Why not be a fat contemplative buddha
Serene in the lotus
Why do I tumble internally like a clothes dryer
When I’m the most comfortable outside
Does my mind need to bounce down a hill
Like a giddy child in a tire
Having the time of its life
But reaching no conclusion other than an abrupt end
Like the child
Heeding the call of its mother to stop such foolishness

There is my end to meditation
A call to reason
A call to get something done
I guess the universe will have to go on unexamined
As to pattern and understanding
I have to do something
I have something to do
So it’s said—
I hope it is as foolish as everything else I do

EVAN MYQUEST lives in the foothills of the Sierras near Sacramento, CA. He has been married to his wife, Eva, a Rilke researcher, for almost 50 years. His poetry has appeared alongside Jack Hirschman, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, Jim Carroll, and many others across the US and in Italy as well as translated and performed on video by Rome’s maestro, Beppe Costa. A video documentary featuring his poetry was shown at Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum in 2013. His latest book, Cold Blue Roses is available at Amazon in print and kindle editions.