I once slipped into a realm of qualities, where
‘NUMBERS’ are counted impieties—implying
false (and dull) ‘SERIES’—where there’s no
‘THIS’ nor ‘WHAT’, but ‘THESE’.
There is no ‘ONE’. There is no ‘TWO’.
There is no ‘RED’. There is no ‘BLUE’.
I see no ‘IS’. I know no ‘YOU’.
I know no ‘I’, (…‘WHAT’ ‘SEEMS’,
…‘WHAT’s ‘TRUE’)…
…sing not of ‘NOW’, nor speak of ‘THEN’.
Sing not of ‘IN’. Cast out ‘OUT’. (When it’s the
‘TRUE’ ‘YOU’ wish to know, renounce thy
‘WISH’; chuck ‘OUT’ your ‘WHEN’).
‘THEN’ ‘YOU’ shall find, there ‘IS’ no ‘HERE’
(and plainly, ‘HERE’ can be no ‘THERE’).
‘WHEN’ ‘THERE’ ‘IS’ ‘ME’, ‘I’ see not ‘THEE’.
Beyond ‘NOT’, ‘IS’, ‘OUGHT’, ‘ONE’ soars ‘FREE’.
Seeking ‘MINE’, ‘I’ lost ‘THINE’, lured in by ‘YOURs’…
forsook ‘YOUR’ door, where ‘THIRTEEN’ ‘IS’ ‘ONE’
(and what’s more, ‘IS’ ‘YOUR’s).
‘THERE’ ‘IS’ no ‘YES’. ‘THERE’ ‘IS’ no ‘NO’.
(‘I’ confess—’tis ‘TRUE’—‘I’ know nought of ‘RHYME’)
nor ‘WISH’ ‘NOT’ ‘WHAT’ ‘THIS’ ‘IS’ to ‘KNOW’.
‘YOU’ ‘KNOW’ ‘THERE’ ‘IS’ ‘NO’ ‘ONE’, ‘NO’ ‘TWO’.
‘NO’ ‘ONE’ to ‘KNOW’, ‘NO’ ‘TWO’ ‘TO’ ‘TO’.
Even so, (‘ONE’ ‘SEEMS’ ‘TO’ ‘KNOW’…), ‘WHAT’s
‘NOT’ ‘ME’ sings Mārū ‘IN’ ‘YOU’.
_____
Nihal Singh