Perhaps, within your feast, there may be no tree,
No shade beneath which you can rest and be free.
Then be your own shade beneath the burning sun,
Become the very tree your soul has dreamed upon.

If love has left the gardens of the world bare,
Light your own flame within your heart and care.
If winds of fate have scattered every leaf,
Root yourself deeper than your deepest grief.

If every branch once torn from you has died,
Hold fast to who you are; don't leave your own side.
If no lamp appears to guide your wandering way,
Kindle the hidden light within and make it day.

If no window opens toward the dawn,
Let hope arise within your heart at dawn.
If darkened clouds descend upon the earth,
Do not let your inner sun lose its worth.

If hope lies buried underneath the ground,
With patience, let its hidden roots be found.
For every wound that settles in your soul
May lead you toward a garden, bright and whole.

And every pain that visits you, endure;
From stones of sorrow, gems may still mature.
When autumn leaves the gardens cold and still,
Remain green, wakeful, and alive by will.

If no one comes to seek your lonely heart,
Be your own friend; don't let yourself depart.
Become a mirror, look at truth and see;
Do not escape yourself—turn inwardly.

The one who loses themselves to worldly ways
May wander through a thousand empty days.
But once you know yourself, the doors unfold,
And secrets hidden in the dark are told.

Though all the world may cast its stones at you,
Your roots can bring the springtime back anew.
If trees survive the axe and winter's frost,
They find new life through roots that were not lost.

So plant your roots within your deepest ground,
And let new flowers rise where grief was found.
If peace is absent from the world's embrace,
Seek it within your heart, your secret place.

If others never gave you love enough,
Give yourself the tenderness the world withheld from you.
And when the road becomes too hard to bear,
Stand still a while—but never leave it there.

Every stream that seeks its own appointed way
Can carve through stone and find the sea one day.
And when a mountain rises in your path,
Do not be frightened by its height or wrath.

Climb it, and from its summit you will see
A wider world, a greater destiny.
You are a seed of God; within you, spring
Still waits beneath the sorrow of everything.

When night draws curtains over every star,
Let one bright light within your heart appear.
And if no soul can understand your pain,
Stay with yourself; your suffering is not in vain.

For sometimes the human heart must learn to stand
By holding gently to its own two hands.
Thus through the storms and trials of the years,
It finds its way beyond its deepest fears.

In time's great feast, though every guest may pass,
The heart that stays beside you will be yours at last.
No throne remains, no golden crown survives,
No ancient palace keeps its former pride.

What stays behind is the pure root you grew,
The shade that rose from all you struggled through.
So if no tree is waiting in your way,
Be your own shade and build your tree today.

Grow from yourself, then turn to yourself once more,
Until your inner garden blooms in endless color.
Let every leaf reflect the morning sun,
Let every wound become where hope is born.

O heart, if you can keep yourself, that's enough;
To simply be within yourself is more than wealth.
And if the world should lose its love and grace,
Let your heart remain a clear and living place.

So lean not on the strangers of your way;
Be your own sun when skies have lost their day.
Stay with your heart, let your own light shine through—
Become the dawn you have been waiting for to view.

And if the feast of life brings you no throne,
If no great kingdom ever calls you home,
Be your own shade beneath the world's vast sky,
Stand like a tree—and let your soul grow high.