Thanks for Everything
Last night at the Dharma Seed KM Group, we listened to a talk by my teacher, Lila Kate Wheeler, titled: The World of Experience. Lila is also a travel writer and novelist, and she often uses poems as part of her talks…but not just from the standard “dharma talk” poets.
Last night, she included this poem from John Giorno, an AIDS activist who spent a lot of time with Andy Warhol and friends.
Thanks for Nothing, by John Giorno
I want to give my thanks to everyone
for everything
And as a token of my appreciation
I want to offer back to you
All my good and bad habits —
magnificent, priceless jewels,
wish-fullfilling gems,
satisfying your every need and want
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
May all the chocolate I every ate
come rushing through your blood stream…
make you feel happy.
I give enormous thanks to all my lovers,
beautiful men with brilliant minds
and great artists.
May they come here and now
and make love to you.
May they hold you in their arms….
if you are attracted to any of them.
May they come back from the dead and do whatever is your pleasure.
Huge hugs to all the friends who betrayed me.
Big kisses to all the loves that failed.
I delight that your vacuum cleaner is sucking everything into your dirtbag.
You are none other than a reflection
of my own mind.
And America, thanks for the neglect.
I did it all without you.
Let us celebrate that you and I
never really existed.
Thanks for introducing me
to the face of my own naked mind.
Thanks for nothing.
(image from: Paper Source)