WAKE (poem)

Want a way to throw off the chains? Hear these words: Life is immediacy Life is urgency Whoever told you To seek comfort To seek anything outside of The path of daring Was blindfolded Ignorant to the fact Of impermanence Unaware that death Is the entry point To living reality.

Take these words As medicine – A sacred chalice Filled with the finest wine The wine of intoxicating destruction The wine that can rush all the way in And all the way down And knock on the door of your Heart And roar into it like a great fire WAKE! WAKE! WAKE!

This is no time for politeness – For gently massaging For encouraging you to relax Into a complacency that can only speak The words: "My time is coming... I need to be patient... I need to wait..."

I want to roar at you When you speak to me about waiting. Why wait? What are you possibly waiting for? Inside of you, all of Life is gathering – Trillions of flaming warriors With Hearts thumping With the great Universal Sound The Sound that can silence the noise The Sound that can break the chains HEAR IT! FRIEND! HEAR THE CRY! HEAR THE CALL! AND RIDE!

– James Marshall Art: Tuneart / Getty Images.