Perform the Usual Services ~ Sunday, December 21, 2025

そうですか (Sōdesu ka) ~ 禅師 白隠 (Zenji Hakuin)

Give up on humanity, give up hope
instill an air of nonchalance, care less
vindicated by the freedom to fail
exert no effort, no pressure to help

understand the impossibility
possible in the need not to address

givens as unspoken, as rules, the scale
imbalanced, a finger adds weight to smoke
vision meaningless, liability
exempt from inclusion, as exclusion

understands nothing from start to finish
perhaps now avoid, avoid collusion

now say less, say nothing, just make a wish
or not, what does it matter, time is broke
when the other is not worth blood or sweat

winter solstice, absolute zero, stone
asymptote brushes past not even time
left behind the woman frozen to death
kindness nowhere, a stone God cannot lift

aware but now wary, weary, alone
winter eats bones to the marrow, no crime
answers nowhere, a gift, an empty box
yet, no one seems to mind, a pointless gift

no one seems to mind the woman frozen
on the mountain but her lover in jail

hungry, exhaustion and cold befriend zen
open the case, a plea bargain sets sail
people with no concern for a red fox
empty box, a zen monk, a ghost, bewail