Why is the Buddha depicted with a countenance of calm, exuding an inner peace with circumstances as they may be?  Nirvana.  Nirvana is described variously as a mind and heart that accepts things as they happen to be.  I’ve never met anyone who has achieved that.  A few individuals seemed closer than I to that state of well-being.  I’ve been heartened by knowing them, assured that I need not give up, that my quest is not in vain.  It is possible to live life as Dostoevsky so beautifully expressed in The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man:

I have seen the truth; I have seen and I know that people can be beautiful and happy without losing the power of living on earth.

The John Prine song, Angel From Montgomery is one of the most moving of all current tunes.  Prine is a songwriter of wide regard.  The narrator is an old woman.  She uses spare words to sum up her life.  Memory is bitter sweet.  Would I not like to have a poster made of some of my memories of long ago?  How can a person go to work in the morning, come home at the end of the day and have nothing to say?  It happens all of the time.  The recurring plea is also a prayer:

“Just give me one thing that I can hold on to….”

Enjoy!  The lyrics are included after the youtube video.

Angel From Montgomery

I am an old woman named after my mother
My old man is another child that’s grown old
If dreams were lightning thunder was desire
This old house would have burnt down a long time ago

Make me an angel that flies from Montgom’ry
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

When I was a young girl well, I had me a cowboy
He weren’t much to look at, just free rambling man
But that was a long time and no matter how I try
The years just flow by like a broken down dam.

Make me an angel that flies from Montgom’ry
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

There’s flies in the kitchen I can hear ’em there buzzing
And I ain’t done nothing since I woke up today.
How the hell can a person go to work in the morning
And come home in the evening and have nothing to say.

Make me an angel that flies from Montgom’ry
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

Songwriters: John Prine