Pavement Sutra

Walking back
After eight hours in an office
Relieved to have finished
The tasks — the jobs —
You wonder if

There was ever any point
To all your seeking
Becoming —

While all waking hours
Are traded for a wage
That won’t pay for dentist
Healthcare
Or a hearing aid

Still, the body aches
Plagued by compulsions
Wearing — a little —
Each day

Even with seeking
Just dust behind you
What can you say you gained
Looking back — rubble
Ahead — sleep

What’s left to tell
No wisdom
Why tell of loss

How do you show nothing
That wasn’t misplaced —
You never had
Nor got

So you talk in riddles
Negate each word with another
No question to ask
No answer to find

Standing on no ground
But the pavement
That walks you home