My Loss, the Bengal Tiger

My Loss
Is a Bengal Tiger
Raging
Biting
Clawing
Attention-occupying
And only after weeks
Of the biting
I realize
The true nature
Of unconditional love:
That the animal bites
Are a direct and mutilating
cause and effect
Of me holding his chain.
I must release him
Let him escape
Forgive
And never stop loving.

Real Freedom

Real freedom:
Realizing 
In the event of cataclysm
Or natural disaster
I would be content
To step off this train
This delayed
Noisy train
And with my bag
Shorts
And comfy shoes
Walk the earth
Persisting 
To be constantly present.

Wake up each and every day
And before you leave your home
Tell yourself in no uncertain terms
Be good and nice
To everyone today
No
Matter
What.
Be patient especially.

Now go do greatness.

As the love they shared for each other
began to flood in,
at that very moment
the soldiers stood down
to let the lovers embrace,
And a contrite and airy spring rain
began to fall
and embrace his bare skin.
The skies then parted
as the lovers did,
and the baptism of sorts was complete.

I'll never forget
Where I was
And what I was wearing
Doing
Seeing
Smelling
The Day
All my lyrics became
So surreptitiously
True.