PROMPT: Understand One Thing

Daily writing prompt
If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

How Buddhists reconcile the Doctrine of Anatta (the belief that there is no permanent self) with a belief in reincarnation.

PROMPT: Animal

Daily writing prompt
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

A mythical one to be sure. Cobbled together and a product of pure imagination. Griffin, Minotaur, Dragon, Vietnamese Unicorn (not to be confused with the kind hung as posters on the walls of pre-teen American girls,) or something of that nature.

Squirrel [Lyric Poem]

The squirrel freezes -- unblinking --
But I cannot help but thinking:
How come its tail is misbehaving?
A betrayal by spastic waving!

“The Yak” by Hilaire Belloc [w/ Audio]

As a friend to the children commend me the Yak.
You will find it exactly the thing:
It will carry and fetch, you can ride on its back,
Or lead it about with a string.

The Tartar who dwells on the plains of Thibet
(A desolate region of snow)
Has for centuries made it a nursery pet,
And surely the Tartar should know!

Then tell your papa where the Yak can be got,
And if he is awfully rich
He will buy you the creature -- or else he will not.
(I cannot be positive which.)

Monkey Insight [Kyōka]

langur in a tree
remains still as others flee;
it seems to know
my limitations as well as
its own capabilities.

Embarrassment of Riches [Haiku]

early summer:
birds trudge through green paddies
that they usually prowl.

Lonely Egret [Haiku]

lonely egret
wades in calm water,
awaiting lunch.

Roosters of Youth [Haiku]

when I was a child,
roosters aggressively charged;
 now: they flee, clucking.

Mongeese? [Free Verse]

Mongooses or Mongeese?

My Jamaican friend says,
     "It's GEESE, mahn!"

But I can't tell whether that's
     a Mon-guess [or a guess, mahn!]

I'd prefer a non-guess
     on the mongoose's gees-i-ness,
     lest I develop lexical queasiness.

It seems like it should be mongeese, 
      because "mongoose" is very
      much like "goose."
 [As my Jamaican friend would say,
      "It's jus wit the 'Mon,' mahn!"]

On the other hand, a mongoose 
      don't look like no goose I've
      ever seen.

Hawks in Flight [Haiku]

three hawks fly,
 but look like one hawk
  in three time slices