"zafus" poems
round midnight
we take our zafus
from the meditation hall
and go out onto the verandah
for night sitting
five of us in a line
overlooking
an immaculately raked
gravel garden
backed by tall cedars
we sit in zazen
and breathe in
and out
the cold
night air
I see the silhouette
of the temple gate
against the starlit sky
the shadow of the eaves
on the white sand
the priest today
talked about non-duality
no separation
but I hear you out there
by the willow weeping
Dec 11, 2014
Dec 11, 2014 at 1:59 AM UTC
I sped to the temple.
Breaking human laws,
to align with universal ones.
I approached.
As my brow lowered,
grace entered my being.
Sunlight greeted me.
As I slowly passed
A stone Buddha.
No one was around.
Monks must be out.
Only a bird sat and sang
to all the flowers.
~
As I entered the main hall,
the wood creaked beneath me,
And my awareness became acute.
The large Buddha towered
over a myriad of empty zafus.
All in accordance and order.
I sat, emulating the statue.
Even my temporal imperfections
matched the stone carvings.
Yet, my mind was with the bird.
I stretched out my legs,
toward the wall,
after a long sit.
The flowers were still after a breeze
And that bird had flown away.
Nov 13, 2024
Nov 13, 2024 at 4:59 PM UTC