The mind settles like dew
On the grass, and the woods open
A path ahead of me
Where the sun lifts aside
The darkness, and the day begins.

The arms ascend
To mobilize the ch'i.

The sparrow calls and I step
Through the thick brush, looking
To the left, then right,
Until framed in green, I find
His capture within my grasp.

Ward-off,
Roll-back,
Press and Push

A sudden wind gathers
To strike with force the trees
That sway and bend their branches
Down and back, to hook and guard
Their place still rooted.

The spirit
Manifests itself
In Single Whip.

My spirit rushes into awareness,
The life waking in time and space
From tan t'ien and upward,
To bring together into oneness
The duality of self.

Invite Tiger
And Return to Mountain.

Along the path, I forget
The traffic and the noise
Of the town, and my thoughts empty
And push away
Their holding fast to the world

Step Back
And Repulse Monkey.

A clearing shows in the woods
Where the noonday
Illumines a changing of patterns,
Shadow and light, inside
And out to fill the void.

Wave Hands in Clouds,
Wave Hands in Clouds.

"And they shall be two
In one flesh." The pair of opposites
Balance the logic and emotion
That each hand feeds the other,
And continues the tradition.

Golden Cock
Stands on One Leg.

The journey unfolds
Toward evening, and the hill
Rising beyond the woods
Tells me to persevere to the last,
And reach that high place.

Step Forward
To Seven Stars.

A circle of lights, in the air
Surrounds me in the aura
Of ancient mystery,
And the centers whirling,
I accept the work of the Masters.

Turn Body
And Sweep Lotus With Leg.

How far from heaven
Spins the earth? How near
To the ground hangs the sky?
From the top of the mountain
To the town gate the day ends.

The arms crossing
Embrace the ch'i...
And descend to Conclusion.

Meru Groen
1985