Poem of the Month: "For the Children"

I've been meaning to blog. But, well, you know how it goes. I just came across this poem while I was looking for a book and thought I would share it as my poem of the month. It reminded me of being in grad school at BYU and driving to Westminster to hear Gary Snyder read his poetry. Aaahhh, the days of going to poetry readings. Did I really live that life? But anyway, it also was a good reminder in this last week of summer vacation (not last week of summer, unfortunately) of keeping my priorities and my head as I try to maximize the summer fun with my kids while minimizing the increasing sibling fighting. Maybe it's also me getting ready to send my oldest off to kindergarten next week (sniff, sniff). So hear you go . . . This poem is beautiful, simple, and deep, all at the same time. Enjoy!

For the Children
The rising hills, the slopes,
of statistics
lie before us.
The steep climb
of everything, going up,
up, as we all
go down.

In the next century
or the one beyond that,
they say,
are valleys, pastures,
we can meet there in peace
if we make it.

To climb these coming crests
one word to you, to
you and your children:

stay together
learn the flowers
go light.

~ Gary Snyder