Sacrifice for the thing you want,
or what you want becomes the sacrifice.
When a pebble or a boulder blocks the path,
Do you give up your will?
Or do you will up a way?
Does the boulder and pebble become a part of the way?
If there’s a will, there’s a way
The moment you’re no longer willing,
Is the moment the way fades.
The moment you become and remain willing,
you are already on the way.
The way will reveal itself,
as you walk the way,
And soon you’ll find,
That finding the way,
was a part of the way.
In a way,
that which we sacrifice ourselves to,
that which we devote ourselves to,
is our Master, our Lord.
Our highest aim,
our perfection on a platter,
an image of divinity on a pedestal.
If we seek the path ontop of a mountain,
even if the mountain is success,
or money – a pile of riches,
or a loving family and embrace,
or sleeping in -on a cozy lazy day,
we seek a way.
In our journey, we use tools,
and when we abuse the tools,
we make the tools our slaves.
If the tool is a sword,
Then we follow the way of the sword.
We see everything as a challenge,
to slice or cut or stab,
to use the sword.
Just as when you’re holding a hammer,
everything becomes a nail,
the lens or tool you use to see the world,
is the world you see because of the tool,
In that way, the tool guides and shapes the way
When we rely on the tools,
and depend on them,
To the point that we can’t live without them,
To the point of being a crutch,
We become chained and shackled,
The tools become fetters and our master.
At what point, are we blinded by swords,
At what point are we blinded by hammers,
When you reach mastery, the tool becomes limiting,
and when you reach mastery, you see the way in all things.
“if you know the way broadly you will see it in all things”
-Miyamoto Musashi
Learn to dance with the tools,
To use and let go,
Learn to spot the way,
Climb the mountains you want to,
And live the life you want.
Such is the way,
Such is the dance.
Epilogue,
In writing, there is a technique where you write two phrases or sentences or ideas, and then you bridge the gap.
In this, I wrote two lines inspired by musings out in the world. One about sacrifice, and one about tools becoming our masters. Then I connected and bridge the gap using the way or the dao, to bridge the idea of sacrifice to the power of will to the power of perspective in tools to tools becoming our master and then finalizing with a crescendo of the combination of the above stanzas.
It’s a three part poem, one about sacrifice and will, second about tools and perspective, and third to combine the lessons above.
Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme, it just has to feel or impart or mean something. It’s intended audience will get the message, and all others will see noise and not the signal.
Hope you enjoyed this little detour in life. It’s also a part of your way as much as it is a part of mine.
Words Mean Things
Words Mean Things 
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