Stages of Accomplishment

When I was young I didn’t think In terms of accomplishment I guess my ego wasn’t developed enough To have the perspective and appreciation To consider it all worthwhile, but I also think those childhood achievements Pleased my parents more than myself. By the time I was done with school What I accomplished were the simply things I did just living a life And following my own path. For a while there I was inordinately proud Of the house and home I built, Then the arduous spiritual practices Which took ages to accomplish And replaced ordinary pride With the sublime pride of the Deity. Then eventually and thankfully Came a family to raise And career to pursue, All of which seemed Like a worthwhile accomplishment Then and now. Then came retirement And the creation and accumulation, If not accomplishment, of ten thousand things Climbing routes, paintings and poems, Gardens, orchards and long hikes; The culmination of a gentlemanly life of leisure. Now when much of that too Has lost its charm Accomplishments are measured more simply Daily and immediately, By the feeding of dogs on schedule And the scooping of their poop, By watching the arboretum thrive and grow, Keeping it watered and mowed. Eventually I know there will come a time When the charms of even these simple pleasures Will lose their hold And I will be left with just accomplishing Another morning Another day Another night Another breath… Until even the karma Of that bit of accomplishment Is exhausted And I will have at last Achieved the goal of this life; To go in peace, without a trace. (4/22/25)