Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva,
Montreux, Switzerland

Blessings for the New Year

Byron's "Prisoner of Chillon"
reminds me of Richard Lovelace
"To Althea: From Prison" (1642)—

Stone walls do not a prison make,
    Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
    That for an hermitage;

If I have freedom in my love,
    And in my soul am free,
Angels alone that soar above
    Enjoy such liberty.

Listen to poet William Blake
that we're asleep & not awake,
our body locked up in a cage
not living the mind of a sage.

Spiritual grounding let us soar
that less & less is more & more.
Glamour is not hair, face, or skin
for true beauty resides within.

Secret of joy is in giving
our loving kindness in living.
Gaze as far as our eyes can see
beyond stars to infinity.

Leonardo pilots a spaceship
venture on a perilous trip—
Newton, Maxwell, Einstein appear,
Bach, Beethoven, Brahms also here.

We have joined Warriors of Light,
the evil forces we must fight,
erase ignorance and falsehood
with beauty, truth, what is good.

More than a lifetime to be done,
Bodhisattvas return to the One.
Let us follow the clarion call—
The One is everything and all.

Delve into trees, flowers, & birds
for the sacred song that's unheard—
this is the treasure we will share
in the New Year with blissful prayer.

— Peter Y. Chou
    Mountain View, 1-1-2022




Greece 316
Gordon Lord Byron
(issued 4-16-1924)


Richard Lovelace
(1618-1657)


Romania 1220
William Blake
(issued 5-31-1958)


Poland B73
Leonardo da Vinci
(issued 6-1-1952)


U.S. 1285
Albert Einstein
(issued 3-14-1966)


U.S. 1998
Cardinal & Dogwood
(issued 4-14-1982)