Expository: Swimming

The answer,
The simple answer
To
Life, the universe and everything,

To me
It would have to be
Something that
Was not contingent upon anything,

It would need to be
Something that
Never changed,
Nor withered;

What could that be?
I don’t have to tell you
Because you already know it
And all you have to do is

Ask the question,
What is it
That is not contingent upon anything
And that remains unchanged?

You could say it’s change,
Or you could say the deathless
Or you could say reality,
It matters not what you call it,

What matters is
That you see it,
Clearly discern it
And this is the difficulty.

It’s so simple,
So obvious,
So ubiquitous,
The very water in which we swim
And that we are (whatever that is!)

Exposition: Purposeful Struggle

Storms
And reports
Of storms
But now snow accumulates
On the ground

And the aching
In my body
From this
Turbulent climate

Does not inspire
Nor enliven
The wandering,
Wondering mind

And yet,
I get on with it!
Performing
My daily tasks,

Occasionally gazing out
At the steel grey clouds
And the patches
Of sunlight in between,

The scanty rays
Light lantern-like,
Here and there
The tawny grass and rough pavement;

Then finally
Fatigue slows me,
Confusion sets in,
Not sure what’s next,

So many tasks
From which to choose
But instead I pause
To sit.

Explosion: Passionate Interest

My chest
Is aflame
With pain
And so, I think,

Existence is suffering,
Yes, it really is
And that’s no lie,
No make believe line

And yet,
The sky is still beautiful,
The white/blue puffy clouds
And the gaps in between,

Ah!
One could
Disappear
Into a sky like that!

One could
Disappear
And never
Come back!

How wondrous
Life is,
How gorgeous,
How fantastic!

Although it’s often painful,
So disappointing
And uninspiring,
It’s phenomena like these,

Along with the accompanying treasures,
That keeps us going
Even in
The teeth of atrocious inner
And/or outer weather.