beige hair beige skin beige
clothes pants shirt and tie
one of the quiet risk-averse
who activate a wild desire
to prod them toward adventure
a jumpstart of emotional intensity
might be just the thing –
then again it might be
better just to leave well
enough alone and wave goodbye

handsome manly upright academic
and a Christian at first because
of his birth and then because of His –
(incarnation being compelling) –
he left the college for
the institute, next stop
the monastery? probably not,
there’s a certain point beyond which
learned men can’t step, regardless
of their capacity for surprise

teacher of 9th grade religion
in the manner of Beelzebub
(fallen angel who served Satan),
the class held hostage every
day by the Inquisitor, answers
must be regurgitated “Verbatim”
on his tests – hindsight tells me
his red face, bleary eyes, shaky
hands, slow deliberate speech
were signs of private demons

who are you? are you
your employment status,
businesswoman or retired?
your marital status, long
divorced, but dating? are you
your smooth face, gleaming hairdo?
are you a poet? or a poem?
published or unpublished?

All processes are impermanent
All phenomena are not ‘Self’
This is the pathway to purity.

[Dhp. 20. 227 – 279] – Anatta

when not annoyed I was
able to enjoy his dorkiness
like Disney’s Goofy with loose
jointed gawky limbs his forearms
seemed to flop onto my desk
whenever he turned around
to chat – at reunion time,
startled by his increased size
and stature – now being principal
of that same high school

nextdoor neighbor good time
charlie dad attractive easy ways
joking with the neighborkids
in innocent conversation speech
bubble leaves my lips – iridescent
floating off with one of my mom’s
opinions that was wrong
I got in trouble for it
and here I am years later
still confused about the rules