A man was sitting in his house one day, head in his hands. Restless, he got up, locked his home, and walked down the hill, for a breath of fresh air.
At the bottom of the hill, he stopped and sat down, knees to chest, beside a pond. The water rippled lightly as the breeze moved across its surface. He heaved a heavy sigh, as he stared across the body of water. His gaze fixated on a mallard duck as it lazed in the sun on a warm yet comfortable day. No longer at ease in its solitude, the duck quickly moved to the water’s edge. Its webbed feet kicked up the wet dirt as it pecked at the ground for some food to satisfy its empty stomach.
The man, confused, stood up, and grabbed a small rock, flinging it into the water. To his surprise, it skipped three times before sinking below the surface. Mysteries, he thought. Why is everything so hard to figure out? I need answers, and now. He closed his eyes. God, tell me what I need to know.
Just as he considered the thought and prayer, the duck walked up to his feet and glanced at the man with his black, beady eyes. Unimpressed, he walked back into the water, wading for a moment before venturing to the center of the pond, furiously paddling all the way.
Sitting beside the pond once again, the man took out a small notepad and a pen from his light jacket, quickly jotting down a poem:
The duck wades, swims with little concern
to the center of the still, blue pond
it stops, content, on the deepest of depths
in the place where he’s formed a bond
He cannot see what is underneath,
yet exudes a demeanor of peace
Though the bottom could be well out of his reach
on the surface, he’s completely at ease
If only I could have a mind of a bird,
free to live just as I wish
and be utterly still amidst the concern
of being disturbed by his fears… or a fish
Yet there he is, content as can be
though mysteries abound in his mind
neither depth nor animal, friend or foe,
could detract from the calm he would find
No matter how deep the unknown becomes,
I desire that perfect peace
where God devised a plan that is wise
and my questions would flirt with my ease
Though I think, and analyze, without end
I’ll discover what I need to know
As the duck in the pond can rest comfortably, despite
not knowing what lies below
I guess I have my answer, then, he thought to himself.
He folded his notepad closed, clicked his pen, and slowly walked back up the hill.
***