I'd say that the middle stanza is closer: that's the place where the poem ranges unexpectedly into a different realm.

You may do this, I tell you, it is permitted. Begin again the story of your life.

The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider.

Zen pretty much comes down to three things -- everything changes; everything is connected; pay attention.

How fragile we are, between the few good moments.

Habit, laziness, and fear conspire to keep us comfortably within the familiar.

How silently the heart pivots on its hinge.

Existence itself is nothing if not an amazement. Good poems restore amazement.

Something looks back from the trees, and knows me for who I am.

In sorrow, pretend to be fearless. In happiness, tremble.

You must try, the voice said, to become colder. I understood at once. It's like the bodies of gods: cast in bronze, braced in stone. Only something heartless could bear the full weight.

Most often a country is poor when its educational system is poor and individuals do not strive to become educated.

To find a happy ending with someone else, first you have to find it alone.

Day by day, be content with whatever you have and satisfied with whatever happens. Everything else will then fall naturally into place.

Freedom of speech is one of the greatest American liberties, and I hope this pardon serves as a reminder of the precious freedoms we are fighting to preserve as we continue to wage the war on terror.

The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.

History will never accept difficulties as an excuse.

Wake up in the morning with a specific goal to look forward to.

Jesus isn’t surprised by anything you’re going through - He’s actually WITH you!

All the while, believe me, I prayed our night would last twice as long.

When I first broke into the acting industry, I taught spinning classes to support myself.