(dedicated to my friend Pam; we had many conversations trying to figure out what this life was all about)

Now that you live

on the other side of life

oh dear dear friend

can you see deeply

into our hearts?

Can you see sorrow buried deep inside the heart of even

the cruelest among us?

Is this how it works?

Are there truly evil intentions

or is evil a mask

for fathomless suffering

unseen on the surface of life?

I make these inquiries

with no expectation

of an answer

dear dear friend,

they are the questions

of a lifetime--

unanswered of course.

Can we meet for tea

when I too cross over the river?

Will there be answers then?

Until then, my dear dear friend,

send us as much good

as you possibly can

because this evil thing I simply do not understand.

I, for my part, will try to see good everywhere,

I will try to look deeply to see the tiny blossom

in everyone & everything.