Sipping water drop by drop, The elixir of life will never stop. – A river swells by heavy rain, A flood brings many a pain.   Inhaling, exhaling the air day by day, Oxygen filling one’s lungs all the way. – Hearing heavy winds howling, Protected from falling trees by housing.   From caveman’s fire to our barbecue, Never having raw food to chew. – Firemen rushing like diligent ants, At the scene of the fire in fireproof pants.   The soil feeding us for thousands of years, Early sprouts chasing away winter fears. – A landslide’s menacing roaring, Too late to...

In the old days people used to be afraid in winter that plants will not sprout in spring, so they put up various evergreen plants like spruce, fir or holly in hope they can preserve plant life like that. I am talking about ancient pagan rituals which through Christianity developed to Christmas festivities the way we know them today. Nowadays we do not have fears like that. We take spring for granted. We do not see it as a miracle anymore. Science provides reasonable explanations for the spring phenomenon. And yet, when I saw the first leaves in the forest this spring, when I touched the tender light...