Dancing: Taming Mind-Cats

Carrying on
The recurring theme
Sitting mindfully,
And letting go of clinging,

Very effective for taming
Disturbing emotions,
Which roar like lions
And snap and claw fiercely,

For upon the application
Of the simple formula
Of naming these big cats,
And recognizing them as not belonging to me,

Their thundering growls
Dissolve like melting marshmallows
In a cup of hot chocolate,
And they depart, purring like kittens,

But soon new ferocious visitors arise
And more labeling follows,
The letting go is repeated,
The menagerie gradually defeated;

Thoughts, feelings, sensations,
Flow softly then,
From the lion’s den,
Which is quiet again,

The cats have et their fill,
And are sleeping now,
At peace for a time
Until the bell chimes,

Waking the resting mind,
To rise up once again,
But even then met only with the gentle refrain,
‘Not me, not mine.’