If the eye never sleeps,
all dreams will naturally cease.
If the mind makes no discriminations,
the ten thousands things
are as they are, of single essence.
To understand the mystery of this One-essence
is to be released from all entanglements.

by Sosan Zenji¹

I

Coyoté turned toward the sound of snickering.
He sidled over to see past the boulder obscuring his view.
Owl and Roadrunner were hunched over something.

Then they stepped back and Coyoté saw the chicken
with one leg tied to a stake firmly planted in the ground.

Coyoté considered the why of it, briefly
and then raced forward.
Owl and Roadrunner looked his way
and stepped back and away.
Coyoté  raced past them.
The chicken tried to fly away.

Then Coyoté saw the fine mesh between him and the chicken.
But without time to brake and turn,
he crashed into their trap and found himself
flung up and over the boulder
he'd just past. Up and over the saquaro beyond it.
Keplunk. Dust scattered and then rained gently on his face.

Owl chuckled. Roadrunner laughed out loud
and rolled around.

Coyoté slowly sat up and watched them
slowly quiet down.
He gathered his remaining dignity and waited
for them to quiet and attend to him.
It took longer than he liked
but wait is all he could do.

The chicken had returned to hunting bugs and grains on the ground.

Coyoté considers his plight,
"as long as you remain in one extreme or the other,
you will never know Oneness."¹
With gratitude Coyoté blesses the chicken,
then turns and heads home for some leftovers.