______________________________________
Find me here for yet a while:
TODAY...:-) click>>>View blog
Permanent Impermanence
Experiences come and go
Rivers of pain and
pleasure Forever flow
We practice and practice and
although nothing changes,
everything is change.
All kinds of events and
experiences,
"good, bad, and indifferent,"-
still go on and on-
As we go on practicing,
we see that what we had
thought of before as
"suffering"
becomes less and
less experienced as
suffering until finally
we don't see any part of
any experience as suffering.
Suffering disappears.
How odd.
How mysterious!
.
Happiness in Being Here Now.... :-)
.
TODAY...:-) click>>>View blog
Permanent Impermanence
Experiences come and go
Rivers of pain and
pleasure Forever flow
We practice and practice and
although nothing changes,
everything is change.
All kinds of events and
experiences,
"good, bad, and indifferent,"-
still go on and on-
As we go on practicing,
we see that what we had
thought of before as
"suffering"
becomes less and
less experienced as
suffering until finally
we don't see any part of
any experience as suffering.
Suffering disappears.
How odd.
How mysterious!
.
Happiness in Being Here Now.... :-)
.
..
.
...another summer
is plum nelly gone today
how many is that?
they blend into one
all those summers gone by
frozen into winters that
melt into spring blossoms
plum nelly stardust
.
An old song we used to sing
it said, "This world it aint my
home I'm just uh passin' thru....."
... another year
jus went zooming on by...
how many is that?
they blend into one
all those years past
. _____
Burnt by the sun in summer
Delighted by color in fall
All those years are a blur
And we're just passing
through, is all...
____
Time being frozen in winters
Then melting into another spring,
Like birds' migrating the seasons
We're just passing thru on a wing... :-)....
... :-)
.
...another summer
is plum nelly gone today
how many is that?
they blend into one
all those summers gone by
frozen into winters that
melt into spring blossoms
plum nelly stardust
.
An old song we used to sing
it said, "This world it aint my
home I'm just uh passin' thru....."
... another year
jus went zooming on by...
how many is that?
they blend into one
all those years past
. _____
Burnt by the sun in summer
Delighted by color in fall
All those years are a blur
And we're just passing
through, is all...
____
Time being frozen in winters
Then melting into another spring,
Like birds' migrating the seasons
We're just passing thru on a wing... :-)....
... :-)
We were once again sitting on soft chairs,
smoking cigarettes drinking coffee, and Talking.
Talking about whatever we had on our minds at the time..
.and about things we could only know in
Our Imagination.
I saw us back then again.
Only this time it was
__Different.
With midnight moon,
dreaming...sea oats growing
tall on sugar white dunes
No waves. All is still.
No sandpipers racing,
No sand crabs trailing tracks,
No people walking.
Nothing but shimmering moonlight
left over from midnight last,
.
_______________________
.
.
smoking cigarettes drinking coffee, and Talking.
Talking about whatever we had on our minds at the time..
.and about things we could only know in
Our Imagination.
I saw us back then again.
Only this time it was
__Different.
With midnight moon,
dreaming...sea oats growing
tall on sugar white dunes
No waves. All is still.
No sandpipers racing,
No sand crabs trailing tracks,
No people walking.
Nothing but shimmering moonlight
left over from midnight last,
.
_______________________
.
.
```````
Riverman ran out over the
banks, away from his
forest bed, running amok amid
mead and maid, filling his foes
with dread.
Until one day all broke and bent,
bruised and battered by life,
River-man remembered his old
true love, remembered his
riverbred wife.
Swaddled in mud and
muck that stunk,
his heart began to fall;
he heard the ripples of
time running swift,
he heard the river's clean call.
So before the banks were
covered o'er, with
winters' cold and white,
and falling leaves on
currents swift floated
into the night,
Riverman ran with
hopeful heart,
back to the flowing
stream, back to sandbars,
eddies and curves,
back to his childhood dream....
Riverman ran out over the
banks, away from his
forest bed, running amok amid
mead and maid, filling his foes
with dread.
Until one day all broke and bent,
bruised and battered by life,
River-man remembered his old
true love, remembered his
riverbred wife.
Swaddled in mud and
muck that stunk,
his heart began to fall;
he heard the ripples of
time running swift,
he heard the river's clean call.
So before the banks were
covered o'er, with
winters' cold and white,
and falling leaves on
currents swift floated
into the night,
Riverman ran with
hopeful heart,
back to the flowing
stream, back to sandbars,
eddies and curves,
back to his childhood dream....
We walked and talked along the beach
Down by the water's edge, swishing our
bare feet slowly along with seagulls and sandpipers.
The air was misty,cool, and refreshing.
The Water was warm.
We walked and talked a long time and
when we tired, we sat for a while and
rested.
It was a good time.
We watched the sky,
the waves, the birds,
We felt the gentle wind, the
sun, the sand, the mist.
And we talked.
It's nothing big
But also not small
That we left behind
body and mind.
Emptiness was there
Along the beach
Walking and Talking ......
...........................
Down by the water's edge, swishing our
bare feet slowly along with seagulls and sandpipers.
The air was misty,cool, and refreshing.
The Water was warm.
We walked and talked a long time and
when we tired, we sat for a while and
rested.
It was a good time.
We watched the sky,
the waves, the birds,
We felt the gentle wind, the
sun, the sand, the mist.
And we talked.
It's nothing big
But also not small
That we left behind
body and mind.
Emptiness was there
Along the beach
Walking and Talking ......
...........................
VEry StRaNge is eternity's stone
Combined with what's come and gone
Antiquity keeps going on and on
The colors are so very odd
In that particular combination
Like mixing together
Cotton candy with,
Marble.
Yes marble, not granite.
Carefully cut out cookies too.
Along with a little superglue.
All in all, so pleasingly odd,
yet so very autumnal that
it's remindfully reminiscent of
Old Robert Frost, who said,
"A tree beside the wall stands bare,
But a leaf that lingered brown,
Disturbed, I doubt not,
by my thought,
Comes softly rattling down."
...
...
.
See that white cloud peeking
over the hill?
It's coming up from Lake Woebegone!
They say there's no such place,
But Sister Faye swears there is.
She says it's in Minnesota.
We were picking yellow flowers one day,
Down by the bog where they grow,
That was before we grew into what we are
and before we knew what we know.
She told me something weird,
Something I'll never forget.
But for the life of me,
I can't think what it was!
(My mind goes meandering.)
But look at those trees!
It's Christmas in summer you've clicked!
I'm seeing them all decked out in
December with fluffy white snow, and
thinking 'bout you in your
Motor Mansion:
Rolling, rolling, rolling,
Rolling with the River!
-dale :-)
Combined with what's come and gone
Antiquity keeps going on and on
The colors are so very odd
In that particular combination
Like mixing together
Cotton candy with,
Marble.
Yes marble, not granite.
Carefully cut out cookies too.
Along with a little superglue.
All in all, so pleasingly odd,
yet so very autumnal that
it's remindfully reminiscent of
Old Robert Frost, who said,
"A tree beside the wall stands bare,
But a leaf that lingered brown,
Disturbed, I doubt not,
by my thought,
Comes softly rattling down."
...
...
.
See that white cloud peeking
over the hill?
It's coming up from Lake Woebegone!
They say there's no such place,
But Sister Faye swears there is.
She says it's in Minnesota.
We were picking yellow flowers one day,
Down by the bog where they grow,
That was before we grew into what we are
and before we knew what we know.
She told me something weird,
Something I'll never forget.
But for the life of me,
I can't think what it was!
(My mind goes meandering.)
But look at those trees!
It's Christmas in summer you've clicked!
I'm seeing them all decked out in
December with fluffy white snow, and
thinking 'bout you in your
Motor Mansion:
Rolling, rolling, rolling,
Rolling with the River!
-dale :-)
```
``````
Green valleys disappear
Into blue mountains'
creeping cold
The maraschino cherry
The ice cream sundae
fade into the distant mist
They follow no secret recipes.
```
`
It gives me an ache in my head
To think of eating stone-baked bread
Remembering the time my grandma fed
That kind of bread to me and Fred:
We'd been out camping all week long
All the fuel in our stove long gone
So she said she'd cook right or wrong
On a great big rock called "Old King Kong"
She built up a fire on King Kong's belly
Heated it hotter'n the lava-like jelly
That seethed and bubbled back Plum Nelly
All the way back to the DeeLite Deli,
She piled on the dough she'd kneaded all day
Along with the acorns that got in the way,
Not to mention the droppings of an ol' bluejay.
We all knew there'd be you-know-what to pay
If we didn't eat that grimy mucked up mess
Concocted by that dear old hag in a dress
And to this day I have to confess
The dread in my head for bread is no less!
:-)
```
``````
Green valleys disappear
Into blue mountains'
creeping cold
The maraschino cherry
The ice cream sundae
fade into the distant mist
They follow no secret recipes.
```
`
It gives me an ache in my head
To think of eating stone-baked bread
Remembering the time my grandma fed
That kind of bread to me and Fred:
We'd been out camping all week long
All the fuel in our stove long gone
So she said she'd cook right or wrong
On a great big rock called "Old King Kong"
She built up a fire on King Kong's belly
Heated it hotter'n the lava-like jelly
That seethed and bubbled back Plum Nelly
All the way back to the DeeLite Deli,
She piled on the dough she'd kneaded all day
Along with the acorns that got in the way,
Not to mention the droppings of an ol' bluejay.
We all knew there'd be you-know-what to pay
If we didn't eat that grimy mucked up mess
Concocted by that dear old hag in a dress
And to this day I have to confess
The dread in my head for bread is no less!
:-)
```
~
~~~~~~~
Rujing said:
"Studying Zen is dropping
off body and mind.
Without depending on the
burning of incense, bowing,
chanting Buddha's names,
devote yourself to just sitting."
Dogen:
"What is dropping off body and mind?"
Rujing said:
"Dropping of body and mind is zazen.
When you just sit, you are free from
the five sense desires and the five
hindrances."
- dialogue between Dogen and Rujing
_________________
What is it in this teaching we call
"Sitting in meditation?" In this
teaching, "sitting" means without any obstruction anywhere.
Outwardly and under all
circumstances, not to activate thoughts. "Meditation" is internally to see the
original nature and not become
confused.
- Huineng
_____________
I sought Zen from temples and
teachers, then found it along
the way of Tsao, his inside this
moment forever.
When walking now, I walk Zen.
When sitting, I sit Zen.
Talking, quiet; moving, stillness,
the calm within.
- Hsuan Chyuen (655-713)
~~~~~~~
Rujing said:
"Studying Zen is dropping
off body and mind.
Without depending on the
burning of incense, bowing,
chanting Buddha's names,
devote yourself to just sitting."
Dogen:
"What is dropping off body and mind?"
Rujing said:
"Dropping of body and mind is zazen.
When you just sit, you are free from
the five sense desires and the five
hindrances."
- dialogue between Dogen and Rujing
_________________
What is it in this teaching we call
"Sitting in meditation?" In this
teaching, "sitting" means without any obstruction anywhere.
Outwardly and under all
circumstances, not to activate thoughts. "Meditation" is internally to see the
original nature and not become
confused.
- Huineng
_____________
I sought Zen from temples and
teachers, then found it along
the way of Tsao, his inside this
moment forever.
When walking now, I walk Zen.
When sitting, I sit Zen.
Talking, quiet; moving, stillness,
the calm within.
- Hsuan Chyuen (655-713)
~~~
.
___:-) 3 Limericks: :-)
1.
Limericks are silly, inane
Surely there's nothing to gain
wasting one's time
making a rhyme
worthy of naught but disdain!
:-)_______________-
2.
His willow tree was weeping
His love beneath it sleeping
He tickled her nose
then tickled her toes
To see if she'd rise up leaping!
:-) ______________`````
_____:-)
3.
There once was an old mystery writer
who could've been a little bit brighter.
He wrote and wrote,
note after note,
'til he turned out an absolute frighter
____ :-)
.
___:-) 3 Limericks: :-)
1.
Limericks are silly, inane
Surely there's nothing to gain
wasting one's time
making a rhyme
worthy of naught but disdain!
:-)_______________-
2.
His willow tree was weeping
His love beneath it sleeping
He tickled her nose
then tickled her toes
To see if she'd rise up leaping!
:-) ______________`````
_____:-)
3.
There once was an old mystery writer
who could've been a little bit brighter.
He wrote and wrote,
note after note,
'til he turned out an absolute frighter
____ :-)
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Clouds bury the mountains behind
the house, drass blocks the road to
the gate. Tattered books on the shelf,
a closed door to the outside world.
- Li Yu (10th century) May 20, 2008
Spring morning on the lake: The
wind merges with the rain, worldly
matters are like flowers that fall only
to bloom again. I retire to contemplate
behind closed doors, a place of true joy,
while the floating clouds come and
go the whole day long.
- Zhengue (12th cent)
A crowd of stars lines up bright in
the deep night. Lone lamp on the cliff,
the moon is not yet sunk, full and bright without being ground or polished.
Hanging in the black sky is my mind.
- Han Shan (early 9th century)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Clouds bury the mountains behind
the house, drass blocks the road to
the gate. Tattered books on the shelf,
a closed door to the outside world.
- Li Yu (10th century) May 20, 2008
Spring morning on the lake: The
wind merges with the rain, worldly
matters are like flowers that fall only
to bloom again. I retire to contemplate
behind closed doors, a place of true joy,
while the floating clouds come and
go the whole day long.
- Zhengue (12th cent)
A crowd of stars lines up bright in
the deep night. Lone lamp on the cliff,
the moon is not yet sunk, full and bright without being ground or polished.
Hanging in the black sky is my mind.
- Han Shan (early 9th century)
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In ultimate solitude
Light penetrates all there is;
In the stillness of this
Different kind of light
There pervades a sense of
Awesome potentiality.
Filled with phenomenality in
The Here and Now,
There's no need of looking
Backward nor forward where
Everything is like a dream.
~ ~ ~
______________
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
The moon lights up a thousand
drops of dew with light so
bright it's like the light of day.
A voice calling out falls on my
pillow of old dreams, waking
me to rise and walk unafraid out
onto the deck and sit, letting my
feet dangle inthe warm gulf waters while
the moonlit mists wet my thin robe.
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In ultimate solitude
Light penetrates all there is;
In the stillness of this
Different kind of light
There pervades a sense of
Awesome potentiality.
Filled with phenomenality in
The Here and Now,
There's no need of looking
Backward nor forward where
Everything is like a dream.
~ ~ ~
______________
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
The moon lights up a thousand
drops of dew with light so
bright it's like the light of day.
A voice calling out falls on my
pillow of old dreams, waking
me to rise and walk unafraid out
onto the deck and sit, letting my
feet dangle inthe warm gulf waters while
the moonlit mists wet my thin robe.
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
~
We walked and talked along the beach
Down by the water's edge,
swishing our bare feet slowly along with seagulls and sandpipers.
The air was misty, cool, and refreshing.
The Water was warm.
We walked and talked a long
time and when we tired,
we sat for a while and rested.
It was a good time.
We watched the sky,
the waves, the birds,
We felt the gentle wind, the
sun, the sand, the mist.
And we talked.
.
It's nothing big
But also not small
That we left behind
body and mind.
Emptiness was there
Along the beach
Walking and Talking
~
We walked and talked along the beach
Down by the water's edge,
swishing our bare feet slowly along with seagulls and sandpipers.
The air was misty, cool, and refreshing.
The Water was warm.
We walked and talked a long
time and when we tired,
we sat for a while and rested.
It was a good time.
We watched the sky,
the waves, the birds,
We felt the gentle wind, the
sun, the sand, the mist.
And we talked.
.
It's nothing big
But also not small
That we left behind
body and mind.
Emptiness was there
Along the beach
Walking and Talking
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The door is open.
I walk out into the forest upon whose floor the flowers grow, I wander freely this way and that, wherever my nature leads me.
I wash my feet in the flowing brook.
~ ~ ~
deeper and deeper and
deeper into the forest green,
where light beams shimmer
lighting things unseen;
little creatures there
cuddle up beneath the shrubs
others root around
searching out bugs and grubs
I follow a well worn path
into the shadows there
walking soft and quiet
through the steamy air
deeper and deeper and
deeper into the wood I go
absorbed in what I see
compared with what I know
I soon forget the sunshine
of meadows left behind
while walking in the light
I discover in my mind.
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The door is open.
I walk out into the forest upon whose floor the flowers grow, I wander freely this way and that, wherever my nature leads me.
I wash my feet in the flowing brook.
~ ~ ~
deeper and deeper and
deeper into the forest green,
where light beams shimmer
lighting things unseen;
little creatures there
cuddle up beneath the shrubs
others root around
searching out bugs and grubs
I follow a well worn path
into the shadows there
walking soft and quiet
through the steamy air
deeper and deeper and
deeper into the wood I go
absorbed in what I see
compared with what I know
I soon forget the sunshine
of meadows left behind
while walking in the light
I discover in my mind.
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
What a pity there's no
moon this evening,
Yet I do love this waterfall,
Seeing how it pours clean
Over it's soft ledge;
It has it's own gleam
As if the moon were not hiding,
And it ripples in it's pool as if
there was a wind sounding
through the pines.
:-)
______________
doors, gates,
narrow rocky trails
tall cliffs
..openings
bend of road...
adventure.
walking, winding,
pushing, pulling
thick, tangled-up jumble of
undergrowth...
stop.
listen.
tinkle of a tiny waterfall
somewhere.
Oh Joyful Sound!
Thirst shall soon be slaked!
:-)
What a pity there's no
moon this evening,
Yet I do love this waterfall,
Seeing how it pours clean
Over it's soft ledge;
It has it's own gleam
As if the moon were not hiding,
And it ripples in it's pool as if
there was a wind sounding
through the pines.
:-)
______________
doors, gates,
narrow rocky trails
tall cliffs
..openings
bend of road...
adventure.
walking, winding,
pushing, pulling
thick, tangled-up jumble of
undergrowth...
stop.
listen.
tinkle of a tiny waterfall
somewhere.
Oh Joyful Sound!
Thirst shall soon be slaked!
:-)
Sporting a little
gold sticker with
a dutch name.
Oh my goodness, gracious me!
Look how big they are!
No wonder all the other
kids laugh and call my
shoes _______"boats!"
(All I need now is a pair of oars!)
granpappy stood by with
a great big grin
He said he ordered size 9 but
they sent size 10
he watched me as I so
excitedly put my
feet first into one
and then the other.
oooooohhh..ooo t
hey feel so goood....
they support my
arches snug and
when I take steps,
they gently rock
me along, making
it easy to walk
even though they
are bigger than my
size, and granpappy says
I'll grow into them, and
when I'm a real
grown-up 'tater eater,
they'll fit just right!
:-)
gold sticker with
a dutch name.
Oh my goodness, gracious me!
Look how big they are!
No wonder all the other
kids laugh and call my
shoes _______"boats!"
(All I need now is a pair of oars!)
granpappy stood by with
a great big grin
He said he ordered size 9 but
they sent size 10
he watched me as I so
excitedly put my
feet first into one
and then the other.
oooooohhh..ooo t
hey feel so goood....
they support my
arches snug and
when I take steps,
they gently rock
me along, making
it easy to walk
even though they
are bigger than my
size, and granpappy says
I'll grow into them, and
when I'm a real
grown-up 'tater eater,
they'll fit just right!
:-)
.
Under wide open skies,
Carrying my hoe,
I walk slowly out to garden.
Tree critters, and ground critters,
surprised to see me, scatter and
disappear into the woods.
I stop for a minute and
invite them back,
then stand my hoe beside a
fence post and hang my
hat from it's top.
The critters begin to
play again and I throw
a rock into the pond.
Two, three, then five more,
just to hear that satisfying
little splash.
I feel a delicious breeze brush
against my face with every
northward turn .
Playing around like this,
in the garden and by the
pond I forget all about my hoe,
my hat, the weeds and the flowers.
I laugh and wonder:
"why such foolishness as to hoe down weeds when in only a matter of a few weeks they will crumble and freeze into many layers of frost?" A patch of goldenrod gives me a bright yellow smile and a deep bow;
"Why indeed?" they answer.
:-)
Under wide open skies,
Carrying my hoe,
I walk slowly out to garden.
Tree critters, and ground critters,
surprised to see me, scatter and
disappear into the woods.
I stop for a minute and
invite them back,
then stand my hoe beside a
fence post and hang my
hat from it's top.
The critters begin to
play again and I throw
a rock into the pond.
Two, three, then five more,
just to hear that satisfying
little splash.
I feel a delicious breeze brush
against my face with every
northward turn .
Playing around like this,
in the garden and by the
pond I forget all about my hoe,
my hat, the weeds and the flowers.
I laugh and wonder:
"why such foolishness as to hoe down weeds when in only a matter of a few weeks they will crumble and freeze into many layers of frost?" A patch of goldenrod gives me a bright yellow smile and a deep bow;
"Why indeed?" they answer.
:-)
There's a little deja vu;
Off in the distance
Outside the door
Something very familiar
Like a sound heard before
Could be a bird in a tree;
Not a pinecone,
Nor a pear broke free,
Nor thunder nor jet-
It's too melodious, and yet
No one knows for sure
What's outside the door
Nor if what's happening now
Did or did not happen before..
:-)
Flowers from the pear tree
all over the ground
Sunshine too bright for my eyes:
New spring greens come_
and so_when blossoms are
at their finest,I'm likely to cling,
bidding them stay,
only then to wise-up enough to say,
No, They must go;
If not__ Then be no slices to fry,
No Pluperfect Pears baked in a pie!_
:-)
Off in the distance
Outside the door
Something very familiar
Like a sound heard before
Could be a bird in a tree;
Not a pinecone,
Nor a pear broke free,
Nor thunder nor jet-
It's too melodious, and yet
No one knows for sure
What's outside the door
Nor if what's happening now
Did or did not happen before..
:-)
Flowers from the pear tree
all over the ground
Sunshine too bright for my eyes:
New spring greens come_
and so_when blossoms are
at their finest,I'm likely to cling,
bidding them stay,
only then to wise-up enough to say,
No, They must go;
If not__ Then be no slices to fry,
No Pluperfect Pears baked in a pie!_
:-)
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
River of Now,
Roll on
ripple along-
sing a river song.
River of Now,
Tumbled rocks,
fallen trees
Roll on,
River, ~ ~ ~
Roll on. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
White clouds drift
across blue skies
Skyscrapers and
brownstones
Shine in the sun
glow in the shade
Now looking there's
mountains to see
Now not looking no
mountains to be
Roll away the rocks
letting fresh water flow
Watch big fish
swim and disappear.
(Into Rocks.)
~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
River of Now,
Roll on
ripple along-
sing a river song.
River of Now,
Tumbled rocks,
fallen trees
Roll on,
River, ~ ~ ~
Roll on. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
White clouds drift
across blue skies
Skyscrapers and
brownstones
Shine in the sun
glow in the shade
Now looking there's
mountains to see
Now not looking no
mountains to be
Roll away the rocks
letting fresh water flow
Watch big fish
swim and disappear.
(Into Rocks.)
~
Like a light cloud,
a soft drizzle of
rainfall round the garden.
In the wetness of the yard,
I stand and look at the
clouds of tiny green
leaves covering the
orchard of plums,
the very same ones that
pushed off the white
blossom carpets that
now cover the ground
all around beneath their
still winter-black limbs.
Although green
sprouts of spring
poke bravely up
through cold clods of
earth at my feet,
the tall ghosts of last years'
goldenrod bathe and
bask like clouds of
forgotten memories in
the rays and beams of
light pouring down and
drowning in this
light drizzle of spring....
:-)
a soft drizzle of
rainfall round the garden.
In the wetness of the yard,
I stand and look at the
clouds of tiny green
leaves covering the
orchard of plums,
the very same ones that
pushed off the white
blossom carpets that
now cover the ground
all around beneath their
still winter-black limbs.
Although green
sprouts of spring
poke bravely up
through cold clods of
earth at my feet,
the tall ghosts of last years'
goldenrod bathe and
bask like clouds of
forgotten memories in
the rays and beams of
light pouring down and
drowning in this
light drizzle of spring....
:-)
easily jumping from
one log to another
across cold water creek
getting to the other side,
not looking for
anything in particular,
__eating chinquapins and
wild persimmons__
one log to another
across cold water creek
getting to the other side,
not looking for
anything in particular,
__eating chinquapins and
wild persimmons__
move on, move on, move on
stop and stay still
alligators roar
waking whippoorwill
sawgrasses sway
southern winds blow hot
peeling pungent roots to
add into the pot
stirring community stew
stoking low-heat flame
belly full and drowsy
contentment is your name
stop and stay still
alligators roar
waking whippoorwill
sawgrasses sway
southern winds blow hot
peeling pungent roots to
add into the pot
stirring community stew
stoking low-heat flame
belly full and drowsy
contentment is your name
daybreak creep into sleep who could sleep with that hot ball of fire searing their brain with shooting flashes of get up and go!........................
...................I wanted to watch day break so I sat under an old oak tree from full darkness to full light but I did'nt see day break. It happened so slowly, so subtly, I did not see any one moment In which I could say: See! This is it!
__________________
The robins have flown away from the back yard, and at ten o'clock the last squirrel disappeared.We wait together, the back yard and me, for what will show up next.
:-)
...................I wanted to watch day break so I sat under an old oak tree from full darkness to full light but I did'nt see day break. It happened so slowly, so subtly, I did not see any one moment In which I could say: See! This is it!
__________________
The robins have flown away from the back yard, and at ten o'clock the last squirrel disappeared.We wait together, the back yard and me, for what will show up next.
:-)
After morning sun burns
through blue fog,
New clouds come floating in.
A light night rain left wet
spots around in places not
shaded by trees,
Water hyacinths sway as an
Alligator glides across
the bayou.
A being is happy in this place.
~
The evening bay
appears smooth.
Like a shimmering
sheet of glass.
Suddenly
a speed boat appears,
The shattered shards
of waning light
Carry away the day.
~ ~
:-)
through blue fog,
New clouds come floating in.
A light night rain left wet
spots around in places not
shaded by trees,
Water hyacinths sway as an
Alligator glides across
the bayou.
A being is happy in this place.
~
The evening bay
appears smooth.
Like a shimmering
sheet of glass.
Suddenly
a speed boat appears,
The shattered shards
of waning light
Carry away the day.
~ ~
:-)
Beyond imagination.
Moments moving,
Coming, going,
Like a river-
flowing, flowing.
This that is:
Thus and so.
Seasons come
and seasons go
Spring green,
Winter snow
Autumn colors turning
Leaves brightly burning.
Moments ever moving,
Let 'em come
Let 'em go
River of Rivers
Forever Flow
This that is:
Thus and so.
~
O what tangled
webs we weave
when first we
practice to...
..imagine!!!
Can reality ever
measure up to imagination?
surpass it?
How much needless
agony comes from
vain imaginings?
..
IMAGINATION!!! :-)
..
Imagine Sunshine!
That Star and
the North Star
and a whole bunch of
other stars guiding these
lone ships from one
emerald green isle to another.
That dear old ocean of life.
Full of tidal waves, sharks,
dolphins, beautiful little
fishes of every bright color,
sunshine, shadows,
the siren call of
sensual delights, ___
No end to it!__
_Imagination fills full and
spills as the rains of existence continually
replenish
Sunshine Sparkled Sea of Life!
..
:-)
"vain imaginings are like
packs of dogs
yapping and barking all
night at wind and shadows "
-(?)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Albert and Lars went to school
And neither one liked it much
Like Mary's little lamb
They never did learn
How to follow the rule of school
In math and art and philosophy too
They excelled with imagination
The universal mystery of it is what it is
they solved with fantastic inspiration!
vive la imagination,... oui, mais oui!
C'est la vie!!!!!
:-)
.
.
.
On the roof of
This Skyscraper:
Wind's blowing icy cold.
Fog blowing in off the ocean.
This is no place to rest.
The sun's gone down,
Street lights coming on.
..........................
Something's written in
the sand by crispy
tan colored sea oats and
dry grass, look at the
pictures painted on
landscapes by wind and
rain, watch dramas unfold
around storm swirled
mountain gorges and
raging rivers knowing
it's snowing while
green grass is growing.
...............
............All is quiet
In this still world
With the door shut
Only candles light
The night.......................
.
.
On the roof of
This Skyscraper:
Wind's blowing icy cold.
Fog blowing in off the ocean.
This is no place to rest.
The sun's gone down,
Street lights coming on.
..........................
Something's written in
the sand by crispy
tan colored sea oats and
dry grass, look at the
pictures painted on
landscapes by wind and
rain, watch dramas unfold
around storm swirled
mountain gorges and
raging rivers knowing
it's snowing while
green grass is growing.
...............
............All is quiet
In this still world
With the door shut
Only candles light
The night.......................
.
.
.
~
Today I sat beside a place
Where gladiolas were planted
Yesterday.
A Brown thrasher nearby
scratched like a chicken in
loose leaves under
thickets of yellow rose vines.
My little brown puppy jumped
playfully at a yellow
butterfly as it dipped and
fluttered by.
Moon's night light forgotten,
We drank the dew of morning
Together
Without a care in the world.
.. Under a sky of
thousands of colors
Under ten thousands of
a zillion leafy leaves
Tall trees tower over
one who daily wanders
up one trail and down
another...
Back to sleep in a woven
arbor at night
Years go by, a river of
springs flowing
Summers to autumns to
frosty winter nights
Faster and faster
swiftly pass by being still
but like water off a duck's
back nothing can cling.
Serenity glows golden like
a warm october day.
~
.
.
~
Today I sat beside a place
Where gladiolas were planted
Yesterday.
A Brown thrasher nearby
scratched like a chicken in
loose leaves under
thickets of yellow rose vines.
My little brown puppy jumped
playfully at a yellow
butterfly as it dipped and
fluttered by.
Moon's night light forgotten,
We drank the dew of morning
Together
Without a care in the world.
.. Under a sky of
thousands of colors
Under ten thousands of
a zillion leafy leaves
Tall trees tower over
one who daily wanders
up one trail and down
another...
Back to sleep in a woven
arbor at night
Years go by, a river of
springs flowing
Summers to autumns to
frosty winter nights
Faster and faster
swiftly pass by being still
but like water off a duck's
back nothing can cling.
Serenity glows golden like
a warm october day.
~
~
~
~At the beginning
Where the road comes to an end
Blue is deeper blue
~
Sandy gardens grow
White clouds in blue skies drift by
Imaginary
~
People from times past who
left their footprints on the hill,
Who grew old with frost,
wind, cold mountains and
green forests,
Who listened to these same
pines stirring, rustling quietly in
summer breezes, some of these
old ones can lead us on the way...
~
_ _
Just before dawn we hear
waterfalls, we are refreshed by
their cool dampness, we see green
moss growing all over the rocks on
each side of the indistinct path and
we know we are almost there.
:-)
~
~
~At the beginning
Where the road comes to an end
Blue is deeper blue
~
Sandy gardens grow
White clouds in blue skies drift by
Imaginary
~
People from times past who
left their footprints on the hill,
Who grew old with frost,
wind, cold mountains and
green forests,
Who listened to these same
pines stirring, rustling quietly in
summer breezes, some of these
old ones can lead us on the way...
~
_ _
Just before dawn we hear
waterfalls, we are refreshed by
their cool dampness, we see green
moss growing all over the rocks on
each side of the indistinct path and
we know we are almost there.
:-)
~
.
.
.
.March winds
blow leaves left over from
winter all over yard
sweeping clean bare
uncovered ground
little girls run laughing
through the wind with
armwings held
aloft and soaring
whilst streaming
locks behind their
backs allow soft
fingers of delight to
ripple their hair
leaving trails of sweet
memory to take root and
burst the buds of spring into
long hot days of summer.
~
.
In the Winds of March
And those at sea
The Mistiness of dawn
Cries out to me
Something invisible
That I don't see
In the wind
I feel in me.
:-) ~ ~
.
.
.March winds
blow leaves left over from
winter all over yard
sweeping clean bare
uncovered ground
little girls run laughing
through the wind with
armwings held
aloft and soaring
whilst streaming
locks behind their
backs allow soft
fingers of delight to
ripple their hair
leaving trails of sweet
memory to take root and
burst the buds of spring into
long hot days of summer.
~
.
In the Winds of March
And those at sea
The Mistiness of dawn
Cries out to me
Something invisible
That I don't see
In the wind
I feel in me.
:-) ~ ~
.
.
.
In a moonlit dream,
I am something else,
perhaps a meadowlark!
beating my wings
against the rarified air
of a day like today;
a Spring day
Listening to tinkledrops
dripping off eave's
april showers.....amazing!
...this is really amazing.
It's almost enough to
make me burst into song!
Oh would that for just
a day or so
would I really, really know
A moonlit dream is surely so_
I the meadowlark! Can sing
..And FLY!!!
:-)_________
.
__sandy shoals
shallow
pull canoe past
keep on going
low overhanging
branches
watch out for
wasp nest
duck!
but keep on going
dip oars in lightly
to prevent
tipover turn
keep on going
down the river
riding, skimming
swiftly along
go with the flow
keep on
going.__
:-)
.
.
In a moonlit dream,
I am something else,
perhaps a meadowlark!
beating my wings
against the rarified air
of a day like today;
a Spring day
Listening to tinkledrops
dripping off eave's
april showers.....amazing!
...this is really amazing.
It's almost enough to
make me burst into song!
Oh would that for just
a day or so
would I really, really know
A moonlit dream is surely so_
I the meadowlark! Can sing
..And FLY!!!
:-)_________
.
__sandy shoals
shallow
pull canoe past
keep on going
low overhanging
branches
watch out for
wasp nest
duck!
but keep on going
dip oars in lightly
to prevent
tipover turn
keep on going
down the river
riding, skimming
swiftly along
go with the flow
keep on
going.__
:-)
.
.
The hills and valleys are green
The ups and downs divine...
...
We carried small packs of
food and water slung loosely for
comfort as we walked not too
fast and not too slow.
We expected to reach the top of
old grandfather mountain before
nightfall.
Steep inclines, loose rocks,
slipping,sliding, bruised, skint
knees, twisted ankles, scratches.
An hour of miserable heat
followed by tooth chattering
cold during a sudden
afternoon thunderstorm...
And that's not the half of it.
For the discomforts, you know.
Not to mention the Joys and
Wonders we beheld all along
the way, like the pure bliss of
the shower we had under a
waterfall at lunchtime,
the feasts of our hearts, souls,
and eyes taking in the vistas of
pure beauty, the sounds, the
smells, the indescribable
happiness of knowing we were
actually in real life
experiencing the experience of
Climbing to the Top of
Old Grandfather Mountain!!!
:-)
.
The hills and valleys are green
The ups and downs divine...
...
We carried small packs of
food and water slung loosely for
comfort as we walked not too
fast and not too slow.
We expected to reach the top of
old grandfather mountain before
nightfall.
Steep inclines, loose rocks,
slipping,sliding, bruised, skint
knees, twisted ankles, scratches.
An hour of miserable heat
followed by tooth chattering
cold during a sudden
afternoon thunderstorm...
And that's not the half of it.
For the discomforts, you know.
Not to mention the Joys and
Wonders we beheld all along
the way, like the pure bliss of
the shower we had under a
waterfall at lunchtime,
the feasts of our hearts, souls,
and eyes taking in the vistas of
pure beauty, the sounds, the
smells, the indescribable
happiness of knowing we were
actually in real life
experiencing the experience of
Climbing to the Top of
Old Grandfather Mountain!!!
:-)
.
.
.
There is a river of
streams and mountains
Strung out like blue and
green pearls all
The way to the end of the earth
In the midst of many twigs and
leavesOne little brown wren so
sweetly uttered his voice that
the earth melted to hear it
--------------
This, our original garden
Was here before this dark
night sky ever lit up with
moons and myriads of stars...
..................
.....The form of these
flowers withered away in
winter's frosty air
but now they are back again,
and their colors did not fade.
A huge chunk of redhot charcoal
Spat from grill's broken mouth,
Sudden jumpback of unsteady
images to startledness, in cold
dew the sawgrass starts to bathe.
A rain-filled running creek splashes
nearby as night-mists creep in
among the trees.
Starlight flows into dark
openings where old white
cobwebs become visible all
over a high swung hammock.
~ ~
The magic of night
comes creeping in.
Patterns form over
all the village because
up high in the sky,
The Village Moon is there.
blue skies fade and
intermingle with sap from
an old birch tree fallen
from it's high stature,
all the colors un-named
taking their place in the
majesty of marching time
ebbing and flowing
in, out, among and through
stretches of endless antiquites...
...
__________ `~
Here in cave of heart
Where we live but do not dwell
In the ebb and flow
.
_____
:-)
.
.
There is a river of
streams and mountains
Strung out like blue and
green pearls all
The way to the end of the earth
In the midst of many twigs and
leavesOne little brown wren so
sweetly uttered his voice that
the earth melted to hear it
--------------
This, our original garden
Was here before this dark
night sky ever lit up with
moons and myriads of stars...
..................
.....The form of these
flowers withered away in
winter's frosty air
but now they are back again,
and their colors did not fade.
A huge chunk of redhot charcoal
Spat from grill's broken mouth,
Sudden jumpback of unsteady
images to startledness, in cold
dew the sawgrass starts to bathe.
A rain-filled running creek splashes
nearby as night-mists creep in
among the trees.
Starlight flows into dark
openings where old white
cobwebs become visible all
over a high swung hammock.
~ ~
The magic of night
comes creeping in.
Patterns form over
all the village because
up high in the sky,
The Village Moon is there.
blue skies fade and
intermingle with sap from
an old birch tree fallen
from it's high stature,
all the colors un-named
taking their place in the
majesty of marching time
ebbing and flowing
in, out, among and through
stretches of endless antiquites...
...
__________ `~
Here in cave of heart
Where we live but do not dwell
In the ebb and flow
.
_____
:-)
.
.
.
My happiness lives at
home here with me.
We build a small
fire for these soggy
wet days of autumn rain.
That's where we roast
nuts, boil thick broths to
drink, and cook delicious
things on skewers.
We sit crosslegged so
close to the flames that
we can feel the heat on
our face. We gaze
dreamily at the flickering
flames. We watch hot
embers glow.
Yesterday we learned
how to know
That tomorrow will surely
be snow!
It's true! Our skis stand in
the corner ready to go,
That's how we know it is so!
:-)
.
.
My happiness lives at
home here with me.
We build a small
fire for these soggy
wet days of autumn rain.
That's where we roast
nuts, boil thick broths to
drink, and cook delicious
things on skewers.
We sit crosslegged so
close to the flames that
we can feel the heat on
our face. We gaze
dreamily at the flickering
flames. We watch hot
embers glow.
Yesterday we learned
how to know
That tomorrow will surely
be snow!
It's true! Our skis stand in
the corner ready to go,
That's how we know it is so!
:-)
.
.
.
...An old zen master
from eons ago, told me
with words in a book:
to realize thusly that:
Living in the heights of
Mountains, and the
meadows of
Valleys below,
Body settled
Temporarily,
to let my mind flow--
Told me too:
Whatever I do,
to try to do mindfully,
in quiet ease;
In spring to watch
flocks of robins fly by,
and in summer to
work in my little green
growing garden,
When it's once again in
the fall time of the year,
to sit in contemplation of
the full harvest moon...
And the old
zen master and I,
We both like all the
Seasons,
Each in it's own
particularly sweet flavor.
:-)
.
.
...An old zen master
from eons ago, told me
with words in a book:
to realize thusly that:
Living in the heights of
Mountains, and the
meadows of
Valleys below,
Body settled
Temporarily,
to let my mind flow--
Told me too:
Whatever I do,
to try to do mindfully,
in quiet ease;
In spring to watch
flocks of robins fly by,
and in summer to
work in my little green
growing garden,
When it's once again in
the fall time of the year,
to sit in contemplation of
the full harvest moon...
And the old
zen master and I,
We both like all the
Seasons,
Each in it's own
particularly sweet flavor.
:-)
.
.
. It was a good day
Earth glows with the setting sun
Campfires warm the sea
They sing songs like
"Red sails in the sunset,"
and "Shine on harvest moon,"
They sing in perfect harmony.
.
.
.
built a beach shack
for a long stay...
rode dune buggies pell mell
up, over, around and in
between sea oat covered dunes..
soaked up the sun
like turtles on logs
rolled in the surf
like dolphins
what's that?
did i hear some weird
bird squawking
..."nevermore!?" ...
.
. It was a good day
Earth glows with the setting sun
Campfires warm the sea
They sing songs like
"Red sails in the sunset,"
and "Shine on harvest moon,"
They sing in perfect harmony.
.
.
.
built a beach shack
for a long stay...
rode dune buggies pell mell
up, over, around and in
between sea oat covered dunes..
soaked up the sun
like turtles on logs
rolled in the surf
like dolphins
what's that?
did i hear some weird
bird squawking
..."nevermore!?" ...
.
.
.
Through bushes, shrubs and rampant honeysuckle vines
Grassy green paths wind around;
back and forth
First this way then that.
Every day wildflower surprises.
Every day something new.
it was cold tonight
crispy crackly cold
like lettuce leaves
on a bed of ice
the candle there on
the coffee table
made a pointed
flame fluming up toward
the ceiling into
wispy nothingness
finally
disappearing.
nothing left but a small
puddle of wax
no string
____________
___
.
.
Through bushes, shrubs and rampant honeysuckle vines
Grassy green paths wind around;
back and forth
First this way then that.
Every day wildflower surprises.
Every day something new.
it was cold tonight
crispy crackly cold
like lettuce leaves
on a bed of ice
the candle there on
the coffee table
made a pointed
flame fluming up toward
the ceiling into
wispy nothingness
finally
disappearing.
nothing left but a small
puddle of wax
no string
____________
___
.
.
.
Vast and spacious,
Filled with skies and waters,
Floating toward another
moonlit night.
Wide fields with no boundary,
disappearing into emptiness;
Directionless,
Glory-liciously one and
only one
Seamless Space
No edges from which to fall..
.
White clouds float by in
skies of blue...
In meditation we move
from flames of desire into
the coolness of let-go...
The earth I see is
lush and verdant,
made of the same
material as I,
It is beautiful,
it's sky ever-changing,
It's grasses of many
colors growing all by
themselves with no
help from me,
Breezes arrive at any
and all hours of the day,
the night, and in all
seasons, sweetening
the air into cool wafts of
good stuff to breathe.
All these wonders swallow
up my tiny hut.
...
.
.
Vast and spacious,
Filled with skies and waters,
Floating toward another
moonlit night.
Wide fields with no boundary,
disappearing into emptiness;
Directionless,
Glory-liciously one and
only one
Seamless Space
No edges from which to fall..
.
White clouds float by in
skies of blue...
In meditation we move
from flames of desire into
the coolness of let-go...
The earth I see is
lush and verdant,
made of the same
material as I,
It is beautiful,
it's sky ever-changing,
It's grasses of many
colors growing all by
themselves with no
help from me,
Breezes arrive at any
and all hours of the day,
the night, and in all
seasons, sweetening
the air into cool wafts of
good stuff to breathe.
All these wonders swallow
up my tiny hut.
...
.
.
.
Happy in the morning,
I open my cottage door;
A clear breeze blowing
comes straight in.
The first sun lights
the leafy trees;
The shadows it
casts are crystal clear.
Serene, in accord with
my heart, everything
merges in one harmony.
Gain and loss are not
my concern; This way is
enough to the end of
my days.
-Wen-siang
.
.
.
.
.
Happy in the morning,
I open my cottage door;
A clear breeze blowing
comes straight in.
The first sun lights
the leafy trees;
The shadows it
casts are crystal clear.
Serene, in accord with
my heart, everything
merges in one harmony.
Gain and loss are not
my concern; This way is
enough to the end of
my days.
-Wen-siang
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Twilight waits for a while
letting the birds have
just one more hour to sing.
The setting sun ever so
slowly lowers itself toward
the distant dark treetops.
It blazes brightly;
Soon the beauty of
night will come and
bring a million, zillion
stars and another
golden moon!
Finally at last the
darker curtain falls...
Somewhere out there a
...whippoorwill calls..
:-)
letting the birds have
just one more hour to sing.
The setting sun ever so
slowly lowers itself toward
the distant dark treetops.
It blazes brightly;
Soon the beauty of
night will come and
bring a million, zillion
stars and another
golden moon!
Finally at last the
darker curtain falls...
Somewhere out there a
...whippoorwill calls..
:-)
A magnificent moment
Is like a shooting star:
A flash in the sky.
Like an ocean wave,
It exemplifys the most
Ephemeral perspective.
:-) This
is a magnificent moment!
:-)
`~__
```
Today the sleeping shirt hangs
out on the line,
It's long, silken sleeves flapping
whitely in the wind.
Boat's rocking too much for
sleeping in.
Out there across
the deck and over the bay,
I see some dolphins at play
There's at least seventeen.
Then a slithery shark tried
to come in between.
But dolphins don't allow
sharks in their back yard to play.
So the shark got chased away.
Think I'll plant a posy in
the big deck pot Today .
:-)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Is like a shooting star:
A flash in the sky.
Like an ocean wave,
It exemplifys the most
Ephemeral perspective.
:-) This
is a magnificent moment!
:-)
`~__
```
Today the sleeping shirt hangs
out on the line,
It's long, silken sleeves flapping
whitely in the wind.
Boat's rocking too much for
sleeping in.
Out there across
the deck and over the bay,
I see some dolphins at play
There's at least seventeen.
Then a slithery shark tried
to come in between.
But dolphins don't allow
sharks in their back yard to play.
So the shark got chased away.
Think I'll plant a posy in
the big deck pot Today .
:-)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~
____
Dewfall and midnight moon,
Streaming starlight,
Raindrops gathering together as
clouds hover low on the horizon.
From earth and sky they all
catch a gleam;
...
From emptiness, they all
turn into form.
Awesomely infinite,
Wonder intertwines serenity.
Eyes open or closed makes
no nevermind,
stars still stream
raindrops into clouds of
moonlit diamonds to
fall and nestle themselves into
green pine trees.
What more to say?
That is all.
- :-)
____
Dewfall and midnight moon,
Streaming starlight,
Raindrops gathering together as
clouds hover low on the horizon.
From earth and sky they all
catch a gleam;
...
From emptiness, they all
turn into form.
Awesomely infinite,
Wonder intertwines serenity.
Eyes open or closed makes
no nevermind,
stars still stream
raindrops into clouds of
moonlit diamonds to
fall and nestle themselves into
green pine trees.
What more to say?
That is all.
- :-)
~ ~ ~
~__
The statue has almost disappeared into the leaves and twigs have swallowed up the form leaving mere suggestions of what once was it stone or flesh and blood of humanity that left traces of itself behind?
Color itself could not be better stated than blue skies intermingled with sap from an old birch tree fallen from it's high stature, all the colors un-named taking their place in the majesty of marching time ebbing and flowing in, out, among and through stretches of endless antiquites...
~ ~ ~ :-)
~__
The statue has almost disappeared into the leaves and twigs have swallowed up the form leaving mere suggestions of what once was it stone or flesh and blood of humanity that left traces of itself behind?
Color itself could not be better stated than blue skies intermingled with sap from an old birch tree fallen from it's high stature, all the colors un-named taking their place in the majesty of marching time ebbing and flowing in, out, among and through stretches of endless antiquites...
~ ~ ~ :-)
~ ~ ~
There's an invisible
Me,
Stretched out full length;
Half asleep under a
wide open sky full of
Clouds,
Listening to meadowlarks sing,
Feeling good.
On a sunny hillside...
:-)
There's an invisible
Me,
Stretched out full length;
Half asleep under a
wide open sky full of
Clouds,
Listening to meadowlarks sing,
Feeling good.
On a sunny hillside...
:-)
~ ~ ~
Time a forming of forms;
Streaming rivers of
days and nights,
moonlight and sunshine,
windy winters,
springs full of birdsong,
and all the goings and
comings of the world
filling all the seasons with
the beauty of
~ ~ ~ Impermanence~ ~ ~
Happiness to see
happenings happen.
:-)
~~~-____
Time a forming of forms;
Streaming rivers of
days and nights,
moonlight and sunshine,
windy winters,
springs full of birdsong,
and all the goings and
comings of the world
filling all the seasons with
the beauty of
~ ~ ~ Impermanence~ ~ ~
Happiness to see
happenings happen.
:-)
~~~-____
~~ ``
____
`
After the storm is gone
we find a pillow case for
each and every one.
Our beachcombing bags!
They are lightweight
clean and easy to carry;
We run laughing and
screaming along the
beach dodging the high,
storm-stirred waves as
they come boiling in
alongside us darting
back and forth up and
down wet, sandy
waterside and up to
the little-mountain dunes,
playing in and out among
clusters of sea oats, looking
looking, looking for treasures,
All the while drinking each of
us, from our own
screw-top waterbottles.
Later we stop to fish from
the bottom of our bags
the stuff we have found so far,
a pair of sunglasses,
three seashells not very
__big but exquisitely shaped
__and delicately colored,
two odd-shaped pieces of
-_ sunbleached white
-_ --driftwood weightless,
_-not much more than
__-softly colored air.
But the day has hardly yet begun,
and the life's ambition for one
of us is to grow up to be a
beachcomber.
:-)
____
`
After the storm is gone
we find a pillow case for
each and every one.
Our beachcombing bags!
They are lightweight
clean and easy to carry;
We run laughing and
screaming along the
beach dodging the high,
storm-stirred waves as
they come boiling in
alongside us darting
back and forth up and
down wet, sandy
waterside and up to
the little-mountain dunes,
playing in and out among
clusters of sea oats, looking
looking, looking for treasures,
All the while drinking each of
us, from our own
screw-top waterbottles.
Later we stop to fish from
the bottom of our bags
the stuff we have found so far,
a pair of sunglasses,
three seashells not very
__big but exquisitely shaped
__and delicately colored,
two odd-shaped pieces of
-_ sunbleached white
-_ --driftwood weightless,
_-not much more than
__-softly colored air.
But the day has hardly yet begun,
and the life's ambition for one
of us is to grow up to be a
beachcomber.
:-)
~ ~ ~
Thinking of a
Someday sunny afternoon
Far away from
chilly blue nightmares of
Long ago winters.
Thinking of a
Sunny Afternoon when at
long last I'll be digging
a little hole in the dirt;
Planting fried green tomatoes.
~. .. :-)
~ ~ ~
Home!
Earth blends into heaven:
Ridges and valleys,
Hollows and hills
Misty blue mountains
And whippoorwills
tumbling streams,
waters that fall,
moonlight nights
a yodeling call...
hillbilly holler that's
where i's born
in early october on a
frosty-cold morn
growed up tall
and sassy too
scrounging for food
with sister Sue
blackberries, peaches,
figs and nuts
no peeling, dicing,
chopping or cuts
we ate off the tree,
the bush and the vine
We even ate seeds
off a loblolly pine;
Scuppernongs, plums,
roots and greens,
grits and eggs and butterbeans,
tomatoes and peas with a
little corn pone
we'd eat and eat
'til the cows come home.
Oh dear sweet earth,
your spirit calls
Your tumbling streams,
your water falls;
Your misty moon,
your mountainous stone,
Oh how we love you,
our Home Sweet Home!
:-)
~ ~ ~
_______________
Thinking of a
Someday sunny afternoon
Far away from
chilly blue nightmares of
Long ago winters.
Thinking of a
Sunny Afternoon when at
long last I'll be digging
a little hole in the dirt;
Planting fried green tomatoes.
~. .. :-)
~ ~ ~
Home!
Earth blends into heaven:
Ridges and valleys,
Hollows and hills
Misty blue mountains
And whippoorwills
tumbling streams,
waters that fall,
moonlight nights
a yodeling call...
hillbilly holler that's
where i's born
in early october on a
frosty-cold morn
growed up tall
and sassy too
scrounging for food
with sister Sue
blackberries, peaches,
figs and nuts
no peeling, dicing,
chopping or cuts
we ate off the tree,
the bush and the vine
We even ate seeds
off a loblolly pine;
Scuppernongs, plums,
roots and greens,
grits and eggs and butterbeans,
tomatoes and peas with a
little corn pone
we'd eat and eat
'til the cows come home.
Oh dear sweet earth,
your spirit calls
Your tumbling streams,
your water falls;
Your misty moon,
your mountainous stone,
Oh how we love you,
our Home Sweet Home!
:-)
~ ~ ~
_______________
~
-___
Once upon a time in a very small
zoo in Florida somewhere in some
small town, Near a Navy Base;
I stood alone on clean swept,
grassless ground.
Stood still, deep in thought,
staring at a Myna Bird perched on
a bare leafless limb in a stupidly
small cage no bigger than some
people's closet.
Stood there gazing and gawking
shamelessly, openly, so lost in
wonderment about how, why, and
if such a creature could truly
talk as some people say.
So lost in thought I almost
dropped in shock when said
bird suddenly turned, looked
me stone-cold straight
in the eye, eyeball-to-eyeball,
and in a voice plain and clear,
loud enough for anyone to hear,
In a voice dripping with scorn,_
_That bird said to me,
"What you looking at!?
-______
-___
Once upon a time in a very small
zoo in Florida somewhere in some
small town, Near a Navy Base;
I stood alone on clean swept,
grassless ground.
Stood still, deep in thought,
staring at a Myna Bird perched on
a bare leafless limb in a stupidly
small cage no bigger than some
people's closet.
Stood there gazing and gawking
shamelessly, openly, so lost in
wonderment about how, why, and
if such a creature could truly
talk as some people say.
So lost in thought I almost
dropped in shock when said
bird suddenly turned, looked
me stone-cold straight
in the eye, eyeball-to-eyeball,
and in a voice plain and clear,
loud enough for anyone to hear,
In a voice dripping with scorn,_
_That bird said to me,
"What you looking at!?
-______
~_
That night the window framed
The valley below in moon
The river wound it's way around
A mellow summer tune
They softly sang together
In perfect harmony
Then went outside to stand
By the gateless gate to see
They dreamily gazed the distance
Could see the whole wide world
Where many adventures waited
This couple, this boy and girl
For many a year they lived
In a place like paradise
Where everything was natural
With nary an artifice
Today their way awaits them
Up there in that retreat
Up there on top of the mountain
Where they will always meet.
-
____
The valley below in moon
The river wound it's way around
A mellow summer tune
They softly sang together
In perfect harmony
Then went outside to stand
By the gateless gate to see
They dreamily gazed the distance
Could see the whole wide world
Where many adventures waited
This couple, this boy and girl
For many a year they lived
In a place like paradise
Where everything was natural
With nary an artifice
Today their way awaits them
Up there in that retreat
Up there on top of the mountain
Where they will always meet.
-
____
.
.
.
.
.
~
-___
running in the surf like sandpiper
____what's that?
did i hear some weird bird squawking ____"nevermore!?"
-___
running in the surf like sandpiper
____what's that?
did i hear some weird bird squawking ____"nevermore!?"
---
___-
-___
The hills and valleys are green
The ups and downs divine...
We carried small packs of
food and water slung loosely for
comfort as we walked not too
fast and not too slow.
We expected to reach the
top of old grandfather
mountain before nightfall.
Steep inclines, loose rocks,
slipping, sliding, bruised,
skint knees, twisted
ankles, scratches.
An hour of miserable
heat followed by
tooth chattering cold during
a sudden afternoon
thunderstorm...
And that's not the half of it.
For the discomforts, you know.
Not to mention the Joys and
Wonders we beheld all along
the way, like the pure
bliss of the shower we
had under a waterfall at
lunchtime, the feasts of our
hearts, souls, and eyes taking
in the vistas of pure beauty,
the sounds, the smells,
the indescribable happiness of
knowing we were actually in
real life experiencing
the experience of
Climbing to the Top of
Old Grandfather Mountain!!!
---
___-
-___
The hills and valleys are green
The ups and downs divine...
We carried small packs of
food and water slung loosely for
comfort as we walked not too
fast and not too slow.
We expected to reach the
top of old grandfather
mountain before nightfall.
Steep inclines, loose rocks,
slipping, sliding, bruised,
skint knees, twisted
ankles, scratches.
An hour of miserable
heat followed by
tooth chattering cold during
a sudden afternoon
thunderstorm...
And that's not the half of it.
For the discomforts, you know.
Not to mention the Joys and
Wonders we beheld all along
the way, like the pure
bliss of the shower we
had under a waterfall at
lunchtime, the feasts of our
hearts, souls, and eyes taking
in the vistas of pure beauty,
the sounds, the smells,
the indescribable happiness of
knowing we were actually in
real life experiencing
the experience of
Climbing to the Top of
Old Grandfather Mountain!!!
---
-____
___-
Lines from
Book XXIV,Iliad, rewritten
After the funeral, the family now living in different houses, went their ways- each to his own abode. There they made ready their supper, and so did the son. He then bethought of the blessed boon of sleep; but still wept for thinking of his dear father, and sleep, before whom all things bow, could take no hold upon him.
This way and that did he turn as he yearned after the might and manfulness of that dear one; he thought of all they had done together, and all they had gone through both on the fields of battle between adolescent and elder, and on the waves of the weary sea of everyday life.
As he dwelt on these things he wept bitterly and lay now on his side, now on his back, and now face downwards, till at last he rose and went out as one distraught to wander upon the seashore.
Then, when he saw dawn breaking over beach and sea, he got into his car, and drove around and all over the city, up one street and down the other, aimlessly. Thrice did he park near the cemetery and drag himself into it and round the tomb of his father, and then went back into his car, thinking of the body of his father in the ground full length and with its face upwards. He could not bear the thought of it being disfigured, for he could only think of him as he was with all the might and manfulness of his earlier years,...
Not as he knew he himself would now--and too soon-- become. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
-_____
___-
Lines from
Book XXIV,Iliad, rewritten
After the funeral, the family now living in different houses, went their ways- each to his own abode. There they made ready their supper, and so did the son. He then bethought of the blessed boon of sleep; but still wept for thinking of his dear father, and sleep, before whom all things bow, could take no hold upon him.
This way and that did he turn as he yearned after the might and manfulness of that dear one; he thought of all they had done together, and all they had gone through both on the fields of battle between adolescent and elder, and on the waves of the weary sea of everyday life.
As he dwelt on these things he wept bitterly and lay now on his side, now on his back, and now face downwards, till at last he rose and went out as one distraught to wander upon the seashore.
Then, when he saw dawn breaking over beach and sea, he got into his car, and drove around and all over the city, up one street and down the other, aimlessly. Thrice did he park near the cemetery and drag himself into it and round the tomb of his father, and then went back into his car, thinking of the body of his father in the ground full length and with its face upwards. He could not bear the thought of it being disfigured, for he could only think of him as he was with all the might and manfulness of his earlier years,...
Not as he knew he himself would now--and too soon-- become. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
-_____
-__
__-
That's it.
The pot Penny gave me.
Stainless Steel.
Strong.
Durable.
A shining beauty.
Nothing can stain it.
It's Stainless.
Like Penny.
:-)
..._-________-
Today my mind is like
those clusters of brightly
colored leaves out there that
look like flowers but are not.
I earnestly think in my
mind I can see sea oats growing
tall on the sugar white
dunes down there on the beach.
I see the waves are still.
No sandpipers racing,
No sand crabs trailing tracks,
No people walking.
Nothing but shimmering
moonlight left over from
midnight last, blending in with
the soft, moist rising of
morning sun across a
rainbow mirror of water quiet
and still. There they are together:
Moon and Sun,
in the eternal sky...
:-)
__________
-__
__________
__-
That's it.
The pot Penny gave me.
Stainless Steel.
Strong.
Durable.
A shining beauty.
Nothing can stain it.
It's Stainless.
Like Penny.
:-)
..._-________-
Today my mind is like
those clusters of brightly
colored leaves out there that
look like flowers but are not.
I earnestly think in my
mind I can see sea oats growing
tall on the sugar white
dunes down there on the beach.
I see the waves are still.
No sandpipers racing,
No sand crabs trailing tracks,
No people walking.
Nothing but shimmering
moonlight left over from
midnight last, blending in with
the soft, moist rising of
morning sun across a
rainbow mirror of water quiet
and still. There they are together:
Moon and Sun,
in the eternal sky...
:-)
__________
-__
__________
-____________
Sun shining bright,
The rain it rained:
All day all night;
Birds that sing
Bees that sting
Singing, stinging
Another new spring
Showers in april,
Flowers in may
And Oh mY GoODneSS
Today's the day!!!!!
;
`````````````
Sun shining bright,
The rain it rained:
All day all night;
Birds that sing
Bees that sting
Singing, stinging
Another new spring
Showers in april,
Flowers in may
And Oh mY GoODneSS
Today's the day!!!!!
;
`````````````
-___
_
:-)Extreeeeemes
If life were a party, I wonder...
Would us teetotalers get invited?
Or would we be left out in the cold,
Shivering and shaking,
With no toddy to warm up our innards.
No Firewater to blast us off into
Fourth-of-July sky-explosions,
No Mountain Dew to lick off the
roses when we get thirsty and dry
No barroom brawls
No spousal squawls
No shameful remorse
For stealing a horse
No sleeping on the street in puke.
Nor out in the alley of a juke.
Wouldn't it be great mate,
If life's party liquor were mild
So mild it could be
drunk by a child,
But still and all
We'd all have a ball
As drunk as a skunk we'd be
But could snap right back
be sharp as a tack
totally teetotal and free
We'd laugh and holler,
Kiss and Tell
Dance and snuggle and spoon
We'd stagger and stomp
rip-roar and romp
Swagger and swiff
and swoon
So if Life's a Party
make it teetotal if
you wanna have a
lotta more fun!
For when a sot's all drunk,
passed out in a funk,
The teetotaler's fun's just begun!!!
:-)
_
:-)Extreeeeemes
If life were a party, I wonder...
Would us teetotalers get invited?
Or would we be left out in the cold,
Shivering and shaking,
With no toddy to warm up our innards.
No Firewater to blast us off into
Fourth-of-July sky-explosions,
No Mountain Dew to lick off the
roses when we get thirsty and dry
No barroom brawls
No spousal squawls
No shameful remorse
For stealing a horse
No sleeping on the street in puke.
Nor out in the alley of a juke.
Wouldn't it be great mate,
If life's party liquor were mild
So mild it could be
drunk by a child,
But still and all
We'd all have a ball
As drunk as a skunk we'd be
But could snap right back
be sharp as a tack
totally teetotal and free
We'd laugh and holler,
Kiss and Tell
Dance and snuggle and spoon
We'd stagger and stomp
rip-roar and romp
Swagger and swiff
and swoon
So if Life's a Party
make it teetotal if
you wanna have a
lotta more fun!
For when a sot's all drunk,
passed out in a funk,
The teetotaler's fun's just begun!!!
:-)
-/\-
-_____
Change is opening into
Blooms and leaves and
Green things growing
Somebody's already forgot
That last month it was snowing
But just because April's here
Don't mean no
more a snowy day
Many's the times
it's snowed in May!
-All over Texas.
:-)-___
Change is opening into
Blooms and leaves and
Green things growing
Somebody's already forgot
That last month it was snowing
But just because April's here
Don't mean no
more a snowy day
Many's the times
it's snowed in May!
-All over Texas.
:-)-___
-___
_____________
_____________
-____
The taste of fresh snow in cold sweet gusts,
burning upon the tips of twigs like the bush that burned with fire and was not consumed.
Gradual invisible dark becomes visible light, misty light just before sunrise bringing the blue and soft rose sky gently to crystal frosted laces of ice lingering on left-over goldenrod huddled among the bare branches of dogwood underneath the huge loblolly pine spreading its protective branches out over the little forest below as human presence huffs and puffs along blowing billows of frozen warmth out to mark that he was there before disappearing again into the white,white, softly dripping world as silence once again closes in behind.
The taste of fresh snow in cold sweet gusts,
burning upon the tips of twigs like the bush that burned with fire and was not consumed.
Gradual invisible dark becomes visible light, misty light just before sunrise bringing the blue and soft rose sky gently to crystal frosted laces of ice lingering on left-over goldenrod huddled among the bare branches of dogwood underneath the huge loblolly pine spreading its protective branches out over the little forest below as human presence huffs and puffs along blowing billows of frozen warmth out to mark that he was there before disappearing again into the white,white, softly dripping world as silence once again closes in behind.
-___
Tiptoe through tulips
Spring will wash away winter
Sunshine in kitchen
Spring will wash away winter
Sunshine in kitchen
-__
I wonder about angels.
I think I could never be one.
I feel that if I were in heaven,
and interviewed for the job,
they'd just smile.
Then a paper would be
slipped into my file
stamped: "Unqualified."
:-)
_____________----- _
Under white clouds
lying low,
'Tween winter and spring
no flying snow
I sit on a ledge waiting.
For what I don't know.
(Perhaps for violets to
start to grow.
Or springs of water from
crevices to flow.)
On a rocky brown hillside
where green things grow.
---_
I think I could never be one.
I feel that if I were in heaven,
and interviewed for the job,
they'd just smile.
Then a paper would be
slipped into my file
stamped: "Unqualified."
:-)
_____________----- _
Under white clouds
lying low,
'Tween winter and spring
no flying snow
I sit on a ledge waiting.
For what I don't know.
(Perhaps for violets to
start to grow.
Or springs of water from
crevices to flow.)
On a rocky brown hillside
where green things grow.
---_
-__
Cold cliff's remoteness is what I love
No one travels this way
Clouds lie around on the peaks
A lone gibbon howls on the ridge
What else do I cherish
It's good to grow old content
Cold and heat change my appearance
The pearl of my mind stays safe
- Cold Mountain
from http://www.dailyzen.com/ 1/13/2001
No one travels this way
Clouds lie around on the peaks
A lone gibbon howls on the ridge
What else do I cherish
It's good to grow old content
Cold and heat change my appearance
The pearl of my mind stays safe
- Cold Mountain
from http://www.dailyzen.com/ 1/13/2001
-___
.
Shady green trees grow in
____all directions,
spreading out around a
tiny house perfectly
placed in sweet seclusion.
Beyond the hustle and bustle of
___ human busy-ness,
___ in this little island of solitude,
as old Han Shan said,
"all day behind my door I sit
alone cross-legged."
:-)
.
Shady green trees grow in
____all directions,
spreading out around a
tiny house perfectly
placed in sweet seclusion.
Beyond the hustle and bustle of
___ human busy-ness,
___ in this little island of solitude,
as old Han Shan said,
"all day behind my door I sit
alone cross-legged."
:-)
-____
...
Like the clear, still waters of
The Big Lagoon
wrapt up in mists when
ocean fogs roll in,
endless eons dissolve into
Nothingness,
each melted into the other.
In this illumination,
all straining, all striving is
Forgotten.
...
Like the clear, still waters of
The Big Lagoon
wrapt up in mists when
ocean fogs roll in,
endless eons dissolve into
Nothingness,
each melted into the other.
In this illumination,
all straining, all striving is
Forgotten.
-___
_______
_______
Knot the cord, and
fly away fast!
If I do slumber,
wake me from that
eternal sleep,
O gentle one,
For on this day
stern ungentle hands
laid my body bare
lopp'd and hew'd
and chewed and gnawed.
Beneath circling shadows
I sought to sleep in peace.
Again so great a
bubbling fountain stirr'd with
wind's rise and fall between
honey tree and locust,
only to encounter a
cloud of issuing sprouts blushing.
Shall I speak?
Say I am burnt to cinders?
Or shall "My pretty fingers on
lily-white hands tremble like
aspen leaves?"
I hear you play upon your lute,
it's silken strings delight me to
kiss your honey sweet face
which touched for life's heavenly
sweet tongue into harmony at
your mind's feet.
Come, let us go!
One hour's storm of tears draw
back sparkling bright beads
of fragrant meads
melting away
all pain and sorrow
of yesterday.
-____
_________________
fly away fast!
If I do slumber,
wake me from that
eternal sleep,
O gentle one,
For on this day
stern ungentle hands
laid my body bare
lopp'd and hew'd
and chewed and gnawed.
Beneath circling shadows
I sought to sleep in peace.
Again so great a
bubbling fountain stirr'd with
wind's rise and fall between
honey tree and locust,
only to encounter a
cloud of issuing sprouts blushing.
Shall I speak?
Say I am burnt to cinders?
Or shall "My pretty fingers on
lily-white hands tremble like
aspen leaves?"
I hear you play upon your lute,
it's silken strings delight me to
kiss your honey sweet face
which touched for life's heavenly
sweet tongue into harmony at
your mind's feet.
Come, let us go!
One hour's storm of tears draw
back sparkling bright beads
of fragrant meads
melting away
all pain and sorrow
of yesterday.
-____
_________________
-__--___
_________
Early spring warblers
singing their hearts out,
A forest full of petals
drifting down
to the ground
on the last little
puffs of winter;
Wisteria winding
it's way to the very
tiptop of the old
loblolly pine.
And as the light
through yon
Window breaks,
I wonder:
Is it better to prune
or not to prune?
That's the question!
-___-
_______________
_________
Early spring warblers
singing their hearts out,
A forest full of petals
drifting down
to the ground
on the last little
puffs of winter;
Wisteria winding
it's way to the very
tiptop of the old
loblolly pine.
And as the light
through yon
Window breaks,
I wonder:
Is it better to prune
or not to prune?
That's the question!
-___-
_______________
___-
___________-
My happiness, lives at
home here with me.
We build a small fire for
these soggy wet days of
autumn rain.
That's where we roast nuts,
boil thick broths to drink,
and cook delicious things on
skewers.
We sit crosslegged so close to
the flames that we can feel
the heat on our face.
We gaze dreamily at the
flickering flames.
We watch hot embers glow.
Yesterday we learned how
to know
That tomorrow will
surely be snow!
It's true!
Our skis stand in the
corner ready to go,
That's how we know it is so!
---
_________________
___________-
My happiness, lives at
home here with me.
We build a small fire for
these soggy wet days of
autumn rain.
That's where we roast nuts,
boil thick broths to drink,
and cook delicious things on
skewers.
We sit crosslegged so close to
the flames that we can feel
the heat on our face.
We gaze dreamily at the
flickering flames.
We watch hot embers glow.
Yesterday we learned how
to know
That tomorrow will
surely be snow!
It's true!
Our skis stand in the
corner ready to go,
That's how we know it is so!
---
_________________
..
.
.
__
. __
Unaware of visions or
Time of day I stand and
From this block of wood I see
The seven steps ascending.
Up, up, past the clearwater creek,
where a three-day rain has
burbled it over and spilled
it all over the green mossy
rock I usually sit on.
I move slowly on through,
wading the ankle deep
coolness of that spilled over
rainfall and return home with
my basket brimful of
Daily Bread.
-
________________--
. __
Unaware of visions or
Time of day I stand and
From this block of wood I see
The seven steps ascending.
Up, up, past the clearwater creek,
where a three-day rain has
burbled it over and spilled
it all over the green mossy
rock I usually sit on.
I move slowly on through,
wading the ankle deep
coolness of that spilled over
rainfall and return home with
my basket brimful of
Daily Bread.
-
________________--
If I hide out on the mountain,
living in my garden and home all
the days of my life, that's good.
One lives as one must live.
Time disappears into streaming
days and nights of
moonlight and sunshine.
Let windy winters,
springs full of birdsong,
and all the goings and
comings of the world fill
all the seasons with the
beauty of constant change.
I'm happy to watch all these
happenings happen.
_______-
__-----___
living in my garden and home all
the days of my life, that's good.
One lives as one must live.
Time disappears into streaming
days and nights of
moonlight and sunshine.
Let windy winters,
springs full of birdsong,
and all the goings and
comings of the world fill
all the seasons with the
beauty of constant change.
I'm happy to watch all these
happenings happen.
_______-
__-----___
Cameras catch things
unseen by naked eye,
like rainbows that fall
down from an autumn sky.
__
...Like a light cloud,
a soft drizzle of
rainfall round the garden.
In the wetness of
the yard,I stand and look at
the clouds of tiny green
leaves covering the
orchard of plums,
the very same ones
that pushed off the white
blossom carpets that
now cover the ground all
around beneath their still
winter-black limbs.
Although green sprouts of
spring poke bravely up
through cold clods of earth at
my feet, the tall ghosts of last
years' goldenrod bathe and
bask like clouds of forgotten
memories in the rays and
beams of light pouring
down drowning in this
light drizzle of spring.
___- :-)
unseen by naked eye,
like rainbows that fall
down from an autumn sky.
__
...Like a light cloud,
a soft drizzle of
rainfall round the garden.
In the wetness of
the yard,I stand and look at
the clouds of tiny green
leaves covering the
orchard of plums,
the very same ones
that pushed off the white
blossom carpets that
now cover the ground all
around beneath their still
winter-black limbs.
Although green sprouts of
spring poke bravely up
through cold clods of earth at
my feet, the tall ghosts of last
years' goldenrod bathe and
bask like clouds of forgotten
memories in the rays and
beams of light pouring
down drowning in this
light drizzle of spring.
___- :-)
...
--________
He is cold as autumn,
And warm as spring,
For his joy and anger
Occur as naturally
As the four seasons.
- Chuang Tzu
______________
He is cold as autumn,
And warm as spring,
For his joy and anger
Occur as naturally
As the four seasons.
- Chuang Tzu
______________
That's how Emptiness got filled with
Everything.
Midsummer's day high up to just below the eaves dripping sweet raindrops
of pure feeling.
And then again with nightfall a
warm curtain falls
From out there somewhere a
vibrating voice calls
No, not ghostly.
It's Life - strumming on the strings of Earth.
__________---
Everything.
Midsummer's day high up to just below the eaves dripping sweet raindrops
of pure feeling.
And then again with nightfall a
warm curtain falls
From out there somewhere a
vibrating voice calls
No, not ghostly.
It's Life - strumming on the strings of Earth.
__________---
__Last night I left
tulips on the counter
In front of the microwave
In a Jar
Full of water.
This morning I found them floating
In a pool of sunshine
My eyes had green leaves and pink petals for breakfast._
________
____________---
tulips on the counter
In front of the microwave
In a Jar
Full of water.
This morning I found them floating
In a pool of sunshine
My eyes had green leaves and pink petals for breakfast._
________
____________---
My home is in the deep forest of
An Imaginary Island:
I walk daily around the
edge of the shore,
then sit for a while with
my bare feet in the little
waves that languidly
lap in and out around my ankles.
Tall trees above my head swing
and sway as warm wind passes;
I drink spring water from
green leaves. I weave
willow branches to form a
little basket then rest beside
a tree while sipping cold, wild tea.
I lie down between clean,
rain-washed sheets woven by
my own hands...
I've taken my body away,
far away from the daily grind..
.filling, flooding my mind with
clean, clear waters of being.
-ovia
An Imaginary Island:
I walk daily around the
edge of the shore,
then sit for a while with
my bare feet in the little
waves that languidly
lap in and out around my ankles.
Tall trees above my head swing
and sway as warm wind passes;
I drink spring water from
green leaves. I weave
willow branches to form a
little basket then rest beside
a tree while sipping cold, wild tea.
I lie down between clean,
rain-washed sheets woven by
my own hands...
I've taken my body away,
far away from the daily grind..
.filling, flooding my mind with
clean, clear waters of being.
-ovia
Vast windswept lands beside
a wild and stormy sea;
where nighttime dreams are said to be.
Far and away,
where wooden blades turn
there's fields of green,
and queens lace fern.
Clear watered canals
freely flow
moving winds move
in ebb and flow.
Wherever I am
I always find
I'm forever free in
the windmills of my mind.
-ovia
a wild and stormy sea;
where nighttime dreams are said to be.
Far and away,
where wooden blades turn
there's fields of green,
and queens lace fern.
Clear watered canals
freely flow
moving winds move
in ebb and flow.
Wherever I am
I always find
I'm forever free in
the windmills of my mind.
-ovia
...
...
__
The ship we sailed has long since gone
No trace remains, we stand alone
Upon this isle of dusty clay
Where we will stand for just a day.
Don't know the ancient words
Nor how to use them in text
Don't know what is revealed
Nor what is coming next.
But as for this right now
Smelling something cooking
Raising eyes up to the sky
Looking, looking, always looking.
Thinking thoughts pour in and out
As ancient texts reveal
Of all that's written on the wind
It is the now I know and feel.
______ovia
__
The ship we sailed has long since gone
No trace remains, we stand alone
Upon this isle of dusty clay
Where we will stand for just a day.
Don't know the ancient words
Nor how to use them in text
Don't know what is revealed
Nor what is coming next.
But as for this right now
Smelling something cooking
Raising eyes up to the sky
Looking, looking, always looking.
Thinking thoughts pour in and out
As ancient texts reveal
Of all that's written on the wind
It is the now I know and feel.
______ovia
.
The place where Han Shan the Zen Man and I spend our days is farther away than we can tell, but and also too, the place where we spend our days is this place here. We could be in the middle of Manhattan Island or on a Desert Oasis somewhere but we would still be here. Even if we were to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic, We would still be here.
Where else could we be than where we are?
...
walk slowly and tread lightly... :-) sweaty, sticky, gritty sand shaky legs on rocky ledge precariously balanced not used to this sort of thing. many a scraped shin, scabs on knees, bangs and bruises until one day The Trail and I become one. -//\\-
Where else could we be than where we are?
...
walk slowly and tread lightly... :-) sweaty, sticky, gritty sand shaky legs on rocky ledge precariously balanced not used to this sort of thing. many a scraped shin, scabs on knees, bangs and bruises until one day The Trail and I become one. -//\\-
Long shadows woven with light define all trees no less these. This is a morning without a flaw. Each shadow cast, each leaf with it's own brilliant sun reflecting the big sun-in-the-sky that no eye can bear. Even the rocks brought from afar lie in light and shadow.
Basking in the Sun.
A world without a flaw indeed.
Each leaf, each limb, each drop of
morning dew a treasure alone of its kind.
Basking in the Sun.
A world without a flaw indeed.
Each leaf, each limb, each drop of
morning dew a treasure alone of its kind.
-
-----------
_Happy in the morning
I open my cottage door;
A clear breeze blowing
comes straight in.
The first sun lights the
leafy trees;
The shadows it casts are
crystal clear.
Serene, In accord with
my heart, everything
merges in one harmony.
Gain and loss are not
my concern;
This way is enough to
the end of my days.
--
- Wen-siang (1210-1280)
_______
-----------
_Happy in the morning
I open my cottage door;
A clear breeze blowing
comes straight in.
The first sun lights the
leafy trees;
The shadows it casts are
crystal clear.
Serene, In accord with
my heart, everything
merges in one harmony.
Gain and loss are not
my concern;
This way is enough to
the end of my days.
--
- Wen-siang (1210-1280)
_______
-____
A sandcastle would be perfect
bare feet to walk around a little
while to tarry there then mosey
on back to town rummage up
and down the back streets then
out to the boulevard watch the
pounding of chestnuts in
somebody's back yard
After that it's off to the
forest where rivers run
swift and cold mossy green
coolness in the shadows
birdwings flashing gold
No there is no castle on the
earth can ever hope to compare
with the castles we constantly
build--Our Castles in the Air.___
A sandcastle would be perfect
bare feet to walk around a little
while to tarry there then mosey
on back to town rummage up
and down the back streets then
out to the boulevard watch the
pounding of chestnuts in
somebody's back yard
After that it's off to the
forest where rivers run
swift and cold mossy green
coolness in the shadows
birdwings flashing gold
No there is no castle on the
earth can ever hope to compare
with the castles we constantly
build--Our Castles in the Air.___
Pastorally speaking
country life's citified
Long-lashed cows graze
out of one shoppe into
another munching on
artistic work of idealistic
window dressers who
promote warm
sunshine sandy beaches
and moonlit cocoanut
groves serene with
brushed muslin silk satin,
and cream puff latex
fat calories nest delectably
in three square feet of
plastic and perfectly
shaped red strawberries
grow up from sharp
green blades of astro turf
there she is miss america
chewing her cud
gazing blank-eyed at
nothing in particular _
__Mooooooooooooo
-________________
country life's citified
Long-lashed cows graze
out of one shoppe into
another munching on
artistic work of idealistic
window dressers who
promote warm
sunshine sandy beaches
and moonlit cocoanut
groves serene with
brushed muslin silk satin,
and cream puff latex
fat calories nest delectably
in three square feet of
plastic and perfectly
shaped red strawberries
grow up from sharp
green blades of astro turf
there she is miss america
chewing her cud
gazing blank-eyed at
nothing in particular _
__Mooooooooooooo
-________________
-_______
.JPG)
-_____
An old house abandoned
No one living there any more
Well, no one that is but the
Woman on the wall
beside the door
She's Tall.
Skinny.
Looks like she might've
been painted by
Somebody's maid.
Wearing a long bright
blue frock
She stands there beside
a cuckoo clock,
The only other thing in
the room
Is over in the corner.
Just a broom.
When first we saw her
much to our surprise
She watched our every move
With her darkly painted eyes
And even now, to this very day
No matter where we go
Those darkly painted
eyes still follow
I tell you true ,
_it's so.
-____________
An old house abandoned
No one living there any more
Well, no one that is but the
Woman on the wall
beside the door
She's Tall.
Skinny.
Looks like she might've
been painted by
Somebody's maid.
Wearing a long bright
blue frock
She stands there beside
a cuckoo clock,
The only other thing in
the room
Is over in the corner.
Just a broom.
When first we saw her
much to our surprise
She watched our every move
With her darkly painted eyes
And even now, to this very day
No matter where we go
Those darkly painted
eyes still follow
I tell you true ,
_it's so.
-____________
When you are wading
barefoot in the bay,
don't pick up your
feet from off the bottom.
Drag them slowly along,
so that if there's a sting
ray burrowed up in the
sand, your foot will
bump it and it will
scoot away. You don't
want to step down on
a stingray! NO.
barefoot in the bay,
don't pick up your
feet from off the bottom.
Drag them slowly along,
so that if there's a sting
ray burrowed up in the
sand, your foot will
bump it and it will
scoot away. You don't
want to step down on
a stingray! NO.
_______
-
-
There was an old buzzard called Bud
Who built him a house outta mud
It dried and it cracked
As a matter of fact
Old Bud's house of mud was a dud!
Who built him a house outta mud
It dried and it cracked
As a matter of fact
Old Bud's house of mud was a dud!
____
____A huge chunk of redhot
charcoal spat from grill's
broken mouth, sudden
jumpback of unsteady
images to startledness,
in cold dew the
sawgrass starts to bathe.
A rain-filled, running
creek splashes nearby as
night-mists creep in among
the trees.
Starlight flows into dark
openings where old, white
cobwebs become visible all
over a high swung hammock._
______ ...
:-)
____A huge chunk of redhot
charcoal spat from grill's
broken mouth, sudden
jumpback of unsteady
images to startledness,
in cold dew the
sawgrass starts to bathe.
A rain-filled, running
creek splashes nearby as
night-mists creep in among
the trees.
Starlight flows into dark
openings where old, white
cobwebs become visible all
over a high swung hammock._
______ ...
:-)
...Cotton Denims
.
In the city
Something dark, cold,
and dirty, paved with
stone, where on a cold
winter's day clothes on
the line will freeze
stiff and won't dry.
Those sheets of ice with
sleeves, pockets and
collars will have to be
carried down to the
basement beside the
cold heat of clanky old
steam pipes;
Perhaps after a week of
hanging limp and Sunless,
One of them will appear
outside again all fresh and
blue, 100% cotton denim,
Warm.
On a little boy's skinny
legs flailing happily along,
in, on, around, and through
thick, fresh-fallen snow.
The Back Yard in the city is
no longer dark, cold and dirty.
____________
.
In the city
Something dark, cold,
and dirty, paved with
stone, where on a cold
winter's day clothes on
the line will freeze
stiff and won't dry.
Those sheets of ice with
sleeves, pockets and
collars will have to be
carried down to the
basement beside the
cold heat of clanky old
steam pipes;
Perhaps after a week of
hanging limp and Sunless,
One of them will appear
outside again all fresh and
blue, 100% cotton denim,
Warm.
On a little boy's skinny
legs flailing happily along,
in, on, around, and through
thick, fresh-fallen snow.
The Back Yard in the city is
no longer dark, cold and dirty.
____________
~
_When fog falls heavily
into the space between
land and sky,
erasing treetops from
view and softening
sounds into no
sounds at all,
When morning
appears to fold itself
into the day, passing
noon with no
shade under the
gnarled old maple tree,
Then the tracks of all
our daily routines disappear
into new mysteries of
a moonlit night.__
...:-)
_____________
_When fog falls heavily
into the space between
land and sky,
erasing treetops from
view and softening
sounds into no
sounds at all,
When morning
appears to fold itself
into the day, passing
noon with no
shade under the
gnarled old maple tree,
Then the tracks of all
our daily routines disappear
into new mysteries of
a moonlit night.__
...:-)
_____________
___________
.
Winter came along gradually,
passing through the last
flares of blazing autumn's
leaf-burning brightness,
early morning frosts,
and finally into the
total undressing of
summer's green from
every twig on every
branch of every tree.
and now...
There they are!
lifting their sunlit
arms to the blue
heavens above,
Bare, uncovered,
unhidden, more
beautiful than ever!
~ __________
Winter came along gradually,
passing through the last
flares of blazing autumn's
leaf-burning brightness,
early morning frosts,
and finally into the
total undressing of
summer's green from
every twig on every
branch of every tree.
and now...
There they are!
lifting their sunlit
arms to the blue
heavens above,
Bare, uncovered,
unhidden, more
beautiful than ever!
~ __________
________
We played on the earth
in the ravines
swinging across on
green vines
sifting sand through
daddy's hair while he
slept prone on the
edge of dare.
We played and loved the earth,
delighted in it, fell down on
our faces to it,
snuggledy-hugged it.
Even during the winter when
cold white snow
met our lips we kissed
the cold, our tongues
tasted it, and like icy
cones in summer it
tasted good.
Ah the ravines!
The ravines!
Swinging across,
dropping into their
oceans, climbing their
cliffs, scaling their sandy
sides all the way up to
places where breathing
becomes rare.
We spread our arms out to
all the space there is and
shouted into its'
sound of silence.
~
______________
We played on the earth
in the ravines
swinging across on
green vines
sifting sand through
daddy's hair while he
slept prone on the
edge of dare.
We played and loved the earth,
delighted in it, fell down on
our faces to it,
snuggledy-hugged it.
Even during the winter when
cold white snow
met our lips we kissed
the cold, our tongues
tasted it, and like icy
cones in summer it
tasted good.
Ah the ravines!
The ravines!
Swinging across,
dropping into their
oceans, climbing their
cliffs, scaling their sandy
sides all the way up to
places where breathing
becomes rare.
We spread our arms out to
all the space there is and
shouted into its'
sound of silence.
~
______________
~~
The sky darkens;
The voices of stark strangers
Are indistinct sounds ~
~~~
_words flow one into
another -The form has
almost disappeared into
the leaves and twigs have
swallowed up the
shape leaving mere
suggestions of what
once was it stone or
the fluid and flowing
sap of a living tree that
left traces of itself behind?
~~ ~~
The sky darkens;
The voices of stark strangers
Are indistinct sounds ~
~~~
_words flow one into
another -The form has
almost disappeared into
the leaves and twigs have
swallowed up the
shape leaving mere
suggestions of what
once was it stone or
the fluid and flowing
sap of a living tree that
left traces of itself behind?
~~ ~~
.
.
.
"Let everyone read and
write, eat well and make
beautiful things,
live peacefully and
delight in your own
society;
Dwell within cock-crow of
your neighbours,
but maintain your
independence from them."
-Lao Tze
write, eat well and make
beautiful things,
live peacefully and
delight in your own
society;
Dwell within cock-crow of
your neighbours,
but maintain your
independence from them."
-Lao Tze
.
Today the sun hides
Behind winter's cold wetness
Let's build a hearth fire
~ ~
-
This morning while
tramping imaginary
snow three feet deep
I came upon enchanted
woods where they say
some little people sleep
The snow was melted away.
Imaginary violets peeked
out all over the forest floor.
The sun was shining
down through misty mist,
a sight never seen before
Long glowing rays of
beams of light
Streaked through
trees so fine and rare
I held my breath for
the longest time
Just for the joy of
being there ...
:-)
Today the sun hides
Behind winter's cold wetness
Let's build a hearth fire
~ ~
-
This morning while
tramping imaginary
snow three feet deep
I came upon enchanted
woods where they say
some little people sleep
The snow was melted away.
Imaginary violets peeked
out all over the forest floor.
The sun was shining
down through misty mist,
a sight never seen before
Long glowing rays of
beams of light
Streaked through
trees so fine and rare
I held my breath for
the longest time
Just for the joy of
being there ...
:-)
~
Twilight waits for a
while letting the
birds have just one
more hour to sing.
The setting sun ever
so slowly lowers
itself toward the
distant dark treetops.
It blazes brightly;
And soon the
beauty of night will
come and bring
a million, zillion
stars and another
golden moon!
Finally at last the
darker curtain falls...
Somewhere out there a
whippoorwill calls..
... :-)
-_______________
Twilight waits for a
while letting the
birds have just one
more hour to sing.
The setting sun ever
so slowly lowers
itself toward the
distant dark treetops.
It blazes brightly;
And soon the
beauty of night will
come and bring
a million, zillion
stars and another
golden moon!
Finally at last the
darker curtain falls...
Somewhere out there a
whippoorwill calls..
... :-)
-_______________
.
Bright sunlit window
Telling winter it is spring
Frosty winds say nay
-________--____:-)
Bright sunlit window
Telling winter it is spring
Frosty winds say nay
-________--____:-)
The question not being clear,
No answer could appear.
Yet each deep particle, each
instant of reality suggested
some deep implication.
Something yet to be realized.
But the question not being clear,
No answer could appear and the
mind, being drowsy, not quite yet
awake, stirred, moved, then
turned over and went back to sleep.
:-)
-_______________-___-
No answer could appear.
Yet each deep particle, each
instant of reality suggested
some deep implication.
Something yet to be realized.
But the question not being clear,
No answer could appear and the
mind, being drowsy, not quite yet
awake, stirred, moved, then
turned over and went back to sleep.
:-)
-_______________-___-
wewa swamplily
Dark Wewahitchka waters
Reflecting light and dreams
Fanciful romantic midnights
On River's channel streams
... . . _____
No matter where I go,
or what I see,
Or whatever happens
To fall on me
I'm always here,
It's always now
I do not see
The why or how
I only see
The here and now.
Real reality rests in
little flyaway puffs propelled
and steered by the
...No-thing-ness
of
..Every-thing
... :-)
Reflecting light and dreams
Fanciful romantic midnights
On River's channel streams
... . . _____
No matter where I go,
or what I see,
Or whatever happens
To fall on me
I'm always here,
It's always now
I do not see
The why or how
I only see
The here and now.
Real reality rests in
little flyaway puffs propelled
and steered by the
...No-thing-ness
of
..Every-thing
... :-)
Little fish in bowl
swimming around and around
pour self in river
swimming around and around
pour self in river
____________
..
The door was open, so she walked right in, with soft cat feet and a cheshire grin;
But lo and behold on the other side, was a dirty rat!
Well she nearly died!
What a scramble it was--nearly broke her neck, couldn't get back out, but oh what the heck!
So settling down with needles and yarn she knitted a Not-hole in the side of the barn, then spent a long lifetime looking out waiting for something to come about;
Some catastrophic thing must surely occur some heavenly happenstance would happen to her.
But alas, alack!
It was never to be
She grew old and ugly, could scarcely see.
Then early one morning like happened before, the latch fell open, so she walked out the door.
-____-ovia
__________________
..
The door was open, so she walked right in, with soft cat feet and a cheshire grin;
But lo and behold on the other side, was a dirty rat!
Well she nearly died!
What a scramble it was--nearly broke her neck, couldn't get back out, but oh what the heck!
So settling down with needles and yarn she knitted a Not-hole in the side of the barn, then spent a long lifetime looking out waiting for something to come about;
Some catastrophic thing must surely occur some heavenly happenstance would happen to her.
But alas, alack!
It was never to be
She grew old and ugly, could scarcely see.
Then early one morning like happened before, the latch fell open, so she walked out the door.
-____-ovia
__________________
potato bonsai
______________
... -
Det gartner dared in danish to curse the innocent little flower dandelion
"Confounded, bloody, damned, dandelion,"
said he!
Fandens mælkebøtte!
Oh No, Not at all, a tall!
Never!" said she,
det elder husmoderas she
determinedly arranged the
centerpiece, the golden
yellow, mild and mellow
innocent little
Summer Weed
Upon the table's lace
Where shining like
the sun
Upon the diners everyone
At the stroke of eight,
They leaned down over
their plate
Greedily gobbled and ate
Every single one of
Lille mælkebøtte's
først kusines,
hver eneste mors sjæl!
The lifesaving
dutch Kartoffels!!
-ovia
... -
Det gartner dared in danish to curse the innocent little flower dandelion
"Confounded, bloody, damned, dandelion,"
said he!
Fandens mælkebøtte!
Oh No, Not at all, a tall!
Never!" said she,
det elder husmoderas she
determinedly arranged the
centerpiece, the golden
yellow, mild and mellow
innocent little
Summer Weed
Upon the table's lace
Where shining like
the sun
Upon the diners everyone
At the stroke of eight,
They leaned down over
their plate
Greedily gobbled and ate
Every single one of
Lille mælkebøtte's
først kusines,
hver eneste mors sjæl!
The lifesaving
dutch Kartoffels!!
-ovia
_______-
-___-________
.
I cannot make light of
this art, because here
you have painted this
perfect depiction of a
lifelong dream:
when at long last it's
time to die,crumble
down slowly blend in
with earth's forest
floor-deliciously into
and with crumbling
leaves, face turned
down slightly and to
the right, last
breath filled with
the sweet aroma of
fresh rain filled
breeze and
loamy leaves.
-ovia
-___-________
.
I cannot make light of
this art, because here
you have painted this
perfect depiction of a
lifelong dream:
when at long last it's
time to die,crumble
down slowly blend in
with earth's forest
floor-deliciously into
and with crumbling
leaves, face turned
down slightly and to
the right, last
breath filled with
the sweet aroma of
fresh rain filled
breeze and
loamy leaves.
-ovia
-_______-___
-____..._ _____
Old masters still young
Plums still blossoming in spring
Just like they did then
______________
-____..._ _____
Old masters still young
Plums still blossoming in spring
Just like they did then
______________
with fan and abacus
eggplant infinite point
-_______=-
_______- ___
another summer
is plum nelly gone
how many is that?
they blend into one, all
those summers gone by,
frozen into winters that
melt into spring blossoms
plum nelly stardust
```
_____ ~~
An old song we sung
it said,"This world it aint my home
I'm just uh passin' thru," and look:
another year just went zooming on by...
how many is that?
they blend into one
all those years past
Burnt by the sun in summer
Delighted by colors in fall
All those years are a blur
And we're just passing through, is all...
Time being frozen in winters
Then melting into another spring,
Like birds' migrating the seasons
We're just passing thru on a wing...
:-)
....
____________________
:-)
_______- ___
another summer
is plum nelly gone
how many is that?
they blend into one, all
those summers gone by,
frozen into winters that
melt into spring blossoms
plum nelly stardust
```
_____ ~~
An old song we sung
it said,"This world it aint my home
I'm just uh passin' thru," and look:
another year just went zooming on by...
how many is that?
they blend into one
all those years past
Burnt by the sun in summer
Delighted by colors in fall
All those years are a blur
And we're just passing through, is all...
Time being frozen in winters
Then melting into another spring,
Like birds' migrating the seasons
We're just passing thru on a wing...
:-)
....
____________________
:-)
Gather up dry twigs
Strike a fire to boil water
Have a coffee break
______ :-)
Strike a fire to boil water
Have a coffee break
______ :-)
A pool of sunlight falls into the thick darkness of morning making a magnificent drama__
The voice of a waking songbird calls;
Dewy-wet leaves of trees sparkle.
Sunrise!
______________________-
-ovia
The voice of a waking songbird calls;
Dewy-wet leaves of trees sparkle.
Sunrise!
______________________-
-ovia
Before the gathered waters, tall pines! Millions of green needles glittering. Murmuring along swiftly like the stream. Otters dip and dive and glisten. They know the river without knowing they know...
___ ____
Soft mist settles in:
Knowing the unknowable
The mist becomes rain
_____
-ovia____
___ ____
Soft mist settles in:
Knowing the unknowable
The mist becomes rain
_____
-ovia____
It's nice to suddenly find self far out on prairies that stretch from horizon to horizon in every direction; not a tree in sight. A flat and level land empty of all and everything that resembles forests, mountains, and flowing springs; Surrounded by endless rows of long green sprouts, fresh new promises of bread. A flat, treeless table from which to borrow surcease from sorrow.
Stave gnawing dread of starvation.
Out on the plains where there are no trees, the sky is turned upside down overhead like a big blue china bowl.
____
______
Stave gnawing dread of starvation.
Out on the plains where there are no trees, the sky is turned upside down overhead like a big blue china bowl.
____
______
To be free of the entanglements and confusions of human affairs, I sit wrapped in blankets of zen stillness, on cushions of plumped up cotton. Outside the window the setting sun makes earth into a golden garden of light, as the green of young and limber trees swing and sway in the evening breeze.
_____________
_____________
Once upon a time ago,
When I was but a child
I asked my dearest grandamere,
"Granda, What is beyond the beyond?"
"It's no different,"
she said. "It's all the same," said she.
...
Through a bank of tall pines,
and over the rail of our barge,
vapor rolls out from the river in
fragrant white clouds.
I went ashore early for
a wake-up walk along the
path of Sages beyond this
floating camp, and I wonder:
Will I ever understand all the
roots and flavors of eonic ages?
...
Shady green trees grow in
all directions, spreading
out around a tiny house perfectly
placed in sweet seclusion.
Beyond the hustle and bustle of
human busy-ness, in this little
island of solitude,
as old Han Shan said,
"all day behind my door I sit
alone cross-legged."
...
Only me in my wooden boat,
I listen to the flowing silence;
Windy breezes fill the sails full of
voices mingling with the stream,
waking me up as from a dream.
I live an everyday, ordinary life
Always here, always now,
beyond the beyond.
My cup runneth over.
...
I closed my eyes and thought:
"In a land beyond this beach
beyond these seas and skies
There's a beautiful island of being
And gardens of paradise."
I opened my eyes and
There it was!
...
Beyond imagination.
Moments ever moving,
Coming and going,
River of zen
Keep on flowing.
eyond the beyond.
Thusness.
...
There's nothing here but sky,
earth, falling waters, and a
patch of green grass around to
make a home.
Needing only the moon for a
lamp at night, a fallen log for
a seat among flowers and shrubs,
and birds and squirrels for neighbors,
The joys of solitary contemplation can
carry one beyond the beyond.
...
Far be it from me to claim
knowledge beyond the beams of
my own little light which shines out
in all directions as far as it is necessary; Moment to moment.
...
studying:
that:
tho we cannot name by name
nor describe a definition of
that that is beyond our ken
with no beginning, no end;
methinks, methinks to study
the that, that in it we live and
move and have our being.
________________ :-)
When I was but a child
I asked my dearest grandamere,
"Granda, What is beyond the beyond?"
"It's no different,"
she said. "It's all the same," said she.
...
Through a bank of tall pines,
and over the rail of our barge,
vapor rolls out from the river in
fragrant white clouds.
I went ashore early for
a wake-up walk along the
path of Sages beyond this
floating camp, and I wonder:
Will I ever understand all the
roots and flavors of eonic ages?
...
Shady green trees grow in
all directions, spreading
out around a tiny house perfectly
placed in sweet seclusion.
Beyond the hustle and bustle of
human busy-ness, in this little
island of solitude,
as old Han Shan said,
"all day behind my door I sit
alone cross-legged."
...
Only me in my wooden boat,
I listen to the flowing silence;
Windy breezes fill the sails full of
voices mingling with the stream,
waking me up as from a dream.
I live an everyday, ordinary life
Always here, always now,
beyond the beyond.
My cup runneth over.
...
I closed my eyes and thought:
"In a land beyond this beach
beyond these seas and skies
There's a beautiful island of being
And gardens of paradise."
I opened my eyes and
There it was!
...
Beyond imagination.
Moments ever moving,
Coming and going,
River of zen
Keep on flowing.
eyond the beyond.
Thusness.
...
There's nothing here but sky,
earth, falling waters, and a
patch of green grass around to
make a home.
Needing only the moon for a
lamp at night, a fallen log for
a seat among flowers and shrubs,
and birds and squirrels for neighbors,
The joys of solitary contemplation can
carry one beyond the beyond.
...
Far be it from me to claim
knowledge beyond the beams of
my own little light which shines out
in all directions as far as it is necessary; Moment to moment.
...
studying:
that:
tho we cannot name by name
nor describe a definition of
that that is beyond our ken
with no beginning, no end;
methinks, methinks to study
the that, that in it we live and
move and have our being.
________________ :-)
So familiar!
Have I not seen this
deep blue with pale
fluffs of green out-lined
against brightness some-
where before today?
I feel like something else,
perhaps a bluebird beating
my wings against the
rarified air of a day like today;
a Spring day
Listening to tinkledrops dripping
off eave's aprilshowers...ahhhh..
.this is really amazing.
It's almost enough to make
me burst into song!
Oh would that I were a meadowlark! :-)
_____________
Have I not seen this
deep blue with pale
fluffs of green out-lined
against brightness some-
where before today?
I feel like something else,
perhaps a bluebird beating
my wings against the
rarified air of a day like today;
a Spring day
Listening to tinkledrops dripping
off eave's aprilshowers...ahhhh..
.this is really amazing.
It's almost enough to make
me burst into song!
Oh would that I were a meadowlark! :-)
_____________
If I hide out in retirement,
living in my garden and
home all the days of my
life, that's good. One lives
as one must live. Time
disappears into streaming
days and nights of moon-
light and sunshine. Let
windy winters, springs full
of birdsong, and all the
goings and comings of the
world fill all the
seasons with the beauty of
constant change.
I'm happy to sit back, relax,
and watch happenings
happen.
:-)
living in my garden and
home all the days of my
life, that's good. One lives
as one must live. Time
disappears into streaming
days and nights of moon-
light and sunshine. Let
windy winters, springs full
of birdsong, and all the
goings and comings of the
world fill all the
seasons with the beauty of
constant change.
I'm happy to sit back, relax,
and watch happenings
happen.
:-)
I am this that I am,
And:
Everything is running on
according to how things
are arranged by nature.
Morning suns rise with
winds and waves,
Sleeping ones sleep
cuddled in caves,
and like Li P'o has said,
"Peach blossoms and
flowing streams pass
away without a trace..."
Wonderful!
This one moment!
Vast, distant,
yet known only here.
Now.
-
-
The goldenrods came
and went. Now winter's
in the air and I am
Remembering
last spring......
_ _
Tender green goldenrod
stalks shooting up beside
the barn not yet as high
as my hand, already
there's blossoms in
their coiled roots.
Though the last frost has
frozen the tips of the
tulips, a cloud of white
flowers have covered
one plum tree down by
the little water pond.
Long-legged grasshoppers
stir; Locusts make
loud the late evensong,
and I'm watching two
little brown wrens
building a nest ._
I wonder after these
years have gone, many
generations hence,
Who will bend over here
in this spot, digging up
words about goldenrod
flowers,plum trees,
and little brown wrens?
____
-:-)-April 7, 2007
and went. Now winter's
in the air and I am
Remembering
last spring......
_ _
Tender green goldenrod
stalks shooting up beside
the barn not yet as high
as my hand, already
there's blossoms in
their coiled roots.
Though the last frost has
frozen the tips of the
tulips, a cloud of white
flowers have covered
one plum tree down by
the little water pond.
Long-legged grasshoppers
stir; Locusts make
loud the late evensong,
and I'm watching two
little brown wrens
building a nest ._
I wonder after these
years have gone, many
generations hence,
Who will bend over here
in this spot, digging up
words about goldenrod
flowers,plum trees,
and little brown wrens?
____
-:-)-April 7, 2007
In November's last days
Warm kitchen aroma's
Wafting
into noses all over
the house
Warm days
Followed by cold
Families drifting back
Into bosomof hugs,
smiles, laughter,
joy and...
THANKSGIVING!!!!
______________
Warm kitchen aroma's
Wafting
into noses all over
the house
Warm days
Followed by cold
Families drifting back
Into bosomof hugs,
smiles, laughter,
joy and...
THANKSGIVING!!!!
______________
Walking along the trail beside the pond one day, I saw something dead and stiff looking, with flies and dirt and dried leaves and grass all over it. As I drew near I could see it was a fish about a foot and a half long. It was laying there dead as a doornail on the trail. It had evidently made a flying leap up from it's water home to catch a bug or something...or maybe it was just "jumping for joy..."
I felt sad to see the fish like that, and I don't know why I did it, but I picked up the dead fish by the tail and tossed it back into the pond, then went sadly on my way.
Next day I came walking along the same trail again, just as I did almost every day, and
Lo and Behold!
The fish was moving!
He was still close to the bank, and was turned half over on his side, still looking dead, but his gills were moving.
He was Breathing!'
It took several days, but slowly, slowly the fish recovered.
Until finally he was as good as ever, swimming happily around in his pond and leaping for joy... (or bugs)
:-)
___________________________
I felt sad to see the fish like that, and I don't know why I did it, but I picked up the dead fish by the tail and tossed it back into the pond, then went sadly on my way.
Next day I came walking along the same trail again, just as I did almost every day, and
Lo and Behold!
The fish was moving!
He was still close to the bank, and was turned half over on his side, still looking dead, but his gills were moving.
He was Breathing!'
It took several days, but slowly, slowly the fish recovered.
Until finally he was as good as ever, swimming happily around in his pond and leaping for joy... (or bugs)
:-)
___________________________
.......
Stopping to rest,
Thinking of those who've
vanished into the woods,
I look around past the lawn-grass growing green and see that across another smaller expanse of brown stubbled grass there is a path going off through the mysterious woodlands into un-explored places.
Turning back behind where I stand,
I see a big bungalow house with piles of
loose shingles stacked on top. Wind blowing, strewn shingles all over the ground. The latest storm just now passing by.
Everything I see is beautiful, as I'm looking all around.
Should I go back to work on that old house?
Or should I walk barefoot across this expanse of stubbly mown grass and continue on along to see what's down that unexplored path?__
-ovia
____________________________
Thinking of those who've
vanished into the woods,
I look around past the lawn-grass growing green and see that across another smaller expanse of brown stubbled grass there is a path going off through the mysterious woodlands into un-explored places.
Turning back behind where I stand,
I see a big bungalow house with piles of
loose shingles stacked on top. Wind blowing, strewn shingles all over the ground. The latest storm just now passing by.
Everything I see is beautiful, as I'm looking all around.
Should I go back to work on that old house?
Or should I walk barefoot across this expanse of stubbly mown grass and continue on along to see what's down that unexplored path?__
-ovia
____________________________
.......
Of the most pleasant moments,
none may come to mind
more pleasant than those days
discovering what's left behind
by a hurricane's call
it's scream and squall
for days it whips the dunes
with waters dark and wild
depositing treasures there
to be discovered by a child.
___-ovia
none may come to mind
more pleasant than those days
discovering what's left behind
by a hurricane's call
it's scream and squall
for days it whips the dunes
with waters dark and wild
depositing treasures there
to be discovered by a child.
___-ovia
.......
Being on earth
Without leaving any tracks
Humanity walks
A field of popcorn.
No drama, no excitement, no adventure, nothing strange, odd, very painful, or very pleasurable.
Just plain old everyday living...
Popcorn!
Popcorn was something un-heard of for some non-descript woman on a farm back in those days to grow. She didn't care. She somehow got a-hold of some popcorn seeds and she planted them. She'd never had popcorn before and she wanted to try it. She'd seen it before a long time ago when her uncle came down from Alabama and took her to town one saturday.
While her uncle was doing some business she was left free for almost a whole half a day to do whatever she pleased. She was walking up and down main street looking in the store windows when she found the theatre. She'd heard plenty about
them before. There was a little sign on the glass window of the little cage where you bought tickets saying, admission
$.25. She felt in her pocket and found the quarter she'd brought with her to spend and before you could say "git outta
here!" she was inside. She nearly fainted with pure pleasure and a watering mouth when she smelled the popcorn. That's
when she knew the first chance she got she was going to eat popcorn. Well now she had her chance. Old Ceivie King gave
her the seeds last winter when she was at their house helping them shell seed corn to plant in the spring. She trembled
with anticipation the first time she pulled down her favorite old black iron skillet and put it on the hot stove. Following the
instructions old Ceivie had told her when he gave her the seeds, she waited until the skillet was good and hot then she
spooned in a bunch of butter, let it melt then put in a handful of the dry popcorn, sprinkled a little salt over it, then took the lid
off her big old stew pot, and put it on the skillet, then got her a good thick rag to hold the hot handle of the skillet with,
then as soon as she heard the first kernel pop, she started to shake the skillet back and forth on the stove and kept that up
while the popping got to be two then three then more and more until finally the whole bunch seemed to be popping all at once . She kept up the shaking until she could hear no more pops, then shoved the skillet off to the back of the stove and
took the lid off. Ah!.!!!.....There it was!!!! That smell she'd first smelled back in that theatre a long time ago!!! She giggled
out loud with pure delight, knowing that from now on she would plant a field of popcorn every year for all the rest of her natural born days.
_______________
Being on the earth
Without leaving any tracks
Humanity walks
Without leaving any tracks
Humanity walks
A field of popcorn.
No drama, no excitement, no adventure, nothing strange, odd, very painful, or very pleasurable.
Just plain old everyday living...
Popcorn!
Popcorn was something un-heard of for some non-descript woman on a farm back in those days to grow. She didn't care. She somehow got a-hold of some popcorn seeds and she planted them. She'd never had popcorn before and she wanted to try it. She'd seen it before a long time ago when her uncle came down from Alabama and took her to town one saturday.
While her uncle was doing some business she was left free for almost a whole half a day to do whatever she pleased. She was walking up and down main street looking in the store windows when she found the theatre. She'd heard plenty about
them before. There was a little sign on the glass window of the little cage where you bought tickets saying, admission
$.25. She felt in her pocket and found the quarter she'd brought with her to spend and before you could say "git outta
here!" she was inside. She nearly fainted with pure pleasure and a watering mouth when she smelled the popcorn. That's
when she knew the first chance she got she was going to eat popcorn. Well now she had her chance. Old Ceivie King gave
her the seeds last winter when she was at their house helping them shell seed corn to plant in the spring. She trembled
with anticipation the first time she pulled down her favorite old black iron skillet and put it on the hot stove. Following the
instructions old Ceivie had told her when he gave her the seeds, she waited until the skillet was good and hot then she
spooned in a bunch of butter, let it melt then put in a handful of the dry popcorn, sprinkled a little salt over it, then took the lid
off her big old stew pot, and put it on the skillet, then got her a good thick rag to hold the hot handle of the skillet with,
then as soon as she heard the first kernel pop, she started to shake the skillet back and forth on the stove and kept that up
while the popping got to be two then three then more and more until finally the whole bunch seemed to be popping all at once . She kept up the shaking until she could hear no more pops, then shoved the skillet off to the back of the stove and
took the lid off. Ah!.!!!.....There it was!!!! That smell she'd first smelled back in that theatre a long time ago!!! She giggled
out loud with pure delight, knowing that from now on she would plant a field of popcorn every year for all the rest of her natural born days.
_______________
Being on the earth
Without leaving any tracks
Humanity walks
.......
Playing around with Opening lines of Book XI, Iliad:
And now as Dawn rose from her couch beside me, harbinger of light alike to mortals and immortals, I went into the gallery to see what the hands of these immortal artists had wrought. I took my stand by the huge black wall in the chamber which was middlemost of all, where my computer reposes, so that I might see farthest on either side of the world, on the one hand towards the works of one, and on the other towards those of the other- for these two heroes, well-assured of their own strength, had valorously drawn up their paintings and posted them on the board. There I took my stand, and raised a cry both loud and shrill that filled the whole house with noise, giving my family the heart to come running with all their might, so that they might see also what marvelous works the Day and Night has wrought. Woo!! ooooo
And now as Dawn rose from her couch beside me, harbinger of light alike to mortals and immortals, I went into the gallery to see what the hands of these immortal artists had wrought. I took my stand by the huge black wall in the chamber which was middlemost of all, where my computer reposes, so that I might see farthest on either side of the world, on the one hand towards the works of one, and on the other towards those of the other- for these two heroes, well-assured of their own strength, had valorously drawn up their paintings and posted them on the board. There I took my stand, and raised a cry both loud and shrill that filled the whole house with noise, giving my family the heart to come running with all their might, so that they might see also what marvelous works the Day and Night has wrought. Woo!! ooooo
.......
Oh Agonistica!
Thy name ART eeesssstt!
It's more complicated than it looks yet
more simple than it seems
she's growing up to be another Scarlett O'hara
whose scatterbrained romantic schemes are destined to be her downfall but don't
despair dear Parental one, sil vous plait!
She will ever and always bounce back up
to paint Another Day.
-ovia
Thy name ART eeesssstt!
It's more complicated than it looks yet
more simple than it seems
she's growing up to be another Scarlett O'hara
whose scatterbrained romantic schemes are destined to be her downfall but don't
despair dear Parental one, sil vous plait!
She will ever and always bounce back up
to paint Another Day.
-ovia
.......
An old zen master from eons ago,
told me to realize thusly that:
Living in the heights of Mountains,
and the meadows of
Valleys below,
Body settled
Temporarily,
to let my mind flow--
Told me too:
Whatever I do,
to try to do mindfully,
in quiet ease;
In spring to watch
flocks of robins fly by,
and in summer to
work in my little
green growing garden,
When it's once again in
the fall time of the year,
to sit in contemplation of
the full harvest moon...
And the old zen master and I,
We love all the seasons,
Each in it's own
particularly sweet flavor.
.
-odmmb
told me to realize thusly that:
Living in the heights of Mountains,
and the meadows of
Valleys below,
Body settled
Temporarily,
to let my mind flow--
Told me too:
Whatever I do,
to try to do mindfully,
in quiet ease;
In spring to watch
flocks of robins fly by,
and in summer to
work in my little
green growing garden,
When it's once again in
the fall time of the year,
to sit in contemplation of
the full harvest moon...
And the old zen master and I,
We love all the seasons,
Each in it's own
particularly sweet flavor.
.
-odmmb
.......
All around the sunken garden,
I slowly dragged my clog shod feet.
Tall weeds bent away to one side and the
other, making a trail of green carpet.
I enjoyed the faint watermelon smell and
went all the way around and back to the steps. Facing the emptiness of the old fish pond,
like Liu Ching, I sat long minutes inside a
sense of Zen, yet I cannot find the words.
-sef/odmmb
I slowly dragged my clog shod feet.
Tall weeds bent away to one side and the
other, making a trail of green carpet.
I enjoyed the faint watermelon smell and
went all the way around and back to the steps. Facing the emptiness of the old fish pond,
like Liu Ching, I sat long minutes inside a
sense of Zen, yet I cannot find the words.
-sef/odmmb
.......
The ice box was empty
But for one grape
So we went out on the bog
Across the swamps behind the barn
To see if we could find something to eat;
Not afraid to wade up to our hair,
Because we'd done it many times before-
and being "born-and-raised" out there,
We swam when the water got too deep,
then waded out on sandbars to sleep.
That's after we found something to eat:
Hickory nuts and berries,chinquapins too,
A few roots and herbs made a mighty good stew;
But that's not all.
We did meet the moon,
and we heard a thin tinkling fall
that made water drops look like
pearls when they splashed.
-sef
But for one grape
So we went out on the bog
Across the swamps behind the barn
To see if we could find something to eat;
Not afraid to wade up to our hair,
Because we'd done it many times before-
and being "born-and-raised" out there,
We swam when the water got too deep,
then waded out on sandbars to sleep.
That's after we found something to eat:
Hickory nuts and berries,chinquapins too,
A few roots and herbs made a mighty good stew;
But that's not all.
We did meet the moon,
and we heard a thin tinkling fall
that made water drops look like
pearls when they splashed.
-sef
.......
Leaves on the window
sun shining through
it's all held together
with carpenter's glue.
Leaves on window panes
Glowing bright
Transformed by
the autumn light
Crimson, Magenta, Orange and dun
Even a speckled and freckled one
Maple, Popcorn, and Turkey Oak too
Leaves on the window
With sun shining through.
And to hold them in place, so they don't fall,
tiny bits of "funtack" or tape in a ball!
-sef
sun shining through
it's all held together
with carpenter's glue.
Leaves on window panes
Glowing bright
Transformed by
the autumn light
Crimson, Magenta, Orange and dun
Even a speckled and freckled one
Maple, Popcorn, and Turkey Oak too
Leaves on the window
With sun shining through.
And to hold them in place, so they don't fall,
tiny bits of "funtack" or tape in a ball!
-sef
.......
Empty boat skim along quietly. Water ripple and murmur at its bow. Large bullfrog leap from off lotus pad and out of the way as boat nose its way into tall cattail reeds on sandy side of stream. -
-sef
-sef
.......
The hills and valleys are green...the ups and downs divine...we carried small packs of food and water slung loosely for comfort as we walked not too fast and not too slow. We expected to reach the top of old grandfather mountain before nightfall. Steep inclines, loose rocks, slipping, sliding, bruised, skint knees, twisted ankles, scratches. An hour of miserable heat followed by tooth chattering cold during a sudden afternoon thunderstorm...And that's not the half of it.For the discomforts, you know. Not to mention the joys and wonders we beheld all along the way, like the pure bliss of the shower we had under a waterfall at lunchtime, the feasts of our hearts, ears, and eyes taking in the vistas of pure beauty, the sounds, the smells, the indescribable happiness of knowing we were actually in real life experiencing the experience of Climbing to the Top of Old Grandfather Mountain!!! __ -sef
.......
Picking flowers from beside the trail, I raise my eyes up through treetops to sky, I see imaginary mountains raise tall white peaks blending with, becoming white clouds. Vapors come creeping in from nowhere and a flock of redwing blackbirds fly in to roost. Though I try to express this that is, I can't.
-sef
-sef
......
Drizzles of rain erase the world around me.
All I can see is its flowing streams falling down from the roof outside my window.
Fireplace light and warmth decorate the shadows of this place where I live.
I think if I started trying to type or scribble little words about the joy of it, the moon and breeze would laugh at me juicily and go on hiding all night long behind these delicious cascades of cool raindrops on my window. -----
-sef
All I can see is its flowing streams falling down from the roof outside my window.
Fireplace light and warmth decorate the shadows of this place where I live.
I think if I started trying to type or scribble little words about the joy of it, the moon and breeze would laugh at me juicily and go on hiding all night long behind these delicious cascades of cool raindrops on my window. -----
-sef
.......
Mossy green cool wet rocks soaking in mist from spray _waterfalls tumble whitely cold_down from high and far away, down to the flowers in a park, down to the grist in a mill, down to where children play and down to the whippoorwill. _The meaning of life is written in the pages of nature's book, on every leaf of every tree and everywhere we look.
-sef
-sef
.......
A magnificent moment is like a shooting star: A flash in the sky. Like an ocean wave, it exemplifies the most ephemeral perspective.____-sef
.......
I don't see Cherry blossoms like Ishikawa Jozan did, but I see what he means because,...
With Visions of pine Needles all over the ground, sunshine filling my eyes....leaves all raked up and piled into the mulching bin along with sycamore, oak, popcorn, many grains of soil, and myriads of things invisible to the eye; Now that the earth is swept clean by winter's icy wind and boney bones feel the pain of passing years, I remember the pleasure of walking barefoot on carpets of fallen pine needles and smile with the memory of the coming summer next._______-ovia
With Visions of pine Needles all over the ground, sunshine filling my eyes....leaves all raked up and piled into the mulching bin along with sycamore, oak, popcorn, many grains of soil, and myriads of things invisible to the eye; Now that the earth is swept clean by winter's icy wind and boney bones feel the pain of passing years, I remember the pleasure of walking barefoot on carpets of fallen pine needles and smile with the memory of the coming summer next._______-ovia
.......
When you're falling asleep at night, may the last thing in your mind you see-be these words: "sweet dreams..." -they'll be written on the moon and sent to you from me.________
Some day, when I pick up my brushes and paint what I see, the very act itself will transform white confetti into snowflakes. -___Cold, white, frostily delicious snowflakes.-___ landing lightly, softly along lacy green treetops. They will transform autumns golden leaves to glowing candles lighting the way into dreams that's always sweet.
Some day, when I pick up my brushes and paint what I see, the very act itself will transform white confetti into snowflakes. -___Cold, white, frostily delicious snowflakes.-___ landing lightly, softly along lacy green treetops. They will transform autumns golden leaves to glowing candles lighting the way into dreams that's always sweet.
.......
I am here it is now...The night owl meditates by the spring. Here even the children know the way. World news is forgotten. People sleep all over the place, on the grass, on leaf beds, under ledges, in sleeping bags, clean and cool as a cucumber. This whole canyon is steeped in wild honeysuckle perfume; The very stones themselves shine under the brightest moon. I don't want to leave this place, but as soon as the dawn breaks pink over the tallest mountains, I must say goodbye. I'll be back when all these green leaves turn to a golden glow of light._____________ovia
.......
Moonlight shadows soft like day, lighting patterns along the way; Arches dark to form the gate, no longer saying you must wait. Stop. Rest a while. Look back on hours already flown of the darkest hours before the dawn. Before swimming into the deep, deep blue where who knows what awaits for you. How many have flung themselves below without waiting, how could they knowt hat in the morning the earth and sky would all the pain bid them goodbye and this the bridge to pure delight would lead us all Into the Light. Moonlight shadows swing and sway, lighting patterns along the way.
-ovia
-ovia
....
Things of skin or rock or bone.
Or things made of delicate daisies. Could be clouds. Waters held together by nothing but dust. __-ovia
Or things made of delicate daisies. Could be clouds. Waters held together by nothing but dust. __-ovia
.......
Nowadays when I hear words it's as if I've heard them many times before. Nowadays I'm almost always sleepy.......feeling relaxed...at ease......Not thinking of anything at all while watching a stream of thoughts flowing through mind. Just being here... Doing whatever I'm doing...It's sorta like being on a little boat......drifting along on a moonlit lake late at night in the summertime. I can feel cool, moist, rain-filled breezes on my face and in my hair. I can smell the sand and warm air from off the gulf...almost as if I were there. I'm not asleep and I'm not awake. But these days____I'm__almost always__ Sleepy.
...and enjoying very much... :-)
...and enjoying very much... :-)
.......
White clouds sail on wings of mist; White canvas cloth catches winds of bliss: Captains stand tall at the helm of their being, riding on the waves of the sea they are seeing__-odmmb
.......
Through a bank of tall pines, over the rail of our barge, vapor rolls out from the river in fragrant white clouds; I went ashore early fo ra wake-up walk along the path of Sages. Beyond this floating camp will I ever understand the roots and flavor of ages?__-ovia
.......
When I hear their stories and read their words, sometime I feel I do understand...But then I jump into the air and smell the flowers that reach up to greet me before I land; and with their sweet welcome they tell me more than ever in a month of sundays, I ever understood before__-ovia
```````
The river of Zen is quiet,__Even in the waves; _The water of stability is clear, Even in the waves.__ - Xuedou
````````
Blossoming plum trees Emerge from white clouds of mist Waking birds and bees___
Peaches blossom in Showers of sunshine and rain Peaches blush with life___
Things go as they will Rain falls, plants grow, the wind blows I eat my dinner___
Scooter bugs scooting On surface of shallow pond June rainfall splashes___
Thoughts flow through my mind Like blowing breezes through my hair They come and they go___
Petals all fallen Tulips tiptoeing away Gone to welcome Spring___
Blazing summer sun Pulled all water out of pond Mud dry and crackled. ___Rainy season's back! Pond filling up with water Lotus buds peeking. ___Pond's overflowing, Lotus blossoms everywhere, Frogs orchestrating!___
Blazing summer sun Pulled all water out of pond Lotus left wilting___
Walking stone pathways Acorns crushing underfoot How then, mighty oak? Breadcrumbs in basket Woodpecker, cardinal, wren Who will fly in first?_ Frozen water pipes Water, water, everywhere Not a drop to drink._A bumble bee fell Into cup of hot coffee Got poured onto ground._How exultantly Is playful puppy running Like a tumble weed._All the same difference, A cloud, a thought, a morning; All playful kittens._Night and day and night Seasons pass as eons turn On and on and on.
Peaches blossom in Showers of sunshine and rain Peaches blush with life___
Things go as they will Rain falls, plants grow, the wind blows I eat my dinner___
Scooter bugs scooting On surface of shallow pond June rainfall splashes___
Thoughts flow through my mind Like blowing breezes through my hair They come and they go___
Petals all fallen Tulips tiptoeing away Gone to welcome Spring___
Blazing summer sun Pulled all water out of pond Mud dry and crackled. ___Rainy season's back! Pond filling up with water Lotus buds peeking. ___Pond's overflowing, Lotus blossoms everywhere, Frogs orchestrating!___
Blazing summer sun Pulled all water out of pond Lotus left wilting___
Walking stone pathways Acorns crushing underfoot How then, mighty oak? Breadcrumbs in basket Woodpecker, cardinal, wren Who will fly in first?_ Frozen water pipes Water, water, everywhere Not a drop to drink._A bumble bee fell Into cup of hot coffee Got poured onto ground._How exultantly Is playful puppy running Like a tumble weed._All the same difference, A cloud, a thought, a morning; All playful kittens._Night and day and night Seasons pass as eons turn On and on and on.
```````
Blending with showers of warm rain, _Breezes stir the tops of trees._I stand leaning on a post, _ Letting time drift by un-noticed. _Winter's now like a forgotten dream, _Come and gone.
```````
as petals open to catch moonbeams .---_splash! the oar dips into the water _ripples run out.
```````
After sweating and toiling in the heat of a long mid-summer sun, cascades of cool falling waters flow over our upturned face. _And it feels like joy. _ The door is half shut;_ White clouds float by in skies of blue. _ In meditation we leave the flames of desire for the coolness of let-go. ___-z
```````
when they arrive_the people of today_intermingling_ ___laughter, joy, and love_ringing from the rafters _soaking into the wood_sweet fragrance thereafter_neither host nor guest_all in one and one in all...
```````
cooking rows and rows of peas _field full of tall green corn _ okra fried _tomatoes sliced red_ fried green_ cornbread crispy fried upon the stove _eat and eat and eat_drink a little tea_then come on out to the porch_and doze a while with me_
```````
-_standing here I see -_spiraling leaf fall smoothly -_settle down to earth-_
```````
-_Garden paths covered - _With white blossoms from a vine -_Air is soft and warm.-_
```````
On blue sky with frost _White clouds etched invitation _Goldenrods set sail_
```````
Untended gardens _Allow plants to grow freely _No such thing as weeds
```````
Coldwater Creek and a paper moon lead pathwalkers along; _Yellow jasmine and honeysuckle vines decorate fallen tree branches; _Many winding trails await exploring: _Blossoming plum trees hide deep in the white mist of mornings dewfall.
```````
Twilight waits for a while- letting the birds have just one more hour to sing. The setting sun ever so slowly lowers itself toward the distant dark treetops. It blazes brightly; But soon black night will come and bring a million, zillion stars and another golden moon.
Finally at last the darker curtain falls. Somewhere out there a whippoorwill calls.
Now the day just gone seems so ordinary. How could it compare? ___To this!
~~~~~~~
There's a little stream _Flowing from sky down to sea _Following the way_
```````
Today all day long _Roasting nuts on open flames _Making winter warm_
```````
Constantly moving _
Old oak trees beside the deck _
Glinting in the sun_
```````
Petals all fallen _
Tulips tiptoeing away _
Gone to welcome spring_
````````
Plum blossom morning _
Yawn and wake from winter sleep _
Spring is in the air_
```````
A soft breeze enters _Empty spaces in a room _ Sea of emptiness_
```````
Stunned and blown away _By the power of waters _ Roaring in on the wind
```````
wind sweeping wheat fields _scythes sweeping grain into bins _zen of daily bread_
```````
Daffodils out there _emptiness flowering from _beyond the beyond_
With apple blossoms _Reason flew out the window _On wings of a dove_
```````
Winter wants to stay _Holding fast to freezing nights _But spring's in the air_
```````
When the sun went down _Moon came out to shine all night _Lighting up the dark_
```````
How exultantly _ Is playful puppy running _Like a tumble weed_
```````
Walking stone pathways _Acorns crushing underfoot _How then, mighty oak?_
```````
Pond's overflowing,_ Lotus blossoms everywhere,_ Frogs orchestrating!_
```````
Rainy season's back!_Pond filling up with water_Lotus buds peeking_
````
Blazing summer sun_Pulled all water out of pond_Mud dry and crackled_
```````
Peaches blossom in
Showers of sunshine and rain
Peaches blush with life
````````
Plum blossom morning... Yawn and wake from winter sleep; Spring is in the air.
```````
Things go as they will. Rain falls, plants grow, the wind blows; I eat my dinner.
