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By Mankh (Walter E. Harris III)
Axis of Logic
Thursday, May 29, 2014
The Gateless Gated Community
The great path has no gates,
Thousands of roads enter it.
When one passes through this gateless gate
He walks freely between heaven and earth.
- Mu-mon
They are guarding the ports,
have built infrastructure to grab the resources and export
while the locals, farmers, Aboriginal Peoples go wanting.
They are guarding, too, the gates of the entry to this world —
micro-managing spirits
by branding the new-born with sin, corporate name-tags
and false doctrine, false history,
make-believe mythologies of hero worship and outright lies
propped up by a God devoid of warmth and friendliness.
They are guarding the roads,
have built tollbooths and checkpoints
mired in paperwork, loopholes, and surcharges,
the bureaucrats peddling the grabbed and gated resources
from cradle to grave.
They are guarding, too,
the entry back to the spirit world
with their fears and greeds and disconnects
from the Timeless Now,
marking time with punched clocks,
force-feeding prisoners,
labeling as commodities living-beings
— trees and honey and water —
while spending big money to un-label
their mad-scientist modified foods.
They have cut the umbilical chord of song
to the spirit and earth energies,
the mother’s lullaby,
the wind making the leaves talk.
They have blared their noises
and shone electric lights
into the eyes of the questioned.
Over their own faces they wave money like a seductive fan
thinking they have all the answers
but never ask the big questions,
these lords of disconnect and of the flies.
As human beings
we must all be whistle-blowers
on our own weaknesses and faults.
Yet, some seem deaf!
. . . between “yes” and “no”
is another answer
two dice give one number
the real ports permit the free-flow of energy sources,
the real earth yields nourishment unsparingly,
the real water-ways cannot be full or empty
because they are ever-flowing
the gateless gated community
has no membership yet is open
to all who relinquish the notions
of separateness and supremacy . . .
Note: The inspiration for the title comes from “The Gateless Gate”-- a collection of Zen writings from the 13th century -- by Ekai, called Mu-mon, translated by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki. You can read it in the book “Zen Flesh, Zen Bones” or online here.
Mankh (Walter E. Harris III) is an essayist and resident poet on Axis of Logic. In addition to his work as a writer, he is a small press publisher and Turtle Islander. His new book is “On Behalf of Those Who Speak Different Languages.” He also hosts an audio show "Between the Lines: listening to literature online." You can contact him via his literary website.
READ MORE POETRY AND ESSAYS BY MANKH ON AXIS OF LOGIC
© Copyright 2014 by AxisofLogic.com
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