Straw Dogs

Heaven and Earth are not partial. They do not kill living things out of cruelty or give them birth out of kindness. We do the same when we make straw dogs to use in sacrifices. We dress them up and put them on the altar, but not because we love them. And when the ceremony is over, we throw them into the street, but not because we hate them.

         —Su Zhe commentary on Lao-tzu, translated by Red Pine, 1996.

                             Be mindful of me,
                             The straw dog who's learned
                             How to bite.