Honor Your Body


Jesus is no ghost.
He mingles mud and spit to heal.
His lips brush your fevered cheeks
whispering, "arise."
Sakyamuni's whole life
is an earth-touching gesture,
his four dignities - to walk, to stand, 

to sit, and to lie in repose like a stone 
at the bottom of the river of breath.
When Krishna dances he leaves footprints 

overflowing with dew and perfume.
He drives real women crazy.
Don't be an angel, you have bones,
you have stinging tears.
The way to transcend your body 

is to honor your body.
Honor the mushroom-laden loam 

in your marrow.
Honor the ocean in a skin cell.

Honor the sky in each atom.
Honor the sunlight sparkling in your nerves.
Honor the luminous curve of matter
whose horizon is the touch of a human hand.
Every particle of flesh is a gateway
to the Radiance beyond.

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