Little did I know

Chimes and chants, and robes and pyres

Prayers and sermons, and incenses and fires

All my stay at the halfway house

I spent being a ‘pious’ man

Sat alone

In my corner

With the ‘book’

And looked down upon those who sat with a different book

But little did I know…

Running and running, and running and running

Giving and taking, and I thought I understood it all

The trick

The game

And they all called me successful

The stuff of the house, I sold to the visitors

They never asked and I never had to answer

If the stuff was even mine

But little did I know…

Grumbling and grumbling, and passing whines

I divided the house and drew all lines

Sitting in my corner all the while

I fought and fought

And wont let anyone in

Stamped their feet with the hammer

Punched their noses

Drew blood

Both theirs and mine

I did my duty

But little did I know…

Little did I know…

That all this while when I have been busy gathering some imaginary currency (note: currency is not necessarily money…but any stock or bunch which one thinks will be of value when one leaves the halfway house), I missed on everything that the place really had to offer. There were trees in some rooms and some rooms had mountains. Some had rivers and some had fountains. There were colours and flavours and tastes and sensations…all of which I forgot! I had roses in my corner of the room, which i just ended up protecting from everyone…neither did I enjoy the fragrance myself, nor did I let anyone else do it! While singing my prayers (given to me by an earlier visitor), I often forgot to help my neighbor (sometimes chose to ignore his cries just because he sang a different prayer).

Little did I know…

That there was enough for everyone in the halfway house

that there are no rewards in the morning when one leaves from here

this place was made for me (and everyone) to enjoy

...and that the place itself is the beginning and the end!!!