Beethoven's Autograph from March 21, 1824 letter Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, San Jose

The Letter B: Beautiful Blessings Before the beginning all was black— BOOM the Big Bang— burning brilliant blaze of light— this universe was born from four elephants standing on the back of a giant tortoise. That ancient belief replaced by physics of a bare bubble starting it all. From blank to blank bees buzzed beyond the dip of bell— Moses attentive by the Burning Bush, Buddha pensive under the Bodhi-Tree, I am with Brahman and Beethoven— Bach's an ocean and not a tiny brook. The boys of summer played baseball in Brooklyn's backyard while blue jays ate berries under blue skies by the bay, butterflies waltzed and rested on a beam, the best ballet dancer learned balance on earth before leaping into the breeze. Genesis begins with the letter B— Bereshith as in baby and birth. Beth, boundless bowl of being brings sunset in a cup and breadths of blue— the babe drinking at mother's breast blossoming with beauty and blessings.                 Peter Y. Chou                 Mountain View, 3-9-2011