the chinese peahen

to discover peace of mind, a true source of zen
I thought the offering had taken my last yen
the sweet call of the early morning wren
excitement bid me still lay awake, at that magic hour when
the sun rose, sleep for all creatures ending then…
later rickshaw drivers asked for copper coins, only ten
but for travel from the city I traded my golden pen
to find a haven in faraway lands knowing few men
this will be a voyage for meditation, that I do ken

fortune smiled on my arrival, I was greeted by the silver hen
at the bottom of the distant valley, in a vast flowered glen…
the rice paddy hills remind me of home's misty fen
I no longer pine for the leather armchair in my den
nor do I miss the chiming hours from Big Ben
for peace I have bought, tis time to say amen



the chinese peahen
14 june, 2006
(Poetic Paradise Daily Challenge)