I live with zen mastersfour of them
they teach the same lesson
day after day
and I marvel at the simplicity
the single-mindedness
of their message
lived, not spoken
how they abhor all possessions
relying on the largess of others
even in sickness
they give, they love
a light in their eyes
clear as running water
they've lived with me now
for more than ten years
preaching not of tongue
but of eye
never becoming impatient
with the lesson not learned
they teach it again
and again, and again
as if teaching it
for the very first time
others call them Yorkies
I called them Love
embodied in silky hair
walking on four legs
with tails that wiggle
joy
4 comments:
Oh! How apt this description of dogs is! They do live in Zen! They are the beings, not the becoming...
Mona, again, you've said it perfectly. :-)
I fell for your dogs long ago through your words and photographs and if I had to pinpoint the exact moment I was done for, it would be when you described what it was like to come home to them after having been away for a while. :-) This poem, expertly written, beautifully expressed - let's get those irrefutable facts out of the way first - communicates even more about you than it does them in your understanding and regard, in your estimation of them as (love this->) Zen masters, as inexhaustible, joyful teachers. Constant reminders. I love the motion of this poem, in statements, each confirming, an addition to the pleasant, heartfelt, warming and sage insights that preceded. The title in itself like a mantra, a truth by which to live. Delightful post.
Sunshine, that they are. Thank you. Travel safe. Eat curry. And have a pint or two for me--something creamy.
Post a Comment