Saturday, August 13, 2011

五 Taming the Ox


I don't dare take my eyes off the ox for a single moment
The dust has just begun to settle
Still gripping the rope, it now hangs slack
Occasionally brushing the ground

The ox comes over and nudges my arm with its nose
I rub his forehead and scratch behind his ears

It's time to move on
I loosen the knot from around the ox's neck
He follows me by his own will

Before my eyes
His dark coat becomes white

The difference between an ox and a bull is that an ox has been castrated, producing a more docile creature.

Perhaps up until this point, we really were chasing a bull. But there still remains more cutting off to do...

Taming the Bull

One does not let go of the whip or the rope,
Afraid it will stray and choose the dusty mist.
A well-tended ox becomes gentle,
And even with no rope will follow people by himself.

5 comments:

  1. Maybe YOUR ox has been castrated, but mine still has a deep-throated bellow!

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  2. Let me see if I can do something for you when you get to Korea!
    It's all about helping others, isn't it? haha!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Honestly, though, I'm still struggling to grab the bull by the horn, let alone the testicles!

    The next half of the series are a few pastures beyond me.

    ReplyDelete