A VESSEL by Zong Xiaobai

A VESSEL

Zong Xiaobai

It ain’t simple, cause and effect;

such as why boiling water looses steam

being poured into a cup,

or for instance, being alone for long,

one becomes a friendly neighbor

to one's alter ego,

the acute pain of not being needed

gets old and is no longer the cause of death.

Certainly Confucius couldn't contain his pain

after saying to his student that

“Man should be boundless, unlike a vessel.”

his pain was not the effect

of emptying out of the fire in his heart.

nor for the friendly compromise

between his ego and alter ego,

for I know a vessel’s sorrow

has nothing to do with water.