Blessed by the masters

The gift we Gaijin have, is the gift of shortness of time.

We shake unto our bones, walking up to our teachers, asking for training.
For my own self, I have had to be tremendously unconventional.

I have had to walk through changes of life,
changes of state and continent.
I have stuck to it through and through,
I have never wavered, though
I have bitched and wailed
when we leave dear ones behind.
I could beat my head on the dojo floor daily
for everyone I wished I could still train with.
Every one of you,
every name, every day.
I think of you.

But I am here, by myself, just me
my experiences
and what I have learned from you
from me, and my environment.
Every one of you, are here with me.
When I was so, so hungry, none of us could afford it.. but I listened all the time..

I am now far more stable.
I stand still in my loss
I am the center of the tsunami,
it all sucks in to me
and I give it all back.

The things we have, could have fed us all, but we kept them instead.
This is the lesson I bring out of the maelstrom.