i love work.
i love the feel of it
in my hands
the sweat rolling
down my chest
the way it invites me along
& pays for my dinner.
work is what the mind is for;
the soul’s food;
the body’s second home.
those who hire me
pay my soul
my heart
my brain
my body.
it cannot be
otherwise
i am
my self...
& my self is creative,
energetic & incorruptible
about its work.
i will not, cannot
waste a paper clip
i will not, cannot
steal a dime
i refuse to sacrifice
my time.
have i given
too much?
(so far from perfection;
always knocking on its door)
for what i have been able to give,
i am thankful.
dear God,
make me be patient in the biting storms
of ego-ridden politics;
forgiving even of highly
over-paid incompetence.
keep my eyes bright in the
shadows of ineptitude;
& my mind clear in the murk
of greed.
help me be a bodhisattva of
earth, sky & heart,
& please give me strength enough
to build and let go,
build & let go
however many lifetimes
before i retire.