In Plato’s cave
I jump for answers too quickly,
forgetting the terrain,
hypnotized by the horizon

I wield Padmasambhava’s vajra too freely,
neglecting the nourishment
of his bowl of herbs

Let go of the vajra
let faith and body guide me
across rugged ground

Drop into experience;
relish the shadow performance
reflecting the ecstatic light;
dancing thespians,
sensuous play

Swamps and bogs are to be toiled through,
foothills navigated,
before the arduous climb begins

Lean into the story,

its ups and downs, its loops and u-turns
a grassroots uprising
The abstractions will take care of themselves

And gradually, at last, the mountain top!
an illumination!
the Idea!
a unity of feeling and thought,
sun parting the clouds,
seeing with being,
a crystal ship in the night sky

During the descent,
all ends are tied up
and knowledge is logged
in the nervous system

The cave darkens once more;
new questions emerge