The Hole in the Whole

The measure of suffering is how distant you are from your own happiness.

There is no distance farther than that

It’s a gap people carry around with them, sometimes oddly, with pride:

‘Look how long-suffering, look how hard working,

Look how good doing I am.’

Small wonder we’re exhausted all the time.

Because there’s the whole of our lives to account for, to ourselves.

To the you who are listening to this.

Sure, it’s your hole and you’ll sink in it if you want to

But to me, it’s just another drain pipe for life to pour out of

Everyone can see right through you

Until you find a way to plug that hole yourself.