I have never seen a peach tree,
At least, not to know I
did.
There are many things we don’t see,
Though in plain
sight they are hid.
Some things to see are plain to all.
Others
seem subtle, their import easy to forgo.
It’s not a case of
big or small—
We
know what we see when we see what we know.
Of course I know a peach by sight,
The
distinctive touch of the furry skin,
Succulent flesh in the
mouth a delight,
Sweet juice running down the chin.
Just so some
trees and plants I know:
Gentle
cherry, mighty oak, tall, proud fir and pine;
Dark holly, bright
birch, fair lithe willow.
Yet many names’
knowing remain none of mine.
And so it is in all of life,
That we see
things we know, yet more things beside.
And it can be the cause
of strife—
To
see without knowing, and unknowing turn aside.
If we can
simply learn to see,
What we don’t know, and don’t
expect,
We’ll find that we can to be,
At peace with all,
with love and respect.
But yet we
know that is not how,
The world proceeds, how people live.
What
can we do that will endow,
Ourselves and others with that great
gift?
To see what’s
new, to learn the
strange,
To treasure
all, thrive in exchange.
What is it
that makes us stall,
That
stops us knowing, loving all?
Is it what we’ve
never seen,
Or perhaps have
never been?
Written September 2021
