[ARTS]: Big and Little Poetry--free verse, any verse.

火山 (Kazan)

The Antonov-24 ride was bumpy and cramped
Half asleep drifting in and out of
Table trays in the upright and locked
Arrived in Klyuchi at 3:35
Was picked up and taken to the Chukchiyeva's place
It happened to be close to a small school that was still in session.
I could see curious black eyes with black hair, faces pressed against the window.

I was inside with Anitsiya when the rumble started.
An indescribably deep shaking
the lights flickered. Plates rattled.
I looked at Anitsiya her face blank and then...
She recognized it. Keletmut!
She dropped her paring knife and ran out the door
I followed
Her gaze Southwest to Bezymianny
Aflame. Huge jets of magma, Dark billowing ash clouds
It was almost twilight and the mountain lit up the sky
I don't know how long we had been watching.
But just then, the power went out and there was yet another explosion and rumble.

I will never know if we were safe.

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

[Hokai]

Stillness Beneath the Moon

Cold zazen whispers,

Old stones cradle the stillness,

Frogs sing to the night.




Fog drapes the tall trees,

A bird rests in the chimney,

New moon's quiet gaze.

Gassho,
J
Sat/lah

[Tai Shi]

September Song for our Daughter

This Friday, shall I sit Zazenkai
Allowing maple leaves to gather
In Laurel wreath next to crown which
Decorates us into Sioux Falls,
Only City in South Dakota,
Near Southeast corner into all
Of state, is state of risen sun
I walked alone at six o'clock
With my coat pulled tight against
Fall wind. September is month
Of my birth. I tell folk in City,
"I had it first, September 11th,
This is my birthday, 73!" This year
Reaching into pocket, finding
Rabbit coin given me by our daughter,
She is Scholar, Professor, Acomplished
In every finnery, in all ways of being.
She is brilliant, shines as morning
Star. She sees beyond her own
Wisdom. May she come to fame,
Write this great Poem, long notes.
Great Songs, her's is brilliance
Her's brings more deep thoughts,
Living Pure, living not for others
Unless this is to be, may she see
Sun drenched morning sky, not
Darkest clouds, always more than
Her latitude of kindness she hoped,
For May to October harvest, be like
Early Zazen, may soft Buddha will
Bring her more than her measure
Of fame, morning doves, evening
Sky, eternal flame rises up, gives
Windy days, white clouds, daylight
Often more bightness she earned all
Demure, her attitude measures of piety,
Suplacations to this God of Poetry
Sapho, Dyonysis be calmed. This ultimate
Time of songs, mighty voiced along
River raft pushed off from shore, frost
of this is meetinng East with West
Asia with North America can be reality.

Gassho
lah/sat

Hmmm. Matt, I never criticize a poem. But, just want to say that this is not true ...

The Zen vehicle only teaches about neutral
But how will you move heaven and Earth without a low gear

Gassho, J
stlah

This is poetry... not a true or false kind of thing... we just started up car club at school (my daughter is in it--she likes cars) (I was more of a bicycle guy) I had loads of car puns on my brain.

_/\_
matt

[Jundo]

Hmmm. Matt, I never criticize a poem. But, just want to say that this is not true ...

The Zen vehicle only teaches about neutral
But how will you move heaven and Earth without a low gear

Gassho, J
stlah

変速伝 (Hensoku Den)

Let's talk Transmission
You have to know where neutral is to get anywhere
Neutral is marked with an R for rigpa
Or an S for Shikantaza
But what about the other gears?
Who can show us where and what they are?
Different gears are good for different things
But the moment you try to bring it up
They want you to stay in neutral
Or they figure you're going to drive away anyway
The Zen vehicle only teaches about neutral
But how will you move heaven and Earth without a low gear
How will you get up the mountain without being able to lock your differential?
Once you've used all the gears you have lots to work with
But don't try too early because that's how you stall
That's how you grind up your transmission
And they don't rebuild those anymore
And anyway most people are better off with an automatic

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

堕落無間 (daraku muken)

sometimes I want to tell
do bad zazen and go to hell

or go to heaven if you prefer
just be aware of where you are

so many gaps and in between
no awareness of where we've been

try not to do, don't try not to be
can't do and not be so no need to worry

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

[Choujou]

Just sit,
I listened
as Buddha
whispered In my ear
”let go”

Just sit,
I heard the Dharma
in the silence
of the shikantaza
we know

Just sit,
I held the Sangha
in my heart of hearts
grateful for the bonds
we sew

Gassho,
Jay

Sat/lah today

川の水を売る (Kawa no Mizu o Uru)

What do they do for 3 years!?
Looking at their mind!?
Resting in pure awareness tears

Where is Taishi? Can he see?
My university drop out?
Many concepts have been

"Other" peoples practice perceiver
Do it my way, they say
Selling water by the river

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

Wildfire smoke blankets the island
Each inhalation a sutra of impermanence

Gassho,
Paco
sat/lah

堅牢堅固 (kenrou kengo)

Mixing concrete, just add water
Gritty and clear wrote the Dragon Mind
A base for my woodstove, slightly uneven
Namu kara tummo warm in winter

What will become of the trees I will teach?
Too lazy to paint pictures in mu mind
Like an odd number who can't even
Beyond sight, beyond sound, beyond reach

The highest path is the lowest bubble level
But what's in the middle--a pedestal
Like surveying the path and filling in gaps
Then going back to count sand and devils

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

断絶の海 (danzen no umi)

Why should there be
a lack of continuity
you, me, the sea--we three

Why can't I remember
the psych ward in September
Yatagawa fields a splendor

Worse to be confused
to be lost in another's room
a thief who has left a tomb

lie in it...

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

夢幻泡影 (Mugen houyou)

Many doors to many go
In the greyness of dawn
I yawn and reach for that pillow

Walking the halls, demon on my heels
Kanzeon! Namu butsu o butsu u en yo
Stone floor of Doshinji mind seals

I'm a policeman at a crime scene
I'm a secretary being bored
I'm a real estate agent selling

I died, drug deal gone bad
Shivved in the neck
Shawty so sad


_/\_
sat/ah
matt

外人 (gaijin)

I'm feeling nostalgic
Listening to Shima Uta
AI translated... THE BoOM
The Realization. The WAR!
It's a post war song!?
So many years gone by
Clouded by Sochu
Sung into smelly microphones

Thats what its about!?
Another bomb drops
Mumon in Shizuoka 1945
Okayama in late summer 2011
A Shizen Biku hears his ears
Sirens, planes, thumps and rumbles
Screams, a school, all dead
Gaijin monks oblivious

Makyo surely, otherwise... what?
Its one thing when you're asleep
Its many when you're awake
But you can't be fooled on your cushion
No questions in dokusan
"Why?"
"Get out of here you arrogant fool!"
Every day is a good day...

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

[Jundo]

No so far the only thing I've heard about you is that you're argumentative. But I can't really say anything about that myself (glass houses and all)...

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

It is true. I do not like foolery, quackery, fake claims, bad translations and such. It is true.

Fortunately, I am not judge of good or bad poetry, so will have no criticism to offer you here.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah