Nothing Poem by Prathibha Nandakumar

'If he comes I welcome,
If he goes I do not pursue'
- Zen saying


Take a step back
said the guru.

I stood motionless.
Weren’t gurus supposed to
push us further?

Or was a step back
a step further?

'Joshu was asked,
“When a man comes to you with nothing,
what would you say to him? ”
Joshu replied, “Throw it away! ”'

I was nothing and he threw me away

And that was when I took a step forward.