The Paradox of Desire

Drugs come in all shapes and sizes But the essence is the same Providing a something we feel lacking; A hit of pleasure and fulfillment In instant gratification. The problem then becomes one Of cascading cause and effect As the short cut route Undermines self-esteem As we know in our hearts We are a thief, living a lie. The drug expresses in the extreme This paradox of being and desire Giving us what we want, but leaving us empty; Widening the lack we started with Until it is a moat filled with only self-loathing. The wisdom to be learned Is always a matter of perspective. The soul after all Yearns to be a master not a slave, And that which is beyond grasp Is by definition unable to be bound. This is the perspective we need to be free. Perhaps emptiness is just a given And our desire to fill it it’s natural expression, And in our confusion we mistake The object of desire with its fulfillment. We may live a lifetime Thinking we are attached to the nouns of our existence All the people, places and things we know and love When we are really just attached to living. (12/17/24)