Fortune

Upon this greenlight bamboo morning
The weary farmer turns the soil
Plant and ripen this, the fruit of his heart
He eyes the sunlit forests
Wishing and hoping in vain to receive a sign of his wealth
But then, a crane, a happy omen, soars o’erhead
And the farmer throws down his tools
Thinking to himself, “I must go…”
“I must go and seek my fortune
For surely it will never come to me
If I wait like a hiding cricket.”
So he packed a burlap sack with food and fruit
And a water skin for travel
Set he out upon no trail to find his way.
At length he met a fox, clever and cunning,
And the fox belike so curious asked “Whither you wander, good man?”
And the farmer told him, “I seek my fortune, and have left my farm to do so…”
“There is a wise man,” the fox snuffled. “On the mountain top, up high beyond the clouds
Seek him there in the cave of many waters, and he will help.”
And the fox ran off before the farmer could utter his thanks.

Upon a clearing, shoots with young leaves
Bowed toward the earth
Drinking the morning dew.
The farmer sat and pondered
While a sip from his water skin he took
Wiping his brow
Of salty sweat.
The wind rustled the young green leaves
And the wind belike so curious asked, “Whither you wander, good man?”
“I seek a wise man who lives beyond the clouds in a cave of many waters.”
The wind blew its cooling breeze in his face, and he nodded in thanks.
“Beware the dangers of the jungle when you pass through.”
And the wind receded without another word.

Upon a snargled mass of vines, a wild boar
Struggled to be free of the bonds of its floral trap.
The farmer took his knife
And cut through the thick hard vines
Untangled its fronds from the boar’s
Hooves
He tore some bread from his sack
And threw it to the boar in calm
The boar, thankful as he was, belike so curious, asked: “Whither you wander, good man?”
“I seek a wise man on a mountaintop, that I might find my fortune.”
Boar and man exchanged a glance. “Beware the river then,” said the boar
And trampled off without another word.

Upon the sight of the serpentine river
Snaking and coiling its way around the jungle vines
A young viper lay twisted among the choking roots of a tree
Near to drowning was she the viper,
And the farmer took his hands
And gently removed her from her trap
The viper, grateful as she was, belike so curious, asked: “Whither you wander, good man”
“I seek the sage on the mountaintop, that I may find my fortune.”
Viper nodded to man. “Be well, but beware the base of the mountain.”
And slithered off without another word.

Upon the craggy base of rock,
A tigress sat bemoaning, looking helplessly
At her cub caught between two rocks of granite.
The farmer took his rake
And with it, pulled the rock apart,
That the cub may squeeze free.
And the tigress, indebted as she was, belike so curious, asked: “Whither you wander, good man?”
“I seek a wise old man at the mountain’s peak, that I may know my fortune.”
Tigress bowed to man. “Good fortune to you, though beware the sloping side.”
And pounced off without another word.

Upon the side of the rubbled mountain,
A curious beetle lay on its bowl emerald back,
Flailing its legs in the air to return upright.
The farmer took a twig,
And gently flipped
The shimmering beetle to its feet
And the beetle, relieved as he was, belike so curious, asked: :Whither you wander, good man?”
“I climb to see the wise man at the top of this mountain,
It may be that he can help me to my fortune.”
Beetle hailed man. “Off then, but beware the treacherous summit.”
And flew off without another word.

Upon the windy peak
An old man sat in his lotus position
And though eyes closed, he asked: “Why seek you me?”
“Teacher, I wonder that you may help me realize my fortune.”
The sage’s eyes opened slowly. “You crossed the plains to the clearing?”
“I did, Teacher.”
“And you crossed the clearing to the jungle?”
“I did.”
“And you crossed the jungle to the river?”
“This I did.”
“And you crossed the river to the base?”
“I did.”
“And you climbed the base to the slope?”
“This I did, Teacher.”
“And now you stand before me?”
The farmer inclined his head.
“Then, O student, have you learnt the many ways that lead to fortune.”
The farmer fell to his knees. “O Teacher, I beg you, tell me more.”
“The fortune you seek… lies within.”
The farmer mused on this, then touched the feet of his Teacher.

Upon reaching the glistening green farm,
The bamboo swayed,
As the farmer greeted his wife
As he greeted his children
As he called to his dog.
And he beheld all with a smile of content.
For he had found his fortune.