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September 4, 2021

Don't Call It Zen



tell myself I know exactly what I’m doing
even if I don’t--- stumbling around the mountainside of wisdom

finding a few nuggets here and there

looking under rocks and finding worms

in crystal streams with darting fish

it always is unless it isn’t

when you start rebelling against your own thoughts

you know you’re in trouble

just because you call it zen don’t make it zen

go away with your corporate pre-packaged zen 

zen this zen that

your fancy robes and your ‘line-e-age’

your fancy title and fancy ways don’t hold no fancy with me

your earnestness grows tiresome my friend 

sure, you might know all the words and ceremonies

but I’ve sat in temples and sat in rec centers

with emotionless motionless slabs of concrete 

woman in polka dot pajama bottoms munching on a bagel

sitters with steaming hot cups of coffee in front of them

there for the sipping and the dipping of their donuts

glazed, bismarck, plain, long johns

was one better than the other? who can really say?

you can listen to raindrops but unless

you know what the raindrops are saying you’re wasting time

there’s nothing to be gained

and everything that should be lost

good enough isn’t good enough unless it’s good enough