Watch Out for the Trap

“Once you’ve got the meaning, then you can forget the words”

So, there was a noted sage

Who said remarkable things,

Many of which were preserved.

Anyway, one day the sage

Put a weir in the river.

He waited, then hauled it out.

“Just what I wanted!” he said.

“I caught a fish for dinner.”

He tossed the weir in the weeds.

He walked off with his dead fish,

Whistling cheerfully. “But Sage!”

One of his entourage called.

“You left your trap in the grass!”

“I don’t need it,” laughed the sage.

“I’ve got my fish for dinner.

Once you have the fish, you don’t

Have any need of the trap.”

And he strolled off happily.

“But Sage!” called his devotee.

“Won’t you want to catch more fish?”

“One fish trap!” the sage yelled back.

The devotee felt stupid,

While another follower

Rushed to write this wisdom down.

Much later, a fisherman

Found the weir. Since then, he sells

Sage and followers his catch.