the shadow of a leaf

Evening

BY H. D.

The light passes

from ridge to ridge,

from flower to flower—

the hepaticas, wide-spread

under the light

grow faint—

the petals reach inward,

the blue tips bend

toward the bluer heart

and the flowers are lost.

The cornel-buds are still white,

but shadows dart

from the cornel-roots—

black creeps from root to root,

each leaf

cuts another leaf on the grass,

shadow seeks shadow,

then both leaf

and leaf-shadow are lost.

a few words of wisdom for the new year from an old farmer sitting on his john deere tractor:

your fences need to be horse high, pig tight, and bull strong.

life is simpler when you plow around th stump.

a bumble bee is considerably faster than a john deere tractor.

words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.

meanness don't just happen overnight.

forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

do not corner something that you know is meaner than you are.

it don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

you cannot unsay a cruel word.

every path has a few puddles.

when you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

the best sermons are lived, not preached.

most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen,anyway.

don't judge folks by their relatives.

remember that silence is often the best answer.

live a good and honorable life. when you get older and think back, you will enjoy it a second time.

don't interfere with something that ain't bothering you none.

timing has something to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.

sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

the biggest trouble maker you will ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every morning.

always drink upstream from the herd.

good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.

if you get to thinking you are person of some influence, try ordering your neighbor's dog around.

live simply,live generously, live deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to god.

don't pick a fight with an older man; he's too old to fight. he might just kill you.