Alms Bowl

With no time, sky
has nothing
to do but wander,
alms bowl in hand.

Sometimes, I
look into night & smile
at desert’s offering
in moon shadow
clouds over this city, a
certain bread, fresh
with heavy, stillness.

Sky closes its eyes, sitting
in meditation, the
worlds gets dark.
Mind ablaze with insight,
the rocks on sky’s altar
illuminated
with wisdom, and, we see
constellations.

Anyway,
drinking tea, I offer &
watch sky
capture tea’s essence as
steam escapes my cup
into sky’s alms bowl.

Prophecy

If the ocean
holds its breath
all thoughts
within this existence
will cease,
but will manifest
in other worlds,
continuing the cycle.

If the thoughts
in this existence
become entirely peaceful,
still waters
will be universal.

One by one,
take a wave
out of the ocean,
Give this world
some rest.

At Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Years spent building
A high mountain pass
Climbing up and across
The range within
To sit in this cave.

Light a small fire and
sit. Crossed legs in the dirt.
Warm in my own womb

Every morning
Walking the path and deepening
Etching on the Way.

Bowing into the cave
Light the fire, I’m
home in myself
No more trail to walk
The path is built I
am in the cave, every step.

Hands in prayer
Lit with inspiration
As I gaze at this life.
Stepping heavily,
Feeling my heart
In the pulse of this world.

Flowers

If, in this life,
You are lucky enough
to see a flower…
God’s gaze is a flower in bloom

And still you walk down the street
as if benevolence wasn’t
reaching to hold your hand

There are
more beautiful things in this world
than your own thoughts.

Steam

Truly smelling steam
I am a diamond web
blazing grace like snow shine
in black sky moonlight.

Taste the stillness of a thousand midnights
To truly catch the scent of this tea,
expand in all directions and dissolve
like steam.

Mind is a rain
storm. Yet every drop
held in the same space
as desert sun,
midnight snow and
steaming waters.

I am not limited to rainstorm
when mind is rainstorm.
I am before, after, during
as well as all things
happening right now in
storm space, infinite.

Like a bow to a violin
the train strokes the tracks.
Like fire flies in tall grasses
city traffic buzzes.

I am not limited to Berkeley, California
when mind is Berkeley, California.
I am space of the world
before, during and after.
Sitting in the womb
alongside stars and planets.

In seeing what is
happening and experiencing
what is happening, I
am not limited to
what is happening.