CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Chuang-tzu’s wife died
Hui-tzu came to console him...
found him on the ground

he was all sprawled out
he was banging on a tub
and singing loudly

what’s this, asked Hui-tzu
you loved her for all these years
you lived together

you reared your children
and together you grew old
but now she is gone

you owe her some tears
not this drumming and singing
that is a bit much

no, said Chuang-tzu
when she died, I too did mourn
like anyone would

but then I looked back
to the root of her being
before she was born

and even farther...
before she had a body
or she had a soul

then out of nowhere
suddenly came her body
and then came her soul

followed by her birth
and then a transformation
which led to her death

what brought her to birth
in due time, brought her to death
just as seasons pass

now she is at peace
there is no need for mourning
I stopped doing that

Inspired by The Second Book of Tao