IMPATIENCE—THE CAUSE OF SUFFERING

Patiently waiting

with a condom

in my wallet.

Hurry up, and wait,

my military mantra.

Sergeant barks:

According to Confucius,

Patience will be rewarded.

The pause between in-breath

and out-breath:

a glimpse into nothingness.

A world of emptiness,

space, and freedom—

truth beyond sense.

I beat a drum slowly,

music lets light,

seen for the first time,

shine on the red fruit

of a pomegranate tree.

Impatience corrupts

the better angels of my nature.

Patience, the kiss of love,

creates the intensity of compassion.

Patiently,

I vanish.

Milton P. Ehrlich 199 Christie St Leonia, N.J. 07605