I dedicate this to the
writers and the readers
of
  the bible
  the koran
  the new testament
  the vedas
  the book of the dead by Anis

There is much that is
              confusing
              commending violence
              commending hatred

  Commend thy actions only to Peace

                 and
                  to
          The author Lao Tse

(May mystery always form a part of our being)



C O N T E N T S


The Land of My Youth

THe City of Gold

The Forest of Life

THe Silent Sea

The Desert

The Stars



The Land of
My
Youth


Oh joyious ignorance



I  was  born  of  Hope
With only longing and happiness
  in my heart.

I knew not of hatred of any
       predjudice

All were the same to me
All were friends, or family.
All were

Now only in memory and
   foggy things the joys
   of the simple dwell.

   Of swings, and mud puddles
       and surprise too.



We play in an empty place

There is cut-stubble grass
  which hurts my feet.

There is broken glass which
    catches the sun's light
    and glitters it back out
    again reflecting everwhere
    it touches.

There are logs along the banks
   of a pond

There are frogs and flowers
    and wonders to
        behold.



I go to school and learn
    many things about our
    world.  They are woundrous
  to imagine.

Our world is but one
   among many vast
      numbers.



There are many people.
And each wants somthing.
And some do not want
  others to have something.

There is not enough of
  this something.

There will be war.



Poom, poom, poom !

  go the drums of war.

I watch the soldiers march
     down the street
 and wave my flag and
 wave my hand as well.

There is a noise.

And then there is nothing.

It is a dream,

   isn't it?



I study mathematics,
   the most dangerious
   of all sciences.

With mathematics you can
   build war machines
or toys for children.

Adults demand many things,

  But most of all they
      demand
      seriousness.



  The War is over
  at last.   And life
  returns to its old

  ways.

  And yet....



  THere is music -- it is
  a festival.

  Children sing and dance
  and play in the sun
  light.  All is happy
       again.



As I grew up, I
realized that I was
now an adult.

And that I should
   see the world.

And put such
  childish thoughts
  from my mind.


This I was taught.



As I leave I notice that many
of the children that I have grown
up with have forgotten much.

They are adults but many still
act as children.

  They do not share, they
hate and fight and complain.

  Others are happy and carefree
and the other adults laugh and
call them foolish.

I will remain a fool and not let
  sorrow and hate control

       me.


The
City of
Gold

Oh!  What wonders



I entered with such
happiness and expectations:
Such treasures abound.

There are so many,
  so much,

  the city over flows
  with existance.



  There are many things
to have.  To buy, to
be bought.

I work.
I do work.
I have many monies.

I buy.
I shop.
I enjoy.

    I am.



  The people come to
      and fro.

They are all ways
   moving  To  this way
  and  From  that.

Never standing still.

   They ever have
 things to do and
   places  they must
         be.

And yet they never speak.



  I see a park.

It is lovely and has a pond.

  I remember the pond
        of my youth.

  There are ducks, but they
    do not know me.

  The park goes quiet
     and dark and
          cold.



  I met a man.  He was
once a soldier.  He fought
an aevil war.  He is old.  He is
alone.  He always is happy to
see me. There are stoires
that he tells.  He knows much.

He lives now with his son
and I no longer see him.

Or hear his stories.

I think that he
  is perhaps happier now.



  There are roads.

Along its paths the people
  hurry about their business.
Never stopping.

Guards make sure that
  no one stops, or
  slows, or speaks.

Lo! Any that slow or stop
are lead away from the road.

   The King commands it
        to be so.



I went to wash my clothes.

While there I noticed a man
who was singing.

At first I was quite
irritated. Why could he
not be quiet like everyone
else.

But then I began to listen
to his ong -- in a language
that I did not understand.

It was sad, but sometimes happy.

that was how much the city
had taken control of me:

To be angry by a man singing.



  The people here are
  such empty shells.

Many cry because they are
  hungry.

The people do not hear it.

They are alone, empty shells,
  moving to and fro so that
  they will not hear the
  sounds of their own
  cries of sorrow.

The city is a city of cold.



  A man came to the city
  to protect it.  He told
  of a new way of being. he
  told many of their own
  sorrows.  He listened and said
  of what little wisdom he had things
  to help.

  The Guards took him
  away.  Many wondered if the
  man was a saviour -- he was
  not but just a man. And
  still the Guards took him away.

  The King commands it
       to be so.



  I leave the city of gold.
  For I know tht one day
  the Guards would come
for me.  I do not wish
their king ill will -- but I
think that he demands too
much.  And that he is too
serious for me to know.



The Forest
of
Life

Oh, animal that we are!



I found a place near a
  forest and work to
  pay its owner.

I built a small house
  and have books and music
  and movies to entertain.

And yet I too am lonely.


Perhaps meditation will help.



I met soemone with whom
  I could be happy.

But, they only laughted at
  me.

I am alone, but perhaps
  better off.

Animals come out of the
  forest to drink
  from the pond.

They seem happy too.



  I realize too that my
  own lonliness betrays any
  happinesss that I might have.

  I dream of the person that
  I liek.  I fancy that we
  live in happiness and yet I
  know that I might lose
  myself to them.

    And be hurt.



  I took it upon myself
to explore the forest.

I became lost.

And lost track of time.

I became wild.

I was sick.

And then well again.

I have lost myself
   to the forest.



  When became again.
  Myself.

And I found myself
on a familiar path.

When I returned to
my hut, all was
I left it.

Had I been gone for days?
  Or perhaps years?

Everyone that I met
   seemed strange to me.

But, it was I who had changed.



The person who had laughed
at me now found me
attractive.

And yet I was quite
indifferent to them or
anyone else.

I care only for the sounds
of the forest,
  and for my own thoughts.

I have found solace in
    my aloneness.



  I fell asleep and
dreamed a strange dream.

Of many people,
   going to and fro

-- it was the city of gold.

And I awoke and knew what would
make them
happy.

I must return and tell
them of my dream.



I entered the city,
and many people gathered
around to look at my
wild appearance.

I told them of the dream
and of the many ways I
had learned.

The Guards came and took
  me from the city.

The King commnds it
     to be so.



I returned to the
forest and sought the
one who had laughed at
me.  We talked for a
long time and stayed
with each other but at last they
were taken from me by
cruel death.

I am alone; again.



The Silent

Sea

Oh! Questions that can
not be
answered.



  I sit by the edge and
watch the water come
in and then go out.

And ask:  Why?

There is no answer.

But.

The waters may go out.

But.

Thy always come back in.



When I swim in the sea,
I see another world still,
  cold, quiet, and deep.

The fish feed me.

I live and swim, and sit
   upon the shore.

I sometimes dispair.

I am sometimes happy with
  wild abandon and
  dance upon the wet
    sands of
    the     shore.

 I seem to be content.



  I have built a hut
    up from the shore.

  I watch the sea
    and sometimes see people
    walking along its quiet shore.

  Children play gayly and run
  back and forth into the
  sea and then back out
  again.


  I think I understand.



The

Stars

Oh! Dark speckled
night of a
faith we once
thought lost!



  As I lay dieing
  I see the stars
  above my bed.

  And at last I understand

           why



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