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A very wise man

Was granted by an angel

A single wish.

So he pondered long and hard

Upon all the wants and desires

Which always had tormented him,

Which always he had wrestled with,

And struggled mightily to tame.

At last, the wise man made his choice,

And told the Angel:

Make me want nothing.

Relieve my turmoil of desire.

Make me accept what is,

With no more dreaming what could be.

And so it was done.

All yearning and lusting drained away.

All thirsting and hungering fled his soul.

All appetites, urges, and impulses,

It all just disappeared.

And a great peace enveloped the man,

Who stood in stillness,

With no desires now,

No wants, no wishes, no ambitions;

No impetus to move, to speak,

Nor even ponder any more.

Not even, as his life went dark,

Was the foolish man

Able to form

The wish to end it.