The Self

by Ken Sanes

We are gathered here today
to admire the greatest creation in the universe:
the Self.
And not just any self, but Your Self.
You!
Yes, Your Self is something special,
with a body of living flesh
that is stretched out before it
like a buffet of feeling.
And with barely a thought,
and sometimes a good deal less,
it can use this same body
to control its surroundings
and achieve remarkable things.
Can anyone doubt that it is
the center of the universe?
You only have to look out at the world
to see that everything,
from the sun to the seasons,
revolves around Your Self alone.
In fact, when Your Majesty, The Self
deigns to move from place to place
or even turns its head from point A to B,
the visible universe rearranges itself accordingly.
And when Your Self is out of sorts,
which happens from time to time,
with an unpleasant emotion
or an upset somewhere down there
in the recesses of the body,
then the stars are dulled in their aspect
and the sun bestows less light on the world.
Of course if, from time to time,
a fight breaks out, with name calling
and pushing, and maybe some punching,
in which different parts of The Self
are pitted against each other in an unpleasant brawl,
well, that is just one of life’s enduring mysteries.
Yes, Your Self is both the pinnacle of creation,
and the center around which everything revolves.
It is numinous and magnificent, even if nature and death
refuse to recognize its absolute sovereignty,
and the people around you make the utterly absurd claim
that they deserve to be considered Selves, as well.