The reed is soft and
tender
A brittle stick, hard
and stiff
Plants and animals, in
life, are supple and succulent
In death, withered and
dry
So softness and tenderness
are attributes of life
And hardness and
stiffness, attributes of death
Just as a sapless tree
will split and decay
And fall to the ground
in time
An inflexible force will
meet defeat
The hard and mighty lie
beneath the ground
While the tender and
weak dance on the breeze above
Bend but do not break
This is the sign of life
and wisdom
The stick that is dry
and brittle snaps easily
It has no life left in
it
Instead, remain flexible
and ready to adapt to change
