Fish

From Ann Glover O‘Dell’s Midwifing the Soul:

Pilgrim meets pilgrim

on dusty road in sandaled feet

and stopping as do travelers

to rest

one makes a wavy mark

in sand with staff

and just as nonchalantly

draws the other

a complementary line.

Both gaze at image

neither yin nor yang

and punctuated eye

creates the fish.

Wordless now the two

reluctant to abandon

their unifying art

continue meditation

on the routed lines in dirt

wonder at a multiplying message

where none became some

and all became more

and bits and portions gathered in

made up a travel bag for each disciple

going out in pilgrimage

to find if he could fish

or be a fish

or even teach someone to fish.

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