Mouse in My Pocket
A poem for children everywhere
I have a mouse in my pocket.
I told my friend Thomas, and he said “There’s no way!
Your pocket isn’t near big enough for a mouse!”
“But I do!” I told him.
“Sure you do,” he said.
Then my friend Philip spoke up.
“Hey,” he said, “I’ve got a mouse in my pocket,
But he can shrink and grow whenever he wants.
When I want to put him in my pocket, he curls up like a Roly Poly.”
“No you don’t,” said Thomas,
“Even if he could he wouldn’t fit anyway.”
“My mouse doesn’t even need to come with me,” said James.
“He lives at home, and any time I want to play with him
I say ‘Pocket Mouse, Pocket Mouse, come into my Pocket House,’
And he magically shows up every time!
We’re really good friends and I can tell him secrets and everything.”
“Really?” said Thomas.
“I’ve never heard of a magic mouse before.”
“Of course!” said Peter.
“My mouse is friends with everybody,
And all you have to do is say he’s your friend and he is!
He’s the best mouse to ever live,
And if you ever do anything bad he can always fix it for you.
He’s so amazing that one time he got caught by my cat,
And even though the cat got him
He showed up on my pillow the next morning safe and sound!”
“Do you think if I wished really hard he’d be my friend too?” said Thomas.
“I know so,” said Peter. “I’ll take you to meet him right now.”
And off they all walked to meet the Amazing Mr. Mouse
Who makes it OK when you make a mistake,
Who magically comes back to life,
Who is friends with everybody in the world,
And even though he’s invisible he’s always with you.
Always.
I’m sure he’s great,
But I don’t think I’ll need him any time soon.
Because, you see, I have a mouse in my pocket.
A sweet little gray mouse.
And he’s real.
----------------
“When it comes to creation, you never ask ‘why’. You ask ‘how.’ Because if you ask why creation, I can tell you, ‘you know, one day God had nothing to do. He was playing marbles. One fell this way and became planet Earth, one flew up and became the Sun.’ Shall I continue? This is a ridiculous story, you don’t like it - but I can tell you a nice elaborate story which you would like to believe. It will take a little more time, that’s all. If I tell you a more elaborate story, you will believe, isn’t it? If you believe you have an interesting story, you believe a positive story. If you disbelieve you have a negative story going. But both way’s you’re not any closer to reality than you are right now, isn’t it? Yes or no? If you believe my story does it get it close to you? If you disbelieve my story does it get it close to you? No. You’ll just have stories. Maybe what I’m telling you is a true story. Even if it is a true story, still it doesn’t get you access to reality, isn’t it? Maybe I am telling you a true story, but even if it is a true story in your experience it is just a story, isn’t it? Stories will entertain you, stories can solace you. Stories will not liberate you. You must know this. So you must decide first of all, are you looking for stories or are you looking for a solution?
- Sadhguru Jaggi Vesudev