Happy Birthday to my Dharma Brother and Close Friend on the Path

happy birthday

to a friend who,

through the years

of wear and tear,

of ups and downs

both pleasant and unpleasant,

has born the weight

of the test of time.

vigilance and fortitude

in the face of insurmountable odds,

this has allowed you to

understand the true virtues

of this life so simple

and yet so strange.

may your dharma light

and your love shine forth

in unrelenting waves

as it has done for the past

sixty seven years.

Your friend,

Wonji Dharma -aka dochong