That Which Is Essential

How foolish are our desires.
Mistaking the unessential
to be essential
we spend our lives
pursuing that which
we wrongly think is
success and its robe
of many colors
only to find that in the end
what we longed for
was not to be found
in status, power, luxury
or anything of the material world.

Then what is essential?
What will give us contentment
a life well lived?
Certainly nothing
unless we have love
in our hearts for
without love
all else becomes fool’s gold
cotton candy of unfulfilled dreams
leaving us empty and alone.

Yet with love
modest dwellings become castles
humble meals are feasts
quiet walks in the countryside
cool water on a hot summer day
all that we have and do
becomes luxurious when love
flows from our hearts.