Amidst the grassland
Sings the skylark
Free and disengaged from all things
Matsuo BashÅ
Early on, this koan/verse got its way with me, bringing about all sorts of visuals and inter-weaving with Step Twelve.
Amidst the grassland: I thought about our country when it was young and expanding westward. The Great Plains, an immense grassland spreading as far as the eye could see, at times a challenge and full of obstacles, becoming some of the best and most productive farmlands in the world. Without the Great Plains, our country would not have grown and prospered as it did. Our ancestors had to pay attention while they worked their way through this land and learning what it had to offer.
Wheat, corn and other grains are grasses. No wonder these crops grew so well when their seeds were sown in the deep grassland soils. Bread, the staff of life. Just as we have “worked” the Steps and coming to Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps…” we begin to experience the benefits from all our work. The Steps have given us a new life.
Sings the skylark: My vision was a meadowlark, since the Great Plains is its home. The skylark is not native to the U.S. No matter what species of bird though, the message is in the singing. We tried to carry this message to alcoholics…this is our song.
Free and disengaged from all things comes when we practice Step 12. By finding freedom from the bondage of self, we can better help others. When I’m in the thick of helping another person, I’m disengaged from selfish thoughts. Yes, Step 12 is a song. It’s a song of attraction, a song of freedom, a song of optimism, a song of purpose, and a song of gratitude. Gratitude was flowing in my veins on this drizzly Friday evening with my friends – it was my birthday, 30 years now a member of this fellowship. Why does the skylark sing? Birds sing to make their presence known to other birds, to attract a mate, to produce, to extend the species one more generation. Step 12 is a song of duty. We must sing this message of recovery to others; the absolute survival of the fellowship depends upon our song.
Bill K.
P.S. When Dale H. heard this koan/verse, the first thing that came to his mind was the 1941 song, Skylark, with Helen Forrest singing with the Harry James orchestra. This, too, had a way of leaving me free and disengaged from all things…enjoy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPZmB_seJNU