! Pain Poem by Michael Shepherd

Pain. Pain in the body.
Pain in the mind.
Pain. Feel the pain.
Go to the centre of it.

In the centre, a flame.
A cool, warm, steady, white, white flame
so white, that
it is more light than white.

Cool as detachment.
Warm as love.
Bright as enlightenment;
burning the unnecessary.

The flame of healing,
as old as the world.
As old as olive trees and oil and sacred lamps,
as old as wisdom.
In the flame, an angel.
That is what the angel said.