THE LAST LOTUS
Unable to reach for the lotus throne any longer
I wake from my meditation to see I am ringed by fire.
I wonder how much life has been consumed
to bring this fire to me while I was
deeply touching the cool universe
A prefect circle of flame consumes more life still
as it draws nearer to my soul,
my body feels the heat without concern.
Slowly the flame circles me, touches me,
crawls up my skin.
I feel the pain within the licking fire of all it has squandered
I feel the pain within the licking fire of all it has squandered
before it chars my mortal flesh, burns my breath as I inhale.
Wick like I burn from the outside in; without smell
my skull bares itself and I rise in my karma to see
from where the fire has come.
from where the fire has come.
I see the earth fully blistered,
a deeply scorched wasteland
I understand that the flame
brought its ring of death
to me last of all.
My punishment is fair and true.
to me last of all.
My punishment is fair and true.
I am left with my sight dying
to see the end of all that was adored by me
destroyed by me and my indifference
to all but my own growth.
Smoke am I now, looking down on ash.
No breeze to move me away from this sight
of my love gone away before me.
I have lived my life, eyes closed believing
that harmony ruled all as it once did my spirit.
I rose from
my past enlightenment.
I am now.
I see now.
Before my birth I began the fire that consumed my mortal
world.
I am now nothing
but
the smoke of life
wasted.
© M Durfee
© M Durfee
7.14.2014
so that is where you have been...meditating...
ReplyDeletewell, i think you have showed a lot less indifference than most actually..but it is our careless-ness that will burn the world...and i think most all of us can take part in that blame....
Very nice piece, man. Your lyricism showing through here.
ReplyDeleteYour words, your life, are the farthest thing from wasted, dear!
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= <3
You are much like me ... i too studied and studied and still study ... you with me, my lovely detroit man? Attachment is the root of all evil ... i know that if i'm not attached to anything, i am dead ... but still even then my physical remains will stay attached to this earth in some shape or form ...
ReplyDeleteSo many wasted lives, lives doing nothing, producing nothing, contributing nothing! Great to hear your fine words again!
ReplyDeleteThere is a fire that burns and one that cleanses for a new life ~ If all we do is just light and burn away, then one day we will be consumed as well ~ Happy week Mark ~
ReplyDeleteI dig it, man ~! This triggers a memory of another Buddhist dude, Jim Sanford, in Tar Heel Land, his doing demos with candles ~ where does the flame go once put out? And, where does the flame come from before it's lit? Pretty cool demo, I thought. Ashes, fuel, light . . . moksha, nirvana. repeat
ReplyDeleteMark, I seem to meditate most successfully on the boat. It is my tree house. Clearing my mind is much easier now that I am no longer actively working in my career. Yet, I am still bombarded with stuff. Going off the grid fully seems to be getting harder and harder these days. Yet, that is where peacefulness lies.
ReplyDeleteYou, and Johnny Cash, and the Carter Family.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't think you own an Appalachian dulcimer. :)
Mark, meditation can be an escape or open more doors of thought. What you think of just amazes me. You draw conclusion where I would never be able to! xo
ReplyDelete