page 101

"Grandfather, which wolf wins?"

"The one you feed,"
decreed the Cherokee to his boy.

i asked myself then,

of the two wolves,
who is it that hungers more?

      the bad wolf will always
      be more hungry.

     the good wolf,
     out of his goodness,

     allows the bad wolf
     to feed more if given the chance.

     the good wolf hopes,
     at the ledge of death from starvation,

     the bad wolf will see his suffering
     and offer some of his food.

     in the exchange of sharing
     and compassion,

     the bad wolf will then realize
     he was never bad;

     he, too, was always good.

:::

a paper receipt is a forgettable object

to the adult.

as recently observed,

it has become a white, crumpled flag of joy

to the infant.

:::

to the person who smiles

at the witnessed embrace of strangers,

Congratulations!

you have just recognized

your humanity.

:::

if there is a day

when love is sought purely for its connection,
forgiven for its moments of disconnectedness,
and daily celebrated for the maintenance of its keeping,

each soul will reveal itself
as a pearl of peace.

:::

love is constantly

attempting to achieve a state of perfect equilibrium;

in a moment of great mimicry

love may be to the likeness of the smell of rain;

dispelling the previous state of stale air,

it will spread and walk under the nose

of all whom encounter its space.

     pleasant fragrances are usually inhaled voluntarily,

     correct?

     And involuntarily.

:::

in the gallery,

i admired You predominantly

with my eyes

and most dominantly 

with my heart.

so much so,

i looked for three seconds

and walked onward---

ever fortunate for three lifetimes.

~

Please do not touch the artwork. Thank you.

~

hmm. no need for that sign.

distance dignifies authenticity.

:::

to you,

if what i have learned from you

made you uncomfortable to hear it,

i apologize.

your sympathy and pity do not anger me

nor do they relegate the knowledge i have acquired.

i, however, do not apologize

for having met you.

and there is no reason to, ever, in this lifetime.

i have been burned

and stand now as a humble and grateful

pile of ashes.

thank you.