Perseverance

The oceans deep and true
go on forever.
But the oceans, depth begins
one drop at a time.

Each drop eventually finds its way
up
up
into the blue sky.
It evolves, the spirit of change
and the whole of this single drop
escapes the single boundary of the ocean.

It meets other elevated drops
heaven bound they form a cloud
and off they go: a tiny white puff.

Then from My observation point
below the peak of the mountain
the cloud butts himself against her
unmoving
majestic greatness.

The cloud asks, "Can we Pass"
Fuji remains silent.
Yet the cloud persists!

I watch as it tries every advantage
every motion,
every possibility
Never thinking of retreat.

Then other small white clouds join
and eventually the momentum changes
and the cloud redoubles its effort.

Rain, storms, winds.
The cloud pounds Fuji
and the mountain bows
in supplication.

To this day the mountain lowers its head.

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The nature of perseverance is not only the idea of continuing, but the recognition that growth and knowledge are allies in your struggles against those obstacles that stand in our way.