When the Monks at Mount Athos Became Distracted

Once upon a time monks allowed women
to visit Mount Athos.

But the monks became too distracted
as non-monkish men would as well.

I can understand this as an old, womanless recluse:
Women distract me too.

But not as much as they must have havoced
the minds and the holy intentions of celibate monks.

Though sometimes when I venture of of my quasi monastic solitude
and see women in grocery and department stores

I find myself faced with the distractions of all the lovely women
blooming in the aisles and at the checkout counters

I begin remembering when I was young and with women
and how wonderful and magical my world was then.

For awhile, I pine over being without one of those beautiful distractions
and briefly wish I had one now despite being old and living like a monk.

Bob Boyd

Author: BobBoyd

Age 80. Cancer survivor since 3 years ago. Work out 3 times a week. Ride my exercise bike 2 hours a day. Live a solo reclusive life. Retired a year ago from working with the elderly in a nonprofit. Started writing poetry a little over a year ago; most poems I write are fictional but some are not. Spiritual with a permanent spiritual experience. Write poems on many subjects. Always researching for many of my poems and because of my unquenchable thirst for knowledge. After reading and hearing about many near death experiences and death bed visions, I believe death is the ultimate awakening and the relocation of a lifetime. You may believe differently, but you have the right to be wrong -- I'm just messing with you. :-) View all posts by BobBoyd