THAT ONE TIME, IN DECEMBER 1914

the goddess came to the place of hell

and just by seeing her the hell-laborers

delayed their torture work, and sentient beings

on both sides, all of us, were instantly freed

from anger and the results of anger

such as the sufferings of rain and cold,

hailstorms and broken sandbags, and being

pulled apart and chopped up.

The burning ground became

lapis lazuli and the hungry ghosts

were sated, the animals no longer suffered,

the demigods were no longer jealous

of one another and the gods

shredded all the maps.

All needs and desires fell away like rain

and the suffering of all sentient beings

stopped, went silent, and across the frozen ground

between us you could hear the carols.