Just One Thing. Just One Time.

A child receives a toy set.

On the box is a photo of an airplane

Soaring through clouds

At hundreds of miles per hour.

 

Inside the box

Is a plastic airplane

That does not fly.

 

From the Buddha

To the toy set . . .

All is sensationalism.

 

Just once,

One single time in a life of 87 years . . .

What if the box contained

An airplane

That looked and functioned

As the photo on the cover.

 

Just once.

If a thing could be Real.

 

No sensationalism.

No hype.

No feel-goodness.

No beautification.

 

Just once.

Just.

One.

Single.

Time.

In a lifetime.

 

One may go to a Buddhist temple,

And ask the abbot . . .

 

One may go to a church,

And ask the priest . . .

 

Sir, for my entire life,

I have been shown fool’s gold.

I have been given red herrings.

I have been given wild goose chases.

I have been given beautified images

And lovely stickers

And sweet-tasting potions.

 

I am an old man now.

I am going to die.

Can you please,

Just once,

Show me Buddha?

 

I am an old man now.

I am going to die.

Can you please,

Just once,

Show me Jesus?

 

I am an old man now.

I am going to die.

If you cannot show me Buddha

Or Jesus . . .

Can you please not lie to me.

Can you please not give me a practice.

Can you please not give me a prescription.

Can you please

Just once,

Just

One

Time

Give me The Truth?

 

Whether I imbibe it or not.

Whether I listen to you or not.

Whether I throw it in the trash

Or if I am too stupid to understand it . . .

That is my problem.

You are free of all potential responsibility.

 

I simply want to have

Or be told just one thing

Just one time.

 

Just The Truth.

 

Do not dumb it down.

If I am too dumb

That is my problem.

 

Do not dilute it.

If I am too dull

That is my problem.

 

Before I die,

I just want One Thing

That is Real.

 

Just one thing.

Just one time.

 

(Because the answer to this question

Has always been NO . . .

I spent my life

Discovering it

For myself.)

 

Namaste.