Orange robe

Orange robe

Standing on his clothes, Pukar offered
his naked self to the Beloved.
 
He spent the remainder of his life
studying true nakedness; true surrender.
 
Last night a monk escaped the tower of piety;
shimmied down the wall on a ladder
 
made from shreds of his orange robe.
By moonlight, he was last seen naked
          among a tangle of briars.
 
O pilgrim, the currency of your government 
is worthless on this side of the border.
 
If you stop wailing long enough, you’ll discover
the jewels sewn into the lining of your coat.
 
How long will you persist in this folly –
trying to make sense of this realm
          and your position in it?
 
O child of God, surrender involves the unknown
          and unexpected.
Bewilderment is the treasure your Beloved
          has bestowed.
 

                       (from  A Jewel in the Dust, 2011)