THEME: To Say the Whole Thing
Share your Zen poetry in the comments! The theme is only a suggestion.
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I meant to post this poem last Friday, but failed to finish it on time. Fitting, given the title and theme, but sloppy, given personal accountability. Much thanks to u/Union1st for picking up the slam, and to u/lin_seed for giving me a stiff kick in the pants for it.
I’ve been slowly forming this idea for a few months. It’s a video poem. Each video is a short snippet of something I stopped to look at on my travels. The videos were ordered into a series of tones. I then wrote a short poetic stanza for each video.
u/lin_seed was very much the inspiration for this, and not simply because he also spins tales in a visual medium. He and I have had some conversation about the importance of context, such as how it is easier to remember your preferred environments when you simply live in them. By sharing video taken from my point of view, you get a little more of my context, and this is also a theme in the writing. Zen masters often name themselves after the mountain that is their own context. Thankfully, however, Zen has no relation to our preferences. Enjoy.
TO SAY THE WHOLE THING
…
Raindrops and wind chimes; differences felt
Yet sounds and ears are the heart-mind's result.
"Though it still should be easy to express oneself,
to say the whole thing has to be difficult."
…
A convening of crows creates chaos with order
The cacophony comes and it quells
Prajna and samadhi's two wings blur their border
Flying in spaciousness where both shall dwell
…
Carrying his context in camouflage,
a clever crab claims the sands that claimed him.
Mirroring makes for magnificent mirage
Redrawing boundaries for what belongs framed in
…
Caterpillar feet planted firmly upon the mountain top
Crawling across pebbles padded by soft moss
Her wiggle walk turns the planet until she turns to moth
Wings gust the winds and the whole Earth is tossed.
…
The Blue Cliff is always eroding.
Take refuge without taking up residence.
When mind rests on not a thing,
even the roots abide in emptiness.
…
From sea to sand, the lifespan of waves
washes to the shore.
Crest and trough turn formless in sea foam,
then roll back home for more.
…
Words spoken with resolve for the whole thing
Can't help but bear little resemblance.
I reminisce on unresolved harmonies
Submitted February 05, 2022 at 03:45AM by jungle_toad https://ift.tt/HngDcwp
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