Flint and Steel

How to tell 
the scientist 
that God lives 
within us 

that atoms and 
     molecules 
are held together 
with glue 
     of such 

that the body 
is a floating island 
of peace
and bliss  
if one could only 
see 
it
if one could only 
be 
it 

someone whose life 
has been lived 
outward 

-being asked 
to look 
inward

someone whose mind 
runs like a spinning 
turbine 
asked 
to 
still 
it

asked to watch 
it 
stop

When I think 
of all the years 
I've put in 
at this 

puzzling out 
a puzzle 
prying at the Gordian knot 

I realize 
that patience 
is the name 
of the game 

but impatience 
is the fire 
which lights up 
inside us 

wanting 
to
know 

the two of these
forces 
collide inside 
striking a spark 

like flint 
and steel

lighting the dry 
brush 
of our devotion 

to our chosen 
ideal   

We All Come To Zen, in the end...

We all come to Zen 
     in the end... 

Short term memory 
     first 
Why, 
     did I 
     come in 
     here?

Then the doddering old 
     Zen-walk
     
Like the old zen-guy 
     in the zen painting 
     walking with a stick 
dressed-
     in his bathrobe 

We all come to Zen 
     in the end 
Sitting on a 
     back porch 
With time 
     to gaze 
     and contemplate 

That's about all 
     the body 
     does well 
At this point!

We all come to Zen 
     in the 
     end 

Gardening 
     feeding Goldfish 
     in the pond 

Waiting 
     just waiting 
For inspiration 
     to strike 

Eating our fill of 
     vegetables 
          and rice 
That's about all we 
     can digest 
          anymore 

Note to self;
     get more zen-bowls
     and chop sticks 
So it will look like 
     we meant 
           to do it 
           this way 

little poem

go out 
go out 
little poem 

go out 
and swim 
in the air 

zip around the world 
and up in the sky 

bounce off a satellite 
and then 
I'm not sure 
what you do... 

but you are caught 
and captured 
by someone 
who wants to 
read you! 

go out, go out 
little poem 
go out and get 
     some air 
I've done my best 
now I must rest 
and you 
go 
do 
what you need 
to do 

chocolate sauce...

chocolate sauce 
life needs 
chocolate sauce

too many people 
struggling here 

too many homeless 
too many hungry 
too many stuck 
     in dead end jobs 
     and such 

too many taxes 
too many forms 
too much hassle
too much sorrow 

it's advertised 
as a way out 
it's spoken of 
as the solution... 

this zen 
this sitting
this contemplation 
     of ones 
     navel- 

so simple 
so easy 
     just stop- 
     just sit- 
just allow the thoughts 
to stop thinking themselves... 

(there goes my karma- 
that little spider 
had to die.
It was racing across the desktop- 
straight for me- 
probably not poisonous 
-but one 
never knows)

such a very 
bad Buddhist... 

but 
I've come to the end- 
the end 
of trying to figure out 
the unfathomable- 

(second spider...
What?)

I've come to the end 
of believing in 
somebody else's 
stuff 

my own is 
difficult 
enough

-trying to find a corner 
in a small house 
to put the altar-

I find 
that 
the 
altar 
is in 
the heart! 

besides which 
it's a real "space saving"
idea  

counseling, for God's sake!

so now we've come 
     to this... 
counseling! 
     for God's sake

by some young 
Whipper-Snapper 
Who's never done 
     much of 
     anything

and isn't even 
out of 
school 

but it's free 

but she 
has not seen- 
does not 
know- 

how life can 
kick ones butt 
sometimes 
and drag one 
down the road... 
(have been listening to 
too much country music, 
of late)

all of these psychological 
ramifications 
mental justifications 
got me through 

I am alive 
still 

sometimes wondering 
how I survived 

how I keep on 
running 

around the 
wheel 

around the
dharma 
of us all 

so now 
we find out 
how it all works 
how all the childhood stuff 
gets amplified into 
blocks 
and such 

so I guess 
I could thank my abuser 
for abusing 
(but not too much) 
for he has caused me 
to inquire 
what the F---!  

Ear Plugs - for this place

Ear plugs 
for this place...

I thought it 
was a good idea 

coming here 

no internet at home 
thanks to you 
"giant conglomerate telecommunications 
     company" 

but really-
bringing children 
to such 
a place... 

and the lonely 
ones 
who meet here 
and yak and yak... 

and the music playing 
whether we want it or not- 
and the blenders blending

and the music 
     that they're playing 
is the old swing music 
which I just love- 
and which 
I used to dance 
with you- 
and can never do 
again 

threatening 
to "beat me up"
and you almost 
80...

Life is weird 
Probably the weirdest thing 
We'll ever live 
     through...

and so now I have promised 
never, ever, to dance another 
dance 
with you 

no one knows what a sacrifice 
     this is 
Like giving up a bit of heaven 
-so hard to find 
      upon this earth-

What were you thinking?
A little bit of jealousy 
Has you 
     coming all 
unglued?

Now we both
have to suffer 
Just because 
I broke up 
with you...

OK, I admit, 
"unclear on the concept"
might describe me 
to a tea 

sometimes I feel like 
I just crash around- 
while I tell myself 
I'm doing my 
very best- 
but really 
I don't care- 

for this world 
seems so 
unreal 
when held up to 
the inner realm 
this world seems 
far too rigid 
far too solid 
far less full 
     of love 
so much less 
     made of love 

Tango dancing 
I would keep 
most of the rest of it 
can just "take a leap"

The love I feel within 
Rumi writes about 
few people 
know about
I don't know why 

I've always wondered 
     why 
Why does it all not
Just Stop...
Until we figure this 
     out 
That there is pure love 
     within 
There for all, 
     There for free, 
Endless 
     blissful
Light 
     pouring down
becoming sound 
becoming us 
who we are 
deep 
within... 

The United States Government-Shut Down

The United States Government 
has 
Shut Down! 

Wouldn't it be 
wonderful 
if 
we could do the 
same... 

Any time the Tax Folks 
bug us 
Any time the Police 
want to 
stop us 
and give us a fine- 

we could just say 
Sorry- 

I'm Shut Down 
Today... 

I've decided 
to just 
go away 
and no amount 
of coaching or cajoling 
will make me 
     see it 
any other way-

I will resist all efforts 
at 
compromise- 
I will 
"stick to my guns"
I will 
"have my fun"

U can't arrest me 
today- 
I can play 
my music 
as loud as I want- 
because the 
United States Government 
     is 
Shut Down 
Today!

And the amazing thing 
     is... 
-Things are going on 
Just about normal 
Just about the way 
It's always 
been... 

So maybe- 
just maybe- 
we don't really need 
all those people 
anyway- 

That big house 
That White House 
-All those overpaid people 
Who sit around 
debating endlessly...

while those of us 
who are more close 
     to real- 
Do what we do 
Do what we've always 
     done

Just work- 
Just love- 
Just- 
Get On With It !!