Dust Off the Two Bronze Bells
Somphoun elects not to climb The 100 steep steps up to Wat Chom Phet Instead lies down to nap on naked wood. As I ascend alone, a mangy dog growls Barks fiercely then turns tail and vanishes Silent into the somnolent Mekong morning. The temple compound is serene Void of humans But a statue appears to breathe The Earth Goddess Nang Thorani Wringing water from her bibulous mane To drown the army of the demon Mara That would stay the Buddha From his meditation. I sweep the verandah with a worn broom Dust off the two bronze bells Enter the sim to sit in contemplation Beneath a lustrous crimson ceiling Carpentered firmament adorned With florid stencils in gold Mice, butterflies, peacocks, and bees Mythical creatures amid delicate feathers. In the corner, a shining gong I will never hear.
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You Continue
To Nikki My dearest love, you are No longer in the body that I used to recognize, the body That I walked with and made love to You are no longer in the form that Graced this earthly plane But you have not ceased to be You are here in other forms that I will love and always love Your bright spirit, your loving kindness, Your joyful energy and equanimity Continue You are not gone, you continue You are in the rain You are in the cloud You are in the flame You are in the smoke You are in the seed You are in the flower You are in the wind Your are in the trembling leaf You are in the snowflake You are in the sunbeam You are in the dusk You are in the dawn You are not lost You continue Always You are in my breath You are in my blood You are in my heart You are in my soul You are Always Late afternoon sun on
The jade sparkling stream I hear your voice in the riffles, soft currents Soothing whispers, tender murmurs And joyful sighs My own voice trembles to answer To sing you a song To speak you a poem Of deep running love and The deep grief I bear, Of devotion never dying Solid like the mountain, like bedrock But with words like the clouds Of yesterday Here then gone Like you, my angel My truest love. Dawn on the river brings
A soft rain, gauzy fog Geese barking on the sandbar Wet madrone, color of tobacco Songbirds muted by mist. I come from strange dreams To you, your picture by my bed Altar of petals, mala, candle Swath of beautiful fabric gifted By a loving friend, to honor Your spirit, your smile the brightest of Anything in this unfamiliar room Here by this river with It’s stained-glassy glimmer Grey clouds and oak leaves weeping. Distance
I know the rain is sad I know squirrels are thriving I know birds have their priorities The clouds eat many days I spill hot liquids all the time Forget where I have placed crucial items I eat little and only that which requires Minimal preparation I rarely comb my hair I sleep in fits and starts and What sleep may come is Never restful It takes twice as long as it used to To read a page or poem And half the time to forget it All the people are anxious Pretending so hard they are not There is bright-colored tape that Won’t let children swing Pets are living like kings and queens Trails through sacred woods go untrodden and The ripe streams, the dark trees, cheer brightly |