by Amy Cannon
friend what have you come for?
are you hastening home? then keep this little rule
day by day remind yourself that you are going to die
abandon your will lay down what you have in hand leave it unfinished
be silent and enclose yourself
embrace suffering content yourself with lowliness
prayers should be short and pure make haste to help
eradicate the ego become a vessel of perception
do not retain anything as your own
be ready to rise without delay
set aside what you have with utmost speed
nothing is to be preferred
from this day you are no longer free
even your body is not your own
this is the law under which you serve
if you can keep it come in
Amy Katherine Cannon is a writer and writing teacher living in Los Angeles. She received her MFA from UC Irvine, where she was the recipient of the Gerard Creative Writing Endowment. She is the author of the mini-chapbook ‘to make a desert’ (Platypus Press, 2016). Her work can be found in BOAAT, BODY, Juked, and LIT, among other places. She is Managing Editor of Palaver Arts Magazine, a student publication.