The Mechanics Teaching

I would never have thought

that I would one day receive

a deep and most valuable spiritual teaching

by a car mechanic, including moustache and overall

but here we go

I was looking for council

and visited him in his reclusive workshop cave

I was not alone, I brought my 35-year old VW Campervan

a truly reliable horse, not rattly at all, but rusty

He listened seriously and attentively to my worries

lighted a Gauloises blonde

walked a slow circle around the vehicle

rested his oily hands on his hips and slowly stated

It is like that:

if you got severe rust on vital parts

you have to sand it down thoroughly

it often happens underneath the varnish

then it bulges, slowly strange blisters appear

you have to sand it down thoroughly

til the shining brass appears

If you leave some behind

if you simply varnish or spray over it

the rust spreads and gnaws on under the nice paint unseen

and slowly destroys the substance under the surface

and then

it gets complicated, elaborate and costly

And he stepped on his cigarette butt and smiled:

But you know what?

if it has to be

even on the oldest carts

you can still weld something!