POEM: things the Buddha said

things the Buddha said

the Buddha said to thine own self be true
the Buddha said take two of these and call me in the morning
the Buddha said a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
the Buddha said better dead than red
the Buddha said don’t fire till you see the whites (of their eyes)
the Buddha said we have nothing to fear but fear itself
the Buddha said we didn’t land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock
            landed on us
the Buddha said outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend
the Buddha paused then said inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read
the Buddha said mourn for the dead and fight like hell for the living
the Buddha said the only way to stop a bad man with a gun is
            a good man with a gun
the Buddha said no puppet, no puppet, you’re the puppet
the Buddha said one of these days I’m going to cut you into little pieces
the Buddha said come with me if you want to live
the Buddha said the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice
the Buddha said these prices are insane
the Buddha said get away from me kid, you’re bothering me
the Buddha said this could be the start of a beautiful friendship
the Buddha said where’s the beef
the Buddha said taste the rainbow
the Buddha said a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle
the Buddha said only you can prevent forest fires
the Buddha said one and one-half wandering Jews
the Buddha said ancient Chinese secret
the Buddha said I never met a man I didn’t like
the Buddha said don’t look back, something might be gaining on you
the Buddha said I stop somewhere waiting for you
the Buddha said put a tiger in your tank
the Buddha said god does not play dice with the universe
the Buddha said Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall
the Buddha said ich bin ein Berliner
the Buddha said freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose
the Buddha said the brown acid that is circulating around us
            is not specifically too good
the Buddha said when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro
the Buddha said I am everyday people
the Buddha said but wait there’s more

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Jason Crane
20 March 2018
Butler, PA