Natural Music

 if you are vegetarian
don’t even mention meat
let the animals live
like you and me breathe
deeply or fast as they
tumble frolic laugh and
dance to natural music
 
some are friends some
we cut up cook and eat
chewing delicious morsels
not thinking of the rest
 
if you are an omnivore
you can speak freely of
incorrect opinions tastes
you were hesitant to mention
when you were thinking
about being more pure doing
good for all sentient beings
out of sympathy for the eaten

The Thing Itself

for G.F.

protect the personal while digging deep
and skimming quickly in the real-to-me
fruitless pursuit of what makes it matter
the thing itself for its own strange sake
 
how can I say what I mean when I don't
know don't trust my own thinking circle
down to the empty knowing other people
feel otherwise serve their own obsessions
 
I don't need to know or care to love them
still I wish we could connect be friends and
feel the original sympathy and interest that
made us want to be together love all night

Let Be

 funny that we don't agree about anything really
put that aside glad to be let be without argument
who each is not subject to judgment or discussion
and why should it least of all by our own companion
I'd like a group but then I'd have to deal with egos
theirs and mine raising its head looking for trouble
put that aside I am no critic and not actually alone

Every Swing

the silent sweeping rhythm of the pendulum
demonstrates regularity of laws reconfirming
heartbeat breathing revolution of the spheres
 
knowing what it wants to do it gradually slows
some fraction of energy sapped on every swing
stills to demonstrate verticality till pushed again

Crucial Element

what would you not have done if you could
and how would you be different if you were
can anything be subtracted from the necessary
past are you bearing every single thing in mind
 
time goes both directions the present causing
at least requiring the past as much as vice versa
experienced as sequential though only one thing
this moment not a result but a passing phase
 
how can you regret what had to be mistakes
made to be left behind when freshly painful
reluctance to choose propelled by doubt itself
a crucial element in already complete unfolding