now hear this

 

in Zen they say there are no senses

so why then does this fish

smell like it does

if there’s no form then why

does this fish look so like a fish

if all is emptiness then why

does this fish taste the way it does

if there’s no touch then why

when I stroke this fish does

he laugh out loud and shout

see! see how we conned you?

 

take this key for example

moulded to a certain shape for a

certain door although i hear one

key really fits all, well why does it

smell like the bottom of a bin

and sound like the sea rushing against

the sides of this fishing boat

and feel like the edge of a samorai swordsman’s belt

 

it tastes sour, gone off

like a bad fish waiting to be swallowed

by some unknowing undiscriminating monk

who fell off his perch.