The poet looked at you 
And scribbled down some words
He batted up some rhymes
A base hit down the middle
—
I looked into the lions mouth 
Are all my eggheads going south?
Pirates in water are sharks when on land 
When dinosaurs walked the earth –
I ran 
—
Tigers don't growl much
Except when they're bored
Or unless attempting to tackle 
The jungle lord 
Whose face tigers never see
But who still hands out their stripes 
Judiciously 

To begrudgingly give 
is not to give 
but to steal 
a little thunder 
from the process itself 
Give in joy, 
Or wait. 

Behold 
In that this matter 
Does bend my mind 
Like a joint
I have ceased
In being a man
And have instead
Become a point.

All of our earthly pains, 
even the self inflicted ones 
Are still to Heaven but growing pains
Be of good cheer 
Your joy is very near!

COPYRIGHT SANANDA MAITREYA, 
MILANO 6 JANUARY 2003