Oh Shut Up John and the Laughter (for Bill Butler)

 Angel: Oh shut up John. Shut up your rhetoric and dooby dooby do.

             Everyone’s tired of your squawking. Mostly you.

John:   Thank you, Rafael; for yours is the voice I hear.

             And yet your tone is harsh. Have you been drinking beer?

Angel:  Perhaps I have or maybe not. Regardless of the fact,

             You’re a son of a bitch. Why grope around for tact?

John:    Indeed, why grope? Why coddle kiss and flatter?

             But do you think I had choice in the matter?

Angel:  They say you had none then. But now you do.

John:    And you say?

Angel:                         If the Potter breaks a pot, what’s that to you?

At this point in the conversation, I heard a laughter swelling like a gentle rain.

O Teacher! How kind you are to smile me out of this nightmare.

O Tara, How can you be my Heart and yet appear to me in Space?

Chanting the spell of Your all embracing Love, let me live as a simple sadhu

And spread Your Name and my Teacher’s Fame to all the worlds.

OM TARE TUTARE TURYE SOHA

Love,

- John O.