Wooden bowl

Fill your bowl with pride
There will be no room for hope
Fill your bowl with laughter
There will be no space to smile
Fill your bowl with recrimination
There will be no room for joy
Fill your bowl with pearls
There will be no time for tears
Fill your bowl with the tricks of the earth
There will be no space for the heavens
Water puts out fire
As fire drives out water
Each are uncomfortable bedfellows
No-one can be both quiet and noisy
Belonging to this world and the next
That is why I say:
I cannot be still enough.