open for too long lets bugs in.

If your mind is a window,

Look through it.

Don't close the curtains.

If your mind is an instrument,

Keep it tuned.

Sour notes make ears cringe.

If your mind is a parachute,

Sew it well.

You'll be grateful when you jump from the jet.

If your mind is a crown,

Make it royal:

Thorns are for torture.

If your mind is a bridge,

Give it good supports.

Troubled waters flow beneath.

If your mind is a mouth,

Feed it things to chew and swallow.

Don't make it vomit.

If your mind is a lung,

Breathe clean air.

Dust and dirt make poor oxygen.

If your mind is a fruit,

Let it ripen.

Fruit picked too soon tastes wrong.

If your mind is a fish,

Give it fins that work.

Slow fish get eaten.

If your mind is a chess set,

Make sure you've got all the pieces.

You can't play, otherwise.

If your mind is a flower,

Let it bloom.

Beauty needs great care.

If your mind is a clock,

Keep it ticking.

Silent hands tell no time.

And if your mind is riches untold,

Spend them wisely.

Buried, they're only worth as much as the dirt around them.

I wrote this poem just a tiny bit over a year ago. Along with it was this note:

"Take care of your mind. Everyone around you will thank you. As you love yourself, then you can love your neighbor."

So take care of yourself.

You're the only you there is,

and you won't be coming this way again.