25 August 2008

Fridge

Wandering thoughts
And shifting imagery

Broken by the sound

Of the fridge waking up

I return to the task



[14 July 08]

Lost

When sitting becomes
An act of will

The way is lost



[14 July 08]

To sleep

August night
I put my book down to sleep

Bat squeaks echo in the dark



[21 August 08]

Bedtime

Climbing the staircase
The moon rising in the east

Breaks through the clouds

And steals my breath away



[19 August 08]

Warm evening

A refreshing cold shower
Eases my mosquito bites


Perspiration continues

To bead on my brow



[28 July 08]

Luminous moon

A luminous moon
Over Callow Hill

Sets the clouds aglow

While the trees

Remain black



[17 July 08]

Ghostly moon

A ghostly moon over
Callow Hill

Illuminates the clouds

And glows through the gaps



[17 July 08]

The moon rises

As the moon rises
And the lawn mower grinds

A small touch of peace

Enters my heart



[13 July 08]

The arising of pain

In the arising of pain
tears linger

close to these eyeballs


In the arising of pain

tension grips

up and down this back


In the arising of pain

sensation anchors

attention in this body


In this moment



[09 July 08]

This body

Pain is a part of
This body of flesh and bones

As much as it is a part of

This body of emotions and feelings


Sitting in awareness

The pain does not depart


Practising being open

Allowing the whole of it

To arise in this space

Where I sit.



[09 July 08]

Beauty burning

mysterious deep blue clouds
linger along the horizon

pale blue sky stretches out above

long jagged rips give way

to the fiery glow

of the sunset beyond



[14 June 08]

Words of an ancient

My legs hurt
The ache of 108 prostrations

Gentle rain trickles

The music of downpipes and gutters

As the words of an ancient

resonate deep inside somewhere

'With clear awareness,

one takes up the responsibility of helping other sentient beings

as if one is sitting in perfect silence.'*



[11 June 08]


*Master Hongzhi quoted on p137 in Illuminating Silence by Master Sheng-yen

To the west

Blue Hills roll across the horizon
Burning the sky

Orange and pink as they go

Silently to the west



[10 June 08]

June Moon 3

There is a crescent moon
in my window

tonight



[07 June 08]

June Moon 2

Lying in bed
The luminous crescent moon

Framed in the middle window



[07 June 08]

June Moon 1

Dusty pink sunset
Indigo hills

Under a bright crescent moon



[07 June 08]

In the tent

bedtime story over
the owl calls echo
Buddha sits
with the ashes of the day


[14 August 08]

Momentarily

three birds fly overhead
the hazy glow of sunset

in the damp muddy evening



[14 August 08]

3 lines

a fallen leaf
appears as an icicle

glistening in the mud



[14 August 08]

Arising

some things need
to be written

right

now



[14 August 08]