Grasshopper

“the grasshopper drags itself along and desire is no longer stirred… the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. “Meaningless! Meaningless!”…“Everything is meaningless!’” Ecclesiastes 12:5-8, New Intl. Version

Grasshopper: How do I find my purpose?
Master: What is the purpose of this river?
Grasshopper: Master, please answer my original question.
Master: I answered your question.
Grasshopper: No, now I have two questions which I’m confused about. That’s one more than where I started.
Master: Are you having this question or is this question having you?
Grasshopper: Master, please answer my question.
Master: Are you experiencing anger?
Grasshopper: No, I’m not angry.
Master: Observe the anger.
Grasshopper: I’m not angry.
Master: Observe the resistance to anger.
Grasshopper: I’m NOT ANGRY.
Master: Once upon a time there was a zebra. He did not know his purpose and so wandered about a forest. He asked a tree - what is your purpose? The tree did not respond. He asked the sky - what is your purpose? The sky did not respond. He asked the sun - what is your purpose? The sun did not respond. And then, the zebra realized he was asking the wrong question. It is said that at that very moment, the zebra found enlightenment.
Grasshopper: What? He just walked into the forest, made noises to the sun and sky, and became enlightened? Master: Yes.
Grasshopper: What happened then?
Master: I happened to be hungry and so I ate him.
Grasshopper: I see. At least tell me, Master, what was the right question?
Master: What do you mean?
Grasshopper: You said he was asking the wrong question, what was the right one?
Master: If I tell you that, young grasshopper, what fun will it be finding your purpose?

Thanks to Jane Hirshfield and classmates for suggestions
Written for Stanford's English 192V: Occasions of Poetry