Along a road both rock and dirt walked a hundred men.
Along this road both well and hurt,
They talked and time did spend.
Only myself,
Sharp of eye,
Noticed that did walk.
Two kinds of men upon that road,
Just by how they talked.
Half would offer all they had,
To all and just to any.
Half would take all they could get,
And sometimes,
Thank each penny.
But all did walk from east to west,
Despite their take and give.
The road,
Of course,
Went both ways.
That's rarely how we live.
Those who offered rarely gave only what they had.
They reached and stretched and offered more.
Don't leave me,
They said.
Those who took,
Of course,
They said,
Will never ever go.
Some did stay forever.
Some left quite soon,
We know.
Those who stayed perhaps were not possessors of good souls.
Cruel or absent,
Which is worse.
In greed,
They played their roles.
Those who left at least were gone,
No longer to torment.
The givers who only wanted to show their best intent.
Then why did all the men walk on from the same place to the other?
If one left and one did stay,
How did they match each other?
The takers and the greedy,
It was they who took the path.
The one that was for them the right.
For they could do the math.
The givers missed their message and walked along with those who by their nature take and take.
After all,
Those are the roles.
To truly give allows each man the gift of turning around.
To truly give means not expecting anything profound.
No payback and no strings attached when given one can go along the path in any way.
No one to follow so.
When we give to make ourselves feel like we have worth.
When we give to make ourselves feel like more than dirt.
Takers also we become.
In return we ask.
Never ever truly giving.
Sort of behind a mask.
Look upon the people that are traveling down your road.
Are there any going east?
Those you want to know.
When you find one,
Ask him how he learned the gift of giving.
I know this man.
He'll tell you.
It's all about the living.
Do you want to tie yourself to those who take and take?
Or can you give within the world?
Just for goodness sake.
When you can give because you can,
No other agenda written.
Free you are and holding now.
The greatest present given.
The world is yours to travel on however you may go.
What you've done is give yourself a chance to really know a gift will always have exactly identical to a T.
The value when the givers known.
As when they silent be.
The takers must keep walking on always the same way.
The giver who has freed himself can choose to go or stay.
Now I stand upon the road and watch the men go past.
I look for those who wander off.
Free to give at last.
The road really isn't there going east to west.
A hundred men do not walk it,
Which probably is best.
Instead,
The road is just a line between sacrifice and gift.
When we finally understand the truth for which we sift just for once.
I hope there's more.
Take this chance.
I've rhymed.
Live your life.
True giving only.
Live outside the line.
