zen and suffering part no-self

in the morning
at the cafe,
with the retirees.
in the afternoon
at the theater,
with the empty seats.
in the evening
at the apartment,
with the emptiness.

para-social relationship
with people you pay
to talk to.
your friends
don’t friend with you.
or, you don’t
friend with your friends.

plate glass and
stained. wavering
glass and blue.
the glass they make
into thick bricks
to place in the wall
of a shower, for
example. the wall of a bath.
no not shattered
glass. no
not that.

your work does not
pay. your work is not
work so it does not
pay. you step
from yourself,
on a good day you
step from yourself.
you send yourself
out on its way.
you stand it and
slouch it. you
make it stare. you
make it puppet.

the past does not
hurt you. the present
does not hurt you.
the future does not hurt
you. it would be better
if you let it.