I Am Zero (with commentary)

A Buddhist is the zero

between God and dog.

People get confused

whether there is a God

or just a dog. They get

confused if they are a God

or just a dog.

I’ve eliminated the extremes 

to the point of zero, which, as

a Buddhist, is where I belong.

If people ask me: “Who are you?”

I form a zero with my lips and

am silent.

Few seem satisfied with this answer,

but, for once, I’ve given them a gift

that keeps on giving.

Commentary:

On the Norm Macdonald show,

he and his sidekick, Adam Eget,

had a little shtick they’d do, a joke

played on their guests. Adam, 

the foil of the two, designatedly

would ask the guest: “ My question

to you is: where do you get your ideas?”

The guest, at first flummoxed and chagrined,

would be silent, (the correct answer they 

never seem to get). After  that, as comedians,

they come up with something, but most don’t 

seem to like the trick. Is that why it’s difficult

for Buddhists to be comedians? Because, really,

that’s their only joke?