I. One Pillar Gate
If one pillar holds
up heaven
how light it must be!
Here I am panting up
this mountain with
my pack
my boots
my weight
It wasn’t until I
started this letting go
that I realized
how much I hold
II. Gate of Four Guardians
I bow
under the gaze of
the four guardians
Once I enter,
will they protect me?
like the temple
I bow
once to the right
once to the left
all the things I need protection
from I carry in with me:
my wealth
my position
my gender
my skin
and
my thoughts about them
I bow
to shed them
but two slow bows
do not unfasten
a lifetime of hooked whispers
III. The Gate of Liberation
I pass through the gate of
liberation, and am not liberated
I bow
three times, rising
the third time
all
my
faults
rise with me
& I smile
of course it was going
to be this way
the truth
is nothing
but to be one with everything
dharma doors
have no handles, no knobs
dharma doors
have no hinges, no wood
dharma doors
have no doors
it is we who do not
realize
the way is open