The Black Song’s Flight
Lost in the heavens
yet finding the way back home
unfamiliar
Down to earth, start the grounding
land at the summit temple
Grease the doors. Open!
Enter, inflexible still
low tongue to high ears
Many years listen patient
to whistling, out of tune, false
High tongue to full ears
notes sharp and deafening loud
questioning value
Discomposed, precipitous
scampering back to silence!
The curious soul
while mocking the Black Song’s flight
inquires the pace
“My optimum quality”
the bird’s rueful rejoinder
The monk decides to
task the songbird to race far
return exhausted
A conventional wisdom
the conventual’s notion
Wingless, the Black Song
runs five zeniths and five vales
over grievous grounds
The return is bittersweet
vigor now very vanished
With blisters bleeding
she crawls back to the abbot
who demands candor
The inflexible broken
whole truth vacating the cracks
After reposing
ears now clear, featherbrain void
yet vim repossessed
Hurts cared, nevertheless hurt
serving as a reminder
Four masters sharing
with open hands, mouth and mind
tea, light, words and swords
Grateful Black Song flits to sky
now singing harmonious