I thought I went looking for Buddha
Settled into middle-class comfort now
A late midlife lull of mindfulness and peace
With my body
With my fortunes
With my soul's state
I was ready to meditate,
Align with my Western
Middle Class
Buddha-mind.
I thought I went looking for Buddha
But I found Shiva
Evil-destroyer
Transformer
Creator
Not one, but
One of --
Tripartite god
Batter my heart.
Shiva, who dances
Serpent-entwined,
Balances in
Dynamic power pose
Ascetic and
Demon-slayer
Shiva, holding counsel with
Vishnu and Brahma
Which aspect found me?
Parvati, some guidance?
Nataraja Shiva,
Parvati and Google tell me.
The dancer
The source of all movement
Creation and destruction
Release of the self
The restless energy within I had thought to quell
Whips and waves in a tidal dance
Demands release
Let go
Let come
Destroy the old to make way for the new
As cells do
As cities do
And as tarots do, my Shiva reveals an answer that was within me.
Let go
Let come
The fires of creation.
Of course.
Of course.
