Long Day's Eyes

"The sage in his attempt to distract the mind of the empire seeks urgently to muddle it." – Lao Tzu, from Tao Te Ching












July 30


Late evening, sun an orange cloth
laid out over the bay
and this way, out among
fish splash, a last warmth
and here comes neighbor
pulling down his kayak
to the beach slowly folding
into shape his lifejacket
looking out of long day's
eyes all covered in numbers
raised voices to the office.
Who am I but Lao Tzu's
silly old sage really – always
thinking the mindpot
through, casting out what
to do, who does it, why.
Pontoon boats tied to docks
hover cheerily so unknowing
over on the other side of bay.
A sort of cartoon of beauty
now laying there for the take.
The grass over on this side
groomed as a golf course.
Neighbor paddling perfectly
stabbing at the silver,
the orange, the blue green
that laps up along side.
Tomorrow he wishes
he'd not decided to forty
years ago to live without
the world at his side.