Poetry

Since I am not traveling at the moment, I thought I'd post some poems to spice up this long-neglected page. Enjoy!

Bug Dharma

Compassion

Silently, without eyes,
the Great Earthworm
owns 5 whole hearts.


Awareness

In stillness—
The grasshopper interprets
Summer’s pulse.


Interdependence

An outsider watches,
the honeybee colony,
heave in concord.


Impermanence

Leaving its natal waters,

the aquatic nymph
emerges as a blue dragonfly.


Buddha Nature

Again! Mistaken
For a speck of dust,
The mite carries on…

Reflecting Pool

There is nobody here.

The breeze has stopped

the hum of summer.

All things dissolve

in the water.

But water

is nothing.

My face

is nothing

but water.

In the water

all things dissolve!

The hum of summer--

The breeze has stopped.

There is nobody here.

Spring Chōka

The sculpture garden,

with ancient metallic men,

is a stagnate place.

Where human beauty stands still

and so few viewers

see the living artistry

of Spring’s first cherry blossoms.

There is change

Like

These

Pine

Slab

Stairs

That

Have

Been

Worn

Smooth

After

Years

Of

The

Old

Man

With

Hard

Soled

Boots

And

His

Quest

For

The

Morning

News

And his

wife who

Stills wears

The same

Dry rouge

He bought

Her back

When her

Pink minks

Still bloomed.

Change is there.