The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

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And instead of some direct words like how to do something or some teaching, sometimes it can be a bit more impactful or fun or I don't know to use imagery or poetry as a way to point as opposed to speaking directly.

And so I like to read a very short poem. It's just a handful of words.

Before I do, I want to give this poet a little some credibility. This will make sense when you hear what the poem is.

So this is by Hafiz. He's a Persian poet in the 1300s. It's a celebrated poet.

And he was translated into English in the late 1700s and influenced some Western poets such as Gitta or Yeats or Thoreau.

So he's had an impact both in the East and in the West, which is a beautiful thing.

And so I offer this poem as maybe just something to maybe you don't have to figure it out, but maybe to feel into like what's being pointed to here.

And it's okay if you feel like, I don't want to do that. That sets too complicated or too busy that's perfectly fine too.

But in case it's useful and or fun, I'd like to share this poem.

The poem goes like this. First, the fish needs to say something a right about this camel ride.

And I'm feeling so damn thirsty.

Visualize that it's a little bit odd, right? A fish on a camel and feeling thirsty.

I'll say it one more time. First, the fish needs to say something a right about this camel ride.

And I'm feeling so damn thirsty.

So what does that mean for us in our practice? I'll unpack that later at 1145.

But it might be something just a ponder or but again, if it feels like no, that's a little bit too weird or too burdensome, whatever you don't have to.

I just offer it as something that might be interesting to think about as you're doing your walking and your sitting meditation.

And with that, I'll leave you and I'll see you at 1145.