THE MAP AND THE THING ITSELF

We stand before Your Picture
in the DON’T WORRY—BE HAPPY poster
saying our evening prayers
as we’ve begun to do since it brought
such a glow last week.

I try to give each word
to You as a gift
but in gross consciousness
there’s always a witness
observing the speaker or actor.

That witness in me is
amazed at what he hears
and at the same time realizes
he doesn’t have the slightest idea
what it really means.
Even non-dual remains a concept.

When we get down to
“You are the Soul of souls,
the one with infinite attributes”
the words are uplifting
yet not an actual experience
of lamp, table, ceiling, walls, etc
and me as One Being.

If You’re pleased
by our recitations, though,
that’s enough reason to continue

and there’s always a chance
that this time You’ll show us something—
or even make us Everything.
***
poem by m.r. 12/11/23
photo by m.r.