I’ve seen hell not far away — it’s in my mind. And heaven — where is heaven?
***
A rock wavered.
Its consciousness sank into the abyss, then passed through the crimson gate.
The King of Hell declared,
“Your karma is burdensome, yet I’ll bring you back to the world of the living.”
The rock said,
“I fear not death; I simply desire my form to be lighter.”
The King of Hell spoke in a very serious tone:
“A perturbed mind—everything is unstable. To make your form lighter, you must lower the shoulder pole!”
Thank you for reading.
November 26, 2025
Yoshiko Amemiya