Conversation With A Young Lady Poem by Fidel Arcenas

A young lady asks:

What's the secret to happiness?

With a voice
waned by age
the old man
whispers:

In your basket
collect simple things
others don't see
and give them all away
as gifts;

However small
a gift may seem,
be child-like
in giving.

Does the smile
of a sleeping child
not create a patch
of heaven in
a mother's heart?

Be like a candle
that willingly
gives up its life
to share with
others its light.

What about truth and beauty?

A flower speaks
only of beauty,
offers itself
for you to own,
yet it thrives on
and never decays.

Truth is fire on top
of the highest hill
which you cannot
extinguish even
with your eyes.

How do I deal with problems?

Fear not the storms,
the bamboo bows
to the winds and
when the worst
is over, it is
standing still;

Ride on the waves
of changing seasons,
they always carry
you to shore.

How do I find love?

Seek it not,
if your love is true
love seeks for you
and will surely
find you.