Where Will His Search Lead Him
Prose poem
For what is the young man searching In such an intense and serious way Why does he just sit gazing out the window day after day Staring as if something momentous is approaching Rather than starting on his quest If indeed that is for what he is preparing Looking for a sign perhaps Or awaiting a companion Is meditation part of his preparation Will reflection give him a sense of direction
Questions keep surfacing Will he provide answers to some of them Or counter with more questions His method seems to involve an interior examination A pursuit of self-knowledge Could it be so simple To this observer he appears closer to paralysis Than active discernment Probably too harsh a judgment on so little evidence
Finally he is moving Coming out after a long interlude Walking into the heart of the city Carrying nothing that can be seen with my eyes Greeting all he sees along the way with a smile and good wishes
Next he stops to buy food Distributing it to the homeless in their cardboard shelters Purchases candy bars and hands them out to all those he encounters People are quizzical Wondering what the gimmick is Yet accept the offerings with a smile
Then he buys a clown costume Goes to a family shelter and entertains the children there Visits street corners and similarly performs For the young people aimlessly hanging out there They are skeptical Some mock him at first But something about the young man Gradually commands their respect
He is doing some good but to what end No lasting change is effected Is personal redemption his goal Forgiveness for past transgressions Developing material for a blog There has to be a reason for his actions Everyone has an angle in our society
The young man is approached Is asked directly what he is about He laughs Not at the inquisitor Rather a sound that could only emanate from sheer joy “There is no ultimate design to what I have chosen to do I’m simply trying to be fully alive Conscious of my connection to all of creation Allowing my true self to guide my every action Being present in every moment And serving people is the best way I know To accomplish all this”
I walk away Realizing once again How little I know How lost I have been Determined to be more myself from this moment on