THE BIRD FROM KAPINGAMARANGI Comments

1
So nothing
can
be
replaced

by nothing, then?
the prince asked. Yes, so
it
seems, said the bird

from Kapingamarangi, provided
you make
no distinction
between yes and no.

2
Make no
distinction between yes
and
no, Prince Adrian

asked, how? Well, first
you must
come upon a genuine
piece of nothing. Then you'll find

it costs you
nothing
to give it away, nothing
to keep it.

3
Adrian
asked: How can you tell
whether nothing
is genuine or not? Raising

its beak, the bird said: When
that which exists
is just as real
as that which doesn't, and when that

which doesn't
is just as real as that which does - that's when
your heartache
comes to an end.

4
It was a beautiful
day. The waves broke
around
the tiny island, far off

in the ocean. The prince
was lying on the beach, under the
sun, beyond
language. He rubbed his eyes

and nodded, when the bird
declared: Prince
Adrian, I've flown a great distance, all the way
from Kapingamarangi

in order
to sing
you The Nothingness
Sang: "When nothing

meets with nothing
nothing
will come up, nothing will come up.
When nothing

needs
nothing, lacks nothing - that's when
everything
will be at peace." The sun mill was grinding, the sand

was burning, the prince didn't know
where he
was. The prince, he just
laughed.
...
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