No extrinsic goals

by Suyin Karlsen, Guest Writer

He gave love away like it was nothing.

Every day, in every way, he said,

“I love you,” to anyone.

In not those actual words.

In case he was mistaken for a flirt,

a romantic,

too happy, too crazy.

So, he tricked the world with:

Kindness

Boiled eggs

Coffee at Richard’s

Ride on his motorbike

Pensioner’s jokes he’d told before.

This dharma I got from him:

Kindness

Small notes

Something I cooked

Loving in spite of

Seva in Ceylon and India

Larger than life he was.

You would think he was rich.

Look now…

Our father in heaven

playing cards with money lenders

he still owes.