No Difference

The solitude of a city is not unlike that of a forest.
When you arrive alone, you remain alone with your thoughts,
And no one dares to bother you or even make eye contact
For fear that you might pull a gun on them.
Lonely people in a lamp lit city
And lonely people in a moon lit forest are still
Lonely people.
There’s no difference.

The peace of a city is not unlike that of a forest.
It’s a kind of peace that comes with the flow of traffic
As it is guided by green, yellow, and red,
Like the flow of a river or stream is guided by rocks and roots.
Moving cars in a rush hour city
And moving water in a rushing river are both
Deadly if you walk unprepared into the middle of them.
There’s no difference.

Living in a city is not unlike living in a forest.
Living is a game of survival of the fittest,
The wealthiest, the strongest, and the healthiest.
They win the game. Yet with no roof and no bed
The homeless drunk on the street corner
And the wandering white tailed deer under the apple tree --
Both survive.
There’s no difference.

Falling in love with a city is not unlike falling in love with a forest.
When you fall in love with a place, you leave your heart there,
And heartless people are everywhere.
So remember your heart and the place that you love,
Because when you’re in the midst of a concrete, sky-scraping city,
Or when you’re in the shade of a moss-covered path in the forest,
You’re still you.
There’s no difference.