A POET DOES SOMETHING GREAT WITH HIS LIFE

The poet hovers over folks

whispering words on fire

to remind them they’re alive.

Flowers unfurl, birds sing,

masked Harlequins pirouette.

To eliminate the elixir of fear,

the poet asks God to focus his eye

on the art of living as revealed

in the 3 treasures of the Tao Te Ching:

Compassion, moderation,

and not rashly taking the lead.

There’s no greater catastrophe

than the lust for gain.

Nothing is as weak and gentle as water,

but nothing exceeds at conquering the hard

and the strong.

Avoid the arrogant.

One who rules like a Mother lasts longer.

Protect the people from envy and ambition.

Empty the mind, but strengthen the bones.

Blunt the sharp, but loosen the knots.

Dim the glare, but follow old tracks.

Much speaking leads in the end to silence.

Better to hold fast to the void.

True words are rarely elaborate.

If the poet had done one great thing with his life

it would have been as they say in the old world,

dayenu.