Oneness (Thay's Poem)

The moment I die,

I will try to come back to you

as quickly as possible.

I promise it will not take long.

Isn’t it true

I am already with you,

as I die each moment?

I come back to you

in every moment.

Just look,

feel my presence.

If you want to cry,

please cry.

And know

that I will cry with you.

The tears you shed

will heal us both.

Your tears are mine.

The earth I tread this morning

transcends history.

Spring and Winter are both present in the moment.

The young leaf and the dead leaf are really one.

My feet touch deathlessness,

and my feet are yours.

Walk with me now.

Let us enter the dimension of oneness

and see the cherry tree blossom in Winter.

Why should we talk about death?

I don’t need to die

to be back with you.

Published in Thich Nhat Hanh, Call Me by My True Names (1993)