I Want To Change My Way Of Living Poem by Kong Yin

I want to change my way of living.
I want to turn off
my computer, television, telephone.
I'll dig out the bag of seeds hidden in a corner of my house,
cultivate a small plot of land in the wilderness,
carefully till and fertilize, then plant the seeds in black earth.
I’ll water them, watch them sprout, and shoot up,
then squat beside my new crops,
chatting with them like a friend.

I want to change my way of living.
I want to stay away from people,
strange or familiar.
I’ll build a hut in the woods,
wander the trails,
listen to pine-whispers chorus like waves.
I’ll stalk owls, discover where they live,
and learn to sing like the trees and birds.
I’ll humbly salute all passers-by,
including ant and butterfly.

I want to change my way of living.
I want to escape my work,
trivial or important.
I’ll do nothing but sit patiently until dark,
when all are asleep,
and the moon slowly rises;
I’ll watch it climb the tallest tree.
I’ll gaze at the night sky in awe, and
bravely cry and laugh,
until my face is a
pure luminous moon,
and my heart – immense and undisturbed –
blends into the dark cosmos.