Inquiry Poem by Michael Koelliker

Upon the day it was about noon.
I was taking a stroll down the street.
I thought to myself, “Why?
Why do we have all that we have
And why do we crave to possess more? ”

I pondered about this pair of questions,
My thoughts swirled for nearly an hour.
I decided to take a cat nap on a bench near a pond.
Hoping to be told my answer whilst I was dreaming.
My thoughts wondered and I came upon this one.

I was floating in the English Channel alone.
When I suddenly lost my breath and started to drown.
I was being dragged under by some unknown force.
And the only thing that was going through my mind
Was me wondering how long it would take me to die.

I did not try to fight this force from below.
And I realized I was not drowning, I could breathe.
Then I was pulled to a small cave under the Channel.
This is where I was told that I was allowed to live.
I was surely confused for I was talking to nothingness.

When she appeared to me, nothingness turned to all.
Darkness turned to Light, Cold turned to Heat.
The Lady spoke of the reason I was allowed to live.
I did not fear Death and did not struggle,
For this Life was granted to me.

She then began to tell me she over heard my question.
And that she had an answer to it, but
First wanted to ask me a series of questions.
I quaintly agreed as she drew a scale and mirror
From her robe and a feather from her hair.

She placed the white feather on the right side of the scale
And set the mirror facing toward me. She then asked
Her first question, “You ask to know these things,
But why do you wish to be allowed to know such
Mysterious things? ”

I answered very quickly, for I had asked myself the same.
Many times I’ve repeated this question and answer.
I spoke, “I wish to know so that I may become wiser
In all things. For I feel wisdom is a path to become closer to God.”
From her reaction she seemed pleased with my answer.

Along with her smile the scale moved so that the feather is down.
She is confused by this occurrence. This had never happened before.
She continued on without a word. She started her second question.
“Well your wish to be close is a noble one, but why do you think
You are worthy of knowing these divine secrets? ”

Her inquiry became harsher, now questioning my worth.
I answered her best I could, “I do not feel I am worthy.
No one is worthy or close to the level of which you are,
Though I feel asking can never hurt, ” Which is very true.

Again the feather fell and her reaction was splendid.
I saw a tear swell in her eye; I was confused by this display.
She asked her third and final question, “If you were to die,
And could change one thing about your life. What would it be? ”
I swiftly answered this question, with full sureness.

“My Lady, I would not change a thing in my life,
For to change your life is to change yourself.
I live with no regrets and would never want to change
What God has done for me. That is a sacred bond.”
This final answer, this final truth, overwhelmed her.

The feather’s side fell to the ground, my heart was lighter.
She broke out in tears, tears of joy. She exclaimed,
“You have all that you have to use as tools to become one.
And you crave more because you deserve more, you think
If you have more it will be easier to become one.

When in Truth, a man with nothing but a fishing pole
And a knife can attain perfection, quicker and easier
Than a man with five hundred times more than the fisher has.”
With these words from The Lady, I was filled with joy.
I felt as if my body began to glow with a luster.

The water began to swirl around me,
The Lady began to rise up out of the cave.
I began to swim after her as she darted out.
The cave collapsed in and I awoke on the bench.
That day I walked home a changed man. A better man.

(10/1/2008)