FRIEND

.
There is an ancient soul
Who lives with me,
And fills my home
And everywhere he goes,
With light.

His luminous spirit brightens all my days,
And helps me thread the complex maze,
Which is my path through life;

Effortlessly he does what I cannot,
Yet constantly strive to do,
Meditating motionless,
With closed or open eyes,
He gains the knowledge that makes him wise,
The wisdom every intellectual denies.

He does not read nor chatter
About ideas and things that do not matter,
Which self-styled intellectuals,
Who do not know reality,
Endlessly scatter.

And he has taught me
What I could not see:
That I should simply be;

And keep my mind and body fresh,
Not trapped in the debilitating mesh
Of my or other people's self-esteem,
Which weakens the body,
And stiffens the mind,
And destroys integrity.

He does not follow any false hero,
And lose his common sense,
Or devote his loyalty and strength
To plausible orators
Or deluded priests,
Whose probity is zero,
As most people do.

Nor does he brood about the past,
But forgives me whenever I am cross
Or foolish:
He knows my folly will not last;

And he will give me infinite trust,
Until his body turns to dust,
Though even then
He will still be near;

And we will meet again
In different circumstances,
For I know his spirit will soar
And live and love
For ever more;

He is a cog in the eternal wheel of life,
As I and all living creatures are,
And those who say he is just a dog
Know nothing.

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