the monkey king (wears no crown).

the monkey king,
he felt he was so clever,
and looked down at our
intelligence or lack of.
he ruined the feast
of the rulers of heaven
to which he’d not been invited.

the monkey king,
he’d prance around.
his lack of modesty
led him to constantly display his skills and talents,
but this annoyed the rulers of the heavens.
they called upon the buddha.

the monkey king
was captured,
held trapped inside the buddha’s hands.

the monkey king,
he felt he was so clever,
and looked up at the clouds
from in-between the buddha’s fingers.
what good was immortality then?

the monkey king
let centuries pass
until the rulers of the heavens called.

***

all of the while
the monkey king
was never missed.
they’d had enough
of his torments,
constant bragging;
free to just be,
finally were
much more happy.

***

the monkey king waited
not having made any friends.
there’s none to miss him.

09.08.08