At what point do you say, enough?

dalai lama

we westerners know a lot of dollies

not the least of whom showed up in l.a. to speak

the dalai lama

of all the dollies of all the dollies

from hello to ms parton to salvador

and the two-wheeled dollie to the two-eyed

plastic wind-up dollie that speaks in rhymes

of all the dollies

who should show up at our door?

the dalai lama

of all the lamas of all the lamas

fernando and the bushy four-legged argentineans

that breathe that high air

of all the lama’s

making his presence known – the dalai lama

and i read about it in the l.a. weekly

after passing so many opportunities

to press into his subject

in comparative religions

as an undergraduate

or in some musty corner of papa bach’s

where exotic religions hang-out

with politics and philosophy

all reaching out for an audience

all encompassing our human entities

speaking from the depths with discipline and truth

wisdom compassion and self-control

for all of us materialists hedonists and pagans

blasting about in high-tech civilization

meek and humble voices declaring what virtues?

(the dalai speaks)

happiness – a man and a woman is meant to exude it

and he laughs

he jostles with the press

he gives it and takes it with wit

and yes a fair share of charisma

with due respect

a bum has his own brand of charisma

but the dalai

is he not merely another religious man?

and are we not so deeply wounded

and now forewarned

that religious men come asking

and the price be paid in advance

that salvation is obtainable

if you can only see things my way?

and of all the dollies

of all the lamas

is this one going to ease my personal burden?

is this one going to clean up the filthy streets?

can this one mend the broken heart?

or heal the crippled hand?

is he the one to give us what we want

or what it is we really need?

or is this dalai going to show us a better way

of seeing the reality before us?

how to change what we can

and live with what we cannot change?

at least for our time?

and is this dalai not more a point of perspective

in a world of ever-shifting sands?

a pope? representing the things we believe in

whether or not we can live them?

do you know this dalai from the high castle?

his temple never far from the menacing teeth

of powerful ideology and ignorance?

he’s had a healthy dose of trouble

in his time

and if he can come to teach

lend us a method

inspire or symbolize

stimulate or even intrigue

the praise dalai

sock him on the back

hand him the microphone

look at and listen to this dalai

at least consider this lama

because after all

he could do a lot worse