More or Less

We live between 
the nothing more 
and the nothing less
bologna 
between slices of bread
and like sacred words 
to be consumed 
chewed
champed 
munched 
and the less 
becomes more
and the more 
becomes less.

Creator of the Universe

Creator of the universe
are the building blocks
one by one
assembling into this
disassembling into that
again and again
we too for a bit
assembled into this
and later changed 
into that
and Jesus too
a creator
of the universe
just like me
and you
too.

Autumn Leaves of Green

In summer when we seek comfort 
under those trees that work mightily 
to deflect and reject 
the cool greens 
and stand tall with leaves shimmering 
with the absorbed reds and golds
yet it takes autumn 
for us to realize 
what summer held 
when in turn 
those trees 
of grandeur 
finally accept that tiny slice 
of the electromagnetic spectrum 
that we call green
hidden to our eyes 
dazzled by 
the now rejected waves 
of reds 
and golds.

Fishing in a Sea of Sand

Years ago I viewed a Zen rock garden
with not a petunia in sight
just sand
raked into swirling patterns
of the sea
and a few large rocks
here and there
I guessed then
they represented islands
the sand
the watery sea
with the raked swirls
which created the metaphor
in my head
of watery sea
and not
bone-dry sand.

I returned a few times
to that garden
once watching a solemn monk
carefully dragging a rake
as he first made a course
around one large rock
then the others
he seemed to have
the courses
already memorized
for he dragged
that rake
as I recall.

I used to push a lawnmower
in my youth.
In the backyard
I cut the lawn
not as my older brother did
in careful overlapping rows
but I would push
that old lawnmower
in circles and swirls
and zigzags
anything
but in straight lines.

It was fun
drawing with a lawnmower
I would stop to admire
the meandering course
cut through the tall grass
but in the end
I would always do
a quick
back-and-forth
to clip the tall grass
before my father
returned home
from work.

The Buddhist
dragging the rake
didn't appear
to be having
much fun
not as much fun
as I had
pushing
a heavy
lawn
mower.

Then
I wondered
why?

Rock On

When the creator departs town
taking care
and concern
and desire too
all that is left
behind
goes the way
of all that is forgotten
former complexity
seeks its origins
constructs destruct
bricks turn to dust
old men rock in chairs
awaiting the youth
of their mind
to rock
once again.

Wind Chimes

Wind chimes 
did I hear?
my eyes closed
and my outdoor chair
creaks as I adjust
myself again
thoughts of 
a long ago 
late summer breeze
filled with funky smells
of rice paddies
that surround my way
and the dragonflies
hovering, darting
while rivulets of sweat 
stream down my back
and the air filled with the crazy 
whaa-whaa-whaaahaaahaaahaaahaaa
of countless 
hidden 
cicada.

Cargo Pants Man

Dawn split heaven from earth 
this morning 
as a long-shadowed figure 
walked toward me 
silhouetted by the rising sun  

cargo pants man 
greeted me with a smile 
he with knapsack filled with tools 
to record the mysteries 
of prehistoric desert peoples 
a laptop to capture thoughts
a Nikon to record burnt fire rings 

a Clovis Point 
would be the jackpot 
he said 
in his quest to imagine rituals 
and ceremonies 
that excited his speech 
in a mysterious sort of way 

his excitement suddenly 
turned to sobriety 
when I told of my quest 
to imagine 
this fellow called Jesus
he too 
from a desert clime 

seated atop large boulders 
he told tales 
of Anasazi 
and Hohokam 
and Mogollon 

and I shared 
my tuna sandwich 
when he unexpectedly 
cracked a smile 

then I told him 
I imagined Jesus 
wearing a pair 
of cargo pants 
just like his

the smile disappeared
as he reached 
into his knapsack
and produced 
a large arrowhead
and handed it 
to me

saying

I 
prefer 
real
things.

Hunters and Gatherers II

With twine we bind   
all that we find   
to later dine   
on our feast   
of memories.

FIRE

The F leans
against the I
a tepee
when R
then E
ignite
a fire
that leaps
to life
when cried
out loud
some panic
while others
fall dead
to just
the sound
of
a single
word.

Words and Apples

I imagine
the human brain
evolved into a mind
when words
became as real
as an apple
in hand.

We Journey

With memories
we journey
through space
and time
as if
past
and future
were naturally so.

Imagining Nature

Can I imagine
rain drops
striking my face
or a wind
that attempts
to blow me away
or thunder
that gets
my attention
or cold
that sets
my teeth chattering
or a stillness
that quiets
even my thoughts
or sun rays
that bleach
white bones
that once
imagined
it all?

Two Generations

See? See?
Isn't that enough
to do?
To look and muse
about the wonder
of it all?
I want more
to do
than to
merely look
and see
when I can
make
things
happen
in interaction
talk and listen
read and write
cause and effect
communicate
my world
is more
much more
and it happens
right now
again
and
again.

One More Miracle

The paradox
of gathered knowledge
is that
former miracles
become
common knowledge
so abundant
that one cannot count
so widespread
that one cannot grasp

stars, cells, atoms, time,
evolution, water, eclipses,
DNA, metamorphosis

yet the mind
has room enough
for one
more
miracle.

Think It Real

Forever change
neither good
nor bad
locked in time
and space
mind too
tries to
halt time
grasp space
just long enough
to
think
it
real.

I Think

And inside the mind
hidden among the memories
and behind the facts
were bits and pieces
of the soul
and if one looked hard
one could catch glimpses
of feelings and beauty
truth and love
curiosity and insight
compassion and imagination
integrity and emotion
the mind claimed it's own
yet when asked
to explain
the essence of the soul
the mind could but say
I think.

Loss for Words

He was at a loss for words
yet in his pocket he had
the entire alphabet
more than enough
to say everything
that has ever
been said.

To the Point

If we look close enough
we come to a point
where matter dissolves
and the best
we can come up with
is point
without matter
yet in this infinitely tiny world
we can pluck one
a quark
and attempt to grasp
that inside our very cells
inside the atoms
that compose those very cells
are quarks
and stars are composed
of quarks
air is composed
of quarks
you and I are composed
of quarks
rocks and mountains
and bears and wolves
and whales and turnips
and automobiles
are composed
of quarks
the many
in oneness
did God created?

Meditating Upon Forever Change

Sometimes deep into the night
deep into the desert
with but the canopy of stars above 
and a meandering breeze 
that seems to come and go 
as it pleases
and a kind of darkness below 
a circular horizon that stuns the eyes
and tiny sounds about
some familiar 
some strangers
and seated atop gritty sand 
with still warmth from the long departed sun
new smells tickle the nose
and the body slowly finds an ease 
and seems held upright 
by that breeze
and the mind
oh the mind
wants to take it all in 
as the senses grow bold 
and bolder
what was once ordinary 
becomes extraordinary
then the mind lets go
the voice 
in the brain 
is dumbstruck
and what was thought 
to be stillness 
suddenly becomes 
forever change
and in the blink of a blind eye 
the entire universe 
slips into 
that silent mind.

Flooding Forth

That 'I'
which experiences
and acts
and thinks

that 'self' which is forever
dwelling upon itself

like Adam at the very moment
of self realization
when the 'I' came
flooding forth

a river
a lake
an ocean
that separated Adam
from innocence

humanity now all alone
with but an inner monologue
in stead.