They came for me,
the drug lord’s goons,
like a cadre of stormtroopers;
they frog-marched me,
and dragged me,
and all around manhandled me…
up the stairs
through the doorway
of the ramshackle tenement
to the suite occupied
by the drug lord.
She had a fierce beauty
and a tall Afro
that reminded me
of my childhood in the ’70s.
What kind of a life
had shaped her
into the fierce leader
she had become?
At first she peppered me
with questions,
rapid fire.
I did my best
to be a proper lama
and not answer questions
directly…
for doing so
is a very good way
to give away
far too much power.
“I have noticed
there are those who ask questions
in search of information...
and others who ask questions
in an effort to assert dominance.”
She replied,
“If you’d been raised
as I’ve been raised
you too would choose dominance…
how else
could I take care of my mother
how else
could I take care of my children
how else
could I maintain my territory ?”
“Valid questions
one and all
but it has been observed
by those far wiser than myself…
that the labels
by which we attempt
to define ourselves:
such as
daughter, and mother, and drug lord…
could become shackles
that make of us
a prisoner.
Freedom comes
NOT from trying
to maintain an identity…
NOR from striving
to accomplish a goal
no matter how worthwhile
it might be…
but rather
freedom comes
from living in a place
of centered spontaneity
that we might flow
in harmony
with the universe…
and perhaps create chain reactions
like dominoes
falling into other dominoes
that might influence the world
in a positive way.” I explained.
“That’s a whole lot a maybes
coming from an oddly dressed man
with a great big nose!”
she explained.
And then continued,
“How can I be certain
that it is safe
to give up these roles…
of daughter,
and mother,
and crime boss?”
I playfully elaborated,
“You cannot be certain.
But here’s the trick,
here’s the secret…
there are NO certitudes,
just the illusions of certitudes,
promises that we chase after,
like a puppy after a butterfly…
or like a fool
chasing after a balloon,
right off the precipice,
right off the cliff.
A life could be squandered
in the pursuit of certitudes.
And peace is only found
when we grow comfortable
before the towering monolith
of all that we do NOT know.”
She nodded her head,
and spared my life.
This was inspired
by a scene in “Hannibal,”
the sequel
to “Silence of the Lambs.”
Let us conclude
with a simple
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