Self

Take a mirror,
full length is best,
remove your cloths,
kneel down before it,
look at yourself.
See a skeleton,
fat man, fat woman,
thin man, thin woman,
god, goddess,
cross your legs and see,
close your eyes and see more.

       published in The White Light, Pasadena, CA; Vol. 15, no. 3, Summer, 1989.


The poem was based on an old Buddhist meditation technique.  The White Light is a publication that comes out of the Temple of Truth (T.O.T.) a magical organization in Southern California.  I had never been involved with this group before, so I did not realize that they come out of the traditions of the Golden Dawn or some Western magical tradition that does not use Eastern traditions, so using their editorial license they changed one word in the piece.  I think it changes the tone of the poem.  What do you think?

Take a mirror,
full length is best,
remove your cloths,
kneel down before it,
look at yourself.
See a skeleton,
fat man, fat woman,
thin man, thin woman,
god, goddess,
cross your legs and see,
close your eyes and see nothing.