My body was born into this planet Earth <br /> many years ago, <br />therefore I place Earth <br /> before all other planets, <br />my birth took place in the country <br /> known as Britain, <br />therefore I place Britain <br /> before all other countries, <br />the land of my birth in these isles <br /> is the land we call England, <br />therefore I uphold England <br /> against the rest of Britain, <br />the town of my origin in England <br /> is the capital town of London, <br />therefore I support London <br /> before all other towns, <br />my birth was in a house <br /> therefore I love that house <br />and place it before all other homes. <br /> <br />This house has since been demolished <br /> and ceased to exist, <br />the house no longer visible <br /> loses its basis in reality <br />as though it had never been <br /> just a hole in the world, my world. <br /> <br />Now having no base for its existence <br /> the house becomes unreal, <br />if it can be removed from the land <br /> then it becomes only a remembered reality <br />a true reality could not be removed <br /> or even changed. <br />Therefore if the house of my birth <br /> can be made non-existent, <br />then also the street, district, London, <br /> England, Britain, World <br />and all else having no greater claim to reality <br /> are also seen to be illusion. <br /> <br />In the end all things cease to be, <br /> becoming figments of the world mind <br />and in this my birth <br /> which took place in an illusory house, <br />therefore its self loses reality <br /> thus my body in reality does not exist, <br />any more than my house of origin <br /> now does not exist. <br /> <br />I have lived this illusion <br /> without seeing through the veils of deceit, <br />all things have only limited lives <br /> in a shadowy existence, <br />the atoms of dust swirl and dance <br /> to form the pattern of life, <br />that is soon swept aside <br /> by the winds of time, <br />a design is shaped and drawn <br /> upon the face of the land, <br />but when you reach for it the picture changes <br /> and fades into the mists of illusion.<br /><br />Richard Allen Beevor<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/an-illusion-22/
