Siddhartha Gautama, the once and future Buddha, br and Saint Francis of Assisi were the same, br for each man set out from a sheltered room br within the walls of opulence in later youth, br unwilling to be cut off by wealth from the world. br Each cringed, then, at his fate. br Each rebelled in a holy rebellion. br Each went over the wall br in a wide-eyed wonder of love for the world, br to take in all that was on the other side, br to marvel at all that lived— br with tears and cries and hunger, br with longing and surprise. br Each became a troubadour br and roamed the Earth br while singing souls awake. br And each became at-one with all br through holy renunciation, took on br voluntary empathic identity br with every mortal entity. br Each in his raw humanity gave all, br unbounded, unfettered, unshackled br attention, self-blessed and a blessing. br br And later, each sat br upon sacred ground, br stripped of everything br but the one song br each creature sings br with its living breath. br That song is Oneness. br That song is Yes. br That song None Other. br That song is God and not-God. br That song is the soul’s outcrying sound. br And Saint Francis and Siddhartha br sang it with a smile. br br br This poem is from the book My Passion for Art by Alla Renée Bozarth, br copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.