Like a Shadow

A black cat wanders

through the temple gate

without arriving.

The monks sweep the courtyard,

each motion

tied to meaning—

cleanliness, discipline,

a step toward awakening.

The cat pauses

in a shaft of sunlight,

then chases nothing

across the stones.

No lesson follows.

No wisdom is kept.

A leaf falls—

the cat watches,

then forgets.

The bell is struck.

The sound lingers.

The cat does not listen

or ignore—

it simply is not held.

Scrolls speak of purpose,

of paths and ends.

The cat curls

where the words cannot reach.

What needs a reason

cannot rest.

What has none

moves freely—

like a shadow

that belongs

to nothing at all.