Enlightenment

There is compassion in destruction
The flyaway ashes reveal an ancient fire
The mirror that shows my ugly parts
Becomes my guardian angel.

Not long ago, staying high on bliss was home
I found darkness a trace of sunlight, just painted black
Now, crystalized scales fall off my eyes
I wake up and panic in the abyss
Should the choices remain the same?
Well, what's your poison?, the voice asks
A pleasing lie
Or an ugly truth
I ask for neither
The truth was always there
And, the lie was my set of blinkers
Break those horse tacks
But give me a new set of eyes

I could go back to sleep
Color nightmares into my personal rainbow.
Make demons my dream-catchers
And, when a skeleton lurks in the darkness
Shout in jest 'Happy Halloween to you'.

I could remain wide awake
Burn hot in the embers of truth
Hedge my bets
Sharpen the spears
Wage my battles from an unstable, bleeding, dark crevice.

Or
I could watch the battle but know it's futile
Forgive myself and strip off the straitjacket
Lift myself up from the crevice to the Summit of the mountain
Oh, I will break my spear into the staff of Moses
Part these Oceans into two
And reach the promised land


What is enlightenment?
Recognizing the illusion of it all
To see a rose, not the thousand thorns
Seeing the psychedelic notion of reality that changes like a chameleon on steroids
Seeing all that from a distance, with a new set of eyes
Finally, offering my totem pole as homage to this never ending journey
For the journey is within
And, so is the promised land

-Sajithra