The Rope of Lust

The Rope of Lust

The rope of lust is like a line
Attached to thoughts which seem divine.
It strangles Logic’s Golden Rule
And makes of man a beast most cruel.

I long to hold love’s crimson rose
But grasp the thorn with which it grows.
A fevered passion burns my heart
For I’m struck down by Cupid’s dart.

How many lives this game I’ve played
As many deaths can ne’er be stayed.
The very thing I crave the most
Is what turned the king into a ghost.

So now I’ll bid the world adieu –

This passion play that turns the screw
Which crucifies the best of men
And brings them back to play again.

From Wisdom’s chalice I will drink
With faith in Causal Chain’s each link.
I’ll fight delusion’s rising tide
Whose siren song is passion’s bride

And set my course by freedom’s star
Knowing well the path leads far
Into the night where tempests reign
But inch by inch I’ll make my gain.

And if a moment’s thoughtless glance
Inclines my flesh toward sweet romance
I’ll summon forth with clear recall
The ditch awaiting mankind’s fall.

This thought alone will set me free
From bondage to eternity
And when the inner battle’s won
I’ll hear the gods proclaim, “Well done! Well done!”

Ven. Moneyya 1989
A poem shared with me by Ven. Moneyya.