Sparrow
Today
at work I noticed
A
sparrow lying on the sidewalk
In
front of the door.
He
had flown into the glass,
And
I assumed, broke his
Neck
in the process.
I
procured a plastic bag from
The
customer service desk and
Everyone
gathered to gawk
As
I picked up this small
Unfortunate
creature. As I moved
To
place him in the trash can I
Noticed
the warmth, and a faintly
Beating
tiny heart, emanating from
Within
the shopping bag.
He
was still alive.
As
I peeled the bag back
The
little bird’s glossy black
Eyes
gazed out at me.
I
could see pain in them.
I
felt sorrow in my heart, he
Was
meant for so much more than this,
Meant
to soar in a world that constantly
Placed
panes of glass in his way.
I
could empathize with his plight.
“should
we put him out of his misery?”
Asked
one of the girls from customer service.
“Probably”
another shot back, “it
Would
be cruel to let him suffer.”
“well
who is going to do it”? asked
The
MOD.
Everyone
took a step back from me,
I
stood holding the bird as everyone eyed me
With
a nervous apprehension. This poor hurt
Little
bird. I knew then that no one else would
Do
it. No one else had the courage.
I
hate myself for doing it, but he
Was
hurt and dying. I felt it would
Be
crueler to leave him to die of exposure,
Wrapped
in a plastic bag and stuffed in a
Trash
can.
I
took him by his legs, and before I lost my nerve
Swung
his head into the side of the trash can, snap.
He
didn’t let out a sound. My co workers though still
Regarded
me with horror, as I gently wrapped him again
In
his polyethylene sarcophagus and committed him to
The
great beyond. Whatever would greet him there.
Everyone
slowly filed back inside, without saying
A
single word to me. I took a step away and lit a
Cigarette.
I
am sorry brother no one else would give
You
the dignity you deserved in death. You were meant to
Soar
but the world insisted on putting things in your
Way
at every turn, plate glass, wind turbines, etc.
Stupid
shit at every turn, if you were not a bird but a
Man
you might look a lot like me.
It
had to be me to ease your passing
But
I wish to god it hadn’t been.
Travel
well, if there is any justice at all
In
this life or the next I will see you
Another
happier day in paradise.
Untitled
The
sword cuts easily
The
liquor enfeebles entirely
The
boots leave muddy footprints
The
body fails
The
bullet flies true
The
pill and powder deceive
The
trousers wear at the crease and cuff
The
trousers wear you
The
will conquers all
The
vehicle gives way to impact
The
nose bleeds freely
The
life dissolves
The
sails fill with wind
The
fibers strain to breaking
The
joints move as intended
The
third mate has gone mad
The
stock boy carries the cases
The
psyche struggles to comprehend
The
form goes through the motions
The
world crushes all that is good.
Liberation
for Lions
He
paces furtively, the shaggy
Lion
trapped within a box.
The
box is his trap and his
Sustenance
both at once.
Trapped
he remains
on
this wheel that turns forever.
The
lion turns to the master
Ever
present in his mind and
Asks
“what is the way to liberation?”
The
master replies “it is the cypress in
The
courtyard.” Unsatisfied the lion
Shakes
his shaggy head and this time
Roars
“what is the way to liberation?”
“it
is the flight of the heron high
Overhead”
replies the master serenely.
The
lion grows agitated within the
Box,
confined, angry. Ill at ease with the
Perceived
limitations of his life.
He
bellows once again at the master
“what
is the way to liberation?”
The
master replies “Now I will show you, not tell you. The
Path
to liberation lies within. Only if you cease grasping for
Freedom
can you attain it. Attempting to grasp the mind with
The
mind is the perpetuation of your bondage. If you seek freedom,
Cease
seeking freedom. Only with the cessation of mind will you be free.
Only
with the cessation of mind will you see that you are free this very moment.”
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