Evanescent: Interlude

It is so pleasant
To have the leisure
To engage
In life’s simple pleasures,

A filling breakfast,
A cup of tea,
Watching the world scurry
To and fro outside my window,

Life is not so bad
When one has the time
To sit back and observe,
Even if so much of it is absurd,

Even if one’s budget
Is so small,
That one can barely
Go anywhere or do anything at all,

These precious moments
Arise and fall
And I don’t have to
Put up with the crowds at the mall,

To stay out of the stores
This year is my goal
But instead to enjoy
The quiet pleasures

Available to me,
Which I would wish
To be extended to all,
May all beings be happy,

May they be well,
May they be at peace,
May they be safe,
May they be comfortable.

Evanescence: Short Break

The elephant tirade continues
Until it resolves into
An orderly parade,
A disciplined promenade,

The elephants stop
Beside a lake
And take a drink,
Watching warily for predators

And so,
I sit once more,
Amidst this temporary lull
In whatever ails me,

Although it’s better
Not to consult the list,
Or I’ll start to feel sorry for myself
All over again,

Lonesome and depressed,
Wondering ponderously
Or wandering aimlessly,
Until something better occurs to me,

This pointless rumination
Must stop
And so, thinking of the elephants
I cheer up,

They really are
Such beautiful creatures,
So intelligent,
Gregarious and elegant,

So well formed
And marvelous,
A tribute to
Nature’s ingenuity.

Evaluating: Closer Examination

Fear, fear, fear,
Agitation and doubt,
What a bout
And what’s it about?

Could it be,
I feel so safe to feel
That I’m ready
To let these hungry ghosts out?

Out, out, ghosts,
Go feed elsewhere,
I’ve better things to do
Or so I tell myself,

For maybe that’s the trouble,
It’s all so mundane,
So repetitive,
What a strain!

And yet,
There is much good here,
My pain is under control,
It’s only my fear that’s rampaging,

Like five elephants tied to a pole,
The five hindrances tug and pull,
Until they rip it out of the ground
And stampede into the forest,

Dragging the pole with them
And finally it gets stuck
In between two trees,
Which they tear down,

In their fear and fury
They run amok,
Galloping across the meadow,
Finally fleeing even from their own shadows
As the night sets in.