I skirted the edge of the abyss

8.20.10

I skirted the edge
of the abyss this morning
the first noble truth
burning in my soul
the fire reaching up from darkness below

how many times have I slipped
and fallen into the inferno
at times, perhaps, was it not more
comforting to surrender to the
teeth and the hungry stomach
of suffering

then, I would force others, too
to feast on the heart and marrow
of my own despair

but today, somehow, I clawed my way
along the rocky ledge
exhausted, yet steadfast
toes and fingers raw
reaching, today, for some other
release that I have only heard of

now, past the most precipitous
edges, I have grasped reprieve
but still not reached the
refuge of the truth
trapped between emancipation
and entanglement

I can only hope that even these
smallest steps have made
the world a better place

and that the practice
will reveal itself to me,
that higher ground
will be easier to find
in the days ahead