With my thoughts far ahead to memorial day at the Sanctuary, I came across in a book of mathematical logic by Lewis Carroll a mention of donkeys! Now, what poetry came out of these seemingly disparate thoughts I can only hope you enjoy. It was written while I was sublimely in a state of re-enchantment with the writings of Lewis Carroll. This poem is dedicated to Gwalior.
When Circles Are Candles
On the roof of the world
A luminescent path
I saw a circle of Donkeys
As abstract as math.
They admire and examine thoroughly
All that they see
And remain quite a puzzle themselves,
To some that they meet.
"Talk to me!" I exclaimed,"Dear Donkey,
With answers complete,
Why do you bravely follow Man
Who is so incomplete?"
They all turned incredulous eyes toward me
And one slowly began to speak,
With a pondering sing song of solemn glee;
"Because I am a mirror
And my heart's planted deep
Deep in the quiet wisdom of strife
I ground my - self in my center
My moment of life.
I reach into and inside you
And its hard to believe
The circle that's reflected
As I do what you please.
You look deep in my eyes
Hoping to see mirrored there
A life's that's not hollow,
But all you sometimes learn from me is that
Donkeys are not easy to swallow.
I do not achieve too little or too much
To maintain the stillness at my center,
I love a symbolic love
Without fatigue or pressure.
It takes a lot of time
To be a Donkey
So light a candle to my life,
It takes time to care daily
For my - self and my logic
I am a quiet presence
Quietly being present to my life.
I will live with you - and love
You and I
As if the candle is lighted,
Only being stubborn when
It's time to die."