Koanitions Poem by William Pryor

The day the one-armed bandit
clapped his hand
and saw the face
he had before he was born
in the empty mirror
revolving in the head of Buddha
was the day he stopped
searching for freedom

The dismay that felt rejected
by the one-armed bandit
applauding
the way the universe
needs time to space an action
was the dismay he used
to spin his wheels
for a chance enlightenment

The play her fingers staged
on his cherries and pears
that switched his inner circuits
back into the gentle illusion
was the play he stopped
from running away
with his direction

The decay in the jackpot-love
she won at first pull
on his chancing arm
was the decay he started
to grow his acceptance in

So now he could accept, applaud
and embrace her with two arms
even though the mirror
had revolved in the head of Buddha
and could not show him the face
she had before she was born