Puerhan

Sweetcorn

2011-02-13T14:50:00.002Z

Chomping
Crunching
Scrapping
Teeth

As I tear the kernels from the cob
My mouth filled up with hard shiny balls

Crunching
Popping
Squirting
Flesh

My ears filled up with eating sounds
Resonating in my mouth and in my skull

Grinding
Mashing
Crunching
Jaws

My slippery lips all covered in juice
As I devour the yellow goodness

Sound fills my head; flesh fills my mouth
Leaving only a naked and exposed cob
Slightly moist and springy
Under my fingers

[18 September 2006]

Originally posted on the now defunct wordspiral.wordpress.com

Up and down

2011-02-13T14:46:00.002Z

A brief few hours
A precious time
Feeling warm
A rosy glow to the air
Mirrors the children’s red cheeks

A long slow day
A lonely time
Feeling cold
A dull fog around my heart
Mirrors the sky’s grey clouds

[04 January 2007]

Originally posted on the now defunct wordspiral.wordpress.com

Start the day

2011-01-06T11:30:00.000Z

Bamboo
Wild and dark
Whipping in the wind

Star
Shining and bright
Through scattered clouds

Mind
Calm and alert
Unfolding my legs

[05 January 2011]

5:40am

2011-01-05T21:26:00.001Z

The wind rushes, growls, hisses
Neighbour's chimes ring out
Stars above shine bright, still, silent

[12 November 2010]

To my son

2010-12-29T19:30:00.000Z

There's a boy
Who whistles while he plays
And sings while he works
And fills my heart up with joy
And that boy is you!

[24 December 2010]

Given as a paper note tied to the Christmas tree

To my wife

2010-12-28T19:30:00.001Z

Whirling and spinning
Waist to waist
Hand in hand

A quick kiss
Faces full of smiles
As we dance together

To the music
Of our two hearts
Entwined with joy

[24 December 2010]

Given as a paper note tied to the Christmas tree

Tangled

2010-12-22T22:41:00.002Z

Moonlit
Bare winter trees
Cast long tangled shadows
On glistening snow

Sparkles of light
Caught like stars
Fallen to earth
Frozen

[22 December 2010]

Meditation Legs

2010-12-06T18:00:00.000Z

Heat
One moment after
Numb

[19 November 2010]

Taut

2010-12-05T21:45:00.002Z

It's easy to write a pretty poem
A ditty poem, a poem for you to sing

It's harder to write a short poem
A taut poem, a poem empty of any thing

[12 September 2010]

Looking out

2010-12-03T22:16:00.003Z

Through the tangle of bare limbs
A crescent moon glows warmly
The morning star a cold bright twinkle

The still darkness
Three days tracks
Criss-cross the snow

Unmelting

[03 December 2010]

Footprints

2010-11-30T20:19:00.003Z

No path to follow
No beaten track
To stick to
Or avoid

Footprints must be left

In freshly fallen snow

[30 November 2010]

Black Stuff #Pikeriver

2010-11-26T20:57:00.009Z

Our greed is so great
We plunder our own
Mother

Our sharp tools
Tunnel in her veins
Tear into mountains
Hacking and digging
Deep underground

Is there no limit to
what we ask our
brothers to do?
Our fathers and sons?
Husbands and lovers?

So we can burn the black stuff
Extracted from our
Mother

Coal mining is a
Weapon of mass destruction

[25 November 2010]

With deep sadness for the 29 miners lost in the Pike River Mine explosions and the many tens of thousands of miners killed each year in accidents, and with deep condolences to the effected families and friends.

29 Brothers #pikeriver

2010-11-26T08:02:00.007Z

The pain of their passing
A violent shockwave in my heart
A pulling at my bones
My body still tied
To the mountains of home
29 brothers
Now ashes underground

[26 November 2010]

With deepest condolences to the families and friends of the 29 miners lost in the Pike River Mine explosions.

6:15am

2010-11-11T08:58:00.003Z

Rain on the window
Writhing bamboo lost
In the dark morning sky

[11 November 2010]

Before sunrise

2010-11-10T07:23:00.003Z

After the stars
The vast sky cool
The tall bamboo still

[10 November 2010]

After sitting

2010-11-05T07:25:00.005Z

Dim grey brown Autumn morning
Kitchens glow warm yellow
Tall green bamboo sways

[05 November 2010]

No Candles

2010-10-11T06:55:00.003Z

The darkness grows deeper
As the incense glow dies
Morning not yet broken

[11 October 2010]

Reward

2010-07-11T15:04:00.006Z

Sweaty hot work
Clipping the hedge

Inviting the sky
Into our lounge

The smile of my wife
Clear in the evening light

[11 July 2010]

Awakening

2010-06-27T12:51:00.002Z

Foetal fecund

Jumbled together

Knocking and bumping

Tearing sounds

A flash of light

Then falling, falling

Deep down

In the dark cool

A quiver and a tremble

Nearby a sliding, slithering

A scrapping, scratching

Something passes by

Distant muted sounds

Warbling, gurgling

Chirping and buzzing

In the deep cool

A tiny touch of warmth

Penetrates to the core

Then cool smooth flowing

Pores open and receptive

Absorb minuscule droplets

Soft and damp, warming

Swelling, expanding, cracking

Vulnerable softness exposed

Slowly, gently easing

Threads chasing down

Then drinking deeply when found

Pushing, stretching up and up

Climbing towards the warmth

Journeying through the dark

Suddenly bursting through

Tiny spears of green

Dividing and unfolding wide

Greeting the world

Embracing the gentle breeze

And soaking up the sun

[30 June 2009]

Should it be?

2010-06-09T20:01:00.003Z

long?
short?
proper?
meaningful?
simple?

all words disappear
clouds from the sky
leaving the vast blue expanse
direct experience, deep awareness
the source of inspiration
the poet's experience
life itself

no poem

no poet

[30 June 2009]

Rural dream

2010-04-19T19:56:00.003Z

Sleeping and waking

Green fields sail by
Stone churches and bridges
Between trees, over streams
Tracks rumbling along below

In Spring-time
I could almost fall in love
With England from a train

[19 April 2010]

Day 70

2010-04-17T21:51:00.002Z

Bowls for breakfast
Plates for lunch
Bowls again for dinner

[17 April 2010]

Day 69

2010-04-16T21:38:00.002Z

Vows of love to create a future
As this I and this you
Slip in and out of presence

[16 April 2010]

Day 68

2010-04-15T22:05:00.003Z

Chilli pepper, ginger. Soy sauce, black beans
Zucchini slices, tofu. Fat udon noodles
Salty in my mouth. Warm in my belly

[15 April 2010]

Day 67

2010-04-14T22:16:00.002Z

Adding a few words to
Photos through a year
Illuminating the treasure of moments past

[14 April 2010]

Day 66

2010-04-13T18:56:00.003Z

Measuring time with love
A new month, a new nickname
Emails evoke a younger us

[13 April 2010]

Day 65

2010-04-12T21:15:00.003Z

Intimate with the road, the wind, the trees, the flowers, the birds
The blood coursing through this body
And the rock hard bicycle seat bruising my buttocks

[12 April 2010]

Day 64

2010-04-11T18:33:00.002Z

Sweeping the house
As the sun sets
Over cut grass and daffodils

[11 April 2010]

Day 63

2010-04-10T23:23:00.000Z

Cold relentless flowing power
Raw strength and presence
Water and body, intimate

[10 April 2010]

Day 62

2010-04-09T20:19:00.003Z

A good friend arrives
The evening disappears
In a free-flowing torrent of catching up

[09 April 2010]

Day 61

2010-04-08T20:00:00.001Z

Driving home under a blue sky
Brilliant streaming sunset
Yellow daffodils on the roadside

[08 April 2010]

Day 60

2010-04-07T21:21:00.003Z

Finish work late, tired
Switch off, lock up and step out
Under the stars, reawakening

[07 April 2010]

Day 59

2010-04-06T21:33:00.003Z

In bed lying on my stomach
I feel my innards and notice the patterns
In the wood-grain of the floor

[06 April 2010]

Day 58

2010-04-06T00:01:00.003Z

He carefully broke the muffin in two
"Does it look fair?" and gave me half
Such deep consideration, kindness and love!

[05 April 2010]

Day 57

2010-04-04T20:58:00.003Z

Three days, a flash of time
A glimpse of a young life accelerating by
With joy and energy - I'm grateful

[04 April 2010]

Day 56

2010-04-03T20:31:00.003Z

Father's big hands slice and chop
Son's small hands slice and chop
We eat the whole bowl of fruit salad

[03 April 2010]

Day 55

2010-04-02T21:44:00.004Z

This life, whole in this kitchen, this evening
Washing this, chopping this, sorting this, cooking this, eating this
Attending to an endless stream of - this

[02 April 2010]

Day 54

2010-04-01T21:18:00.003Z

Quiet focussed chopping
Noisy playing, building, singing
Reconnecting in our own time

[01 April 2010]

Day 53

2010-03-31T16:33:00.002Z

Not sleeping
Makes it hard to wake
While the world stirs outside

[31 March 2010]

Day 52

2010-03-30T22:02:00.002Z

Lists and lists
During the day, during the evening
But no laundry

[30 March 2010]

Day 51

2010-03-29T21:47:00.002Z

Seeing you, hearing you
Thoughts drop away
Gratitude wells up

[29 March 2010]

Day 50

2010-03-28T12:35:00.004Z

Cold soil and damp grass
Every naked footfall
An intimate encounter with life

[28 March 2010]

Day 49

2010-03-27T20:53:00.002Z

Throat warm
A lingering taste of liquorice tea
Or is it just a memory?

[27 March 2010]

Day 48

2010-03-26T23:52:00.003Z

Smooth tiles, smooth feet
Now warm, now cool
Touching

[26 March 2010]

Day 47

2010-03-25T22:37:00.004Z

The wok gets filled and then emptied
Returns, scrubbed clean
To the original state

[25 March 2010]

Day 46

2010-03-24T21:12:00.003Z

Small and hard, pale green globules. Remain
Tangled in the branching skeleton. Left in the bowl
Juicy and sweet, dark red grapes. All gone

[24 March 2010]

Day 45

2010-03-23T20:54:00.002Z

Chewing rice, reading words
Aromas, textures, images
Mingle. Inside and out

[23 March 2010]

Day 44

2010-03-22T22:56:00.003Z

Peonies in pink
Peonies in red
Peonies all done, time for bed

[22 March 2010]

Day 43

2010-03-21T21:51:00.004Z

Springtime sun
The bee communes
With a dandelion flower

[21 March 2010]

Day 42

2010-03-20T21:37:00.002Z

Forget the plate
Draw perfect circles in the air
Let the spinning happen

[20 March 2010]

Day 41

2010-03-19T23:10:00.001Z

A blank mind
Hunched shoulders
My tea has gone cold

[19 March 2010]

Day 40

2010-03-18T23:44:00.003Z

In the dark sky beyond the street lights
A crescent moon lies horizontal
The wet ground glistens

[18 March 2010]

Day 39

2010-03-17T21:56:00.002Z

Standing
Hands in warm water
Paying attention, dishes get washed

[17 March 2010]

Day 38

2010-03-16T21:12:00.003Z

Seeing the parade of colours
I smile from the inside out
Warmed by tender thoughts of you

[16 March 2010]

Day 37

2010-03-15T22:06:00.002Z

The handwritten love of my parents
Over many pages, many letters, many years
All to a younger me

[15 March 2010]

Light Dusting

2010-03-15T21:37:00.003Z

Driving to work
Low winter sun in my face
With a glance to the west
I see the light dusting of snow
On my beloved hills of Wales
Simple joys
For a short journey

[01 February 2008]

Day 36

2010-03-14T22:52:00.003Z

Chasing a lotus flower
With pen and mop and broom
Yet always, perfection just beyond reach

[14 March 2010]

Day 35

2010-03-13T20:02:00.003Z

You smile contains a spark
Sets my joy alight
Warms my heart the whole day long

[13 March 2010]

Day 34

2010-03-12T21:45:00.003Z

The cushion waits and the blankets too
Inviting stillness to be
Nothing more

[12 March 2010]

Day 33

2010-03-11T21:57:00.003Z

The meditation cushion remains untouched
Dishes get washed clean
Boxes emptied

[11 March 2010]

Day 32

2010-03-10T22:31:00.003Z

The pot goes round and round
Water chasing rice
Emptying the centre

[10 March 2010]

Day 31 - Pineapple

2010-03-09T20:58:00.002Z

Sitting spiky
Scaly scratchy skin
Shrouding such sweet succulence

[09 March 2010]

Day 30

2010-03-08T21:06:00.001Z

A cake for me
And a cake for you
In your absence, I'll eat two!

[08 March 2010]

Day 29

2010-03-07T09:12:00.002Z

Doing the things I do
But not what I don't
The breath continues

[07 March 2010]

Day 28

2010-03-06T21:48:00.004Z

Missing you, in different ways
At different times, through the days
While we are, apart

[06 March 2010]

Day 27

2010-03-05T07:18:00.004Z

Snowdrops lost
In the glistening frost
Touched by the rising sun

[05 March 2010]

Day 26

2010-03-04T21:29:00.004Z

Stepping outside
Under the Milky Way
Arriving

[04 March 2010]

Day 25

2010-03-03T21:51:00.003Z

This body is everything
Chanting, sweating, prostrating
One Hundred and Eight

[03 March 2010]

Day 24

2010-03-02T07:55:00.002Z

Hazy round moon departing in the west
Reflecting warm golden light
Bright morning sun emerging in the east

[02 March 2010]

Day 23

2010-03-01T19:18:00.002Z

The trouble, and the beauty
Of counting the breath
I begin to feel I'm getting somewhere

[01 March 2010]

Day 22

2010-02-28T14:24:00.002Z

Whispering down the telephone line
Joy and sadness
Siblings ever walking hand in hand

[28 February 2010]

Day 21

2010-02-27T08:25:00.004Z

I run
Leap over puddles, around people, across roads
But can't outrun the gentle rain

[27 February 2010]

Day 20

2010-02-26T21:36:00.003Z

The body is still
But the mind is frantic
In a sea of competing anxieties

[26 February 2010]

Day 19

2010-02-25T07:22:00.002Z

Your teasing haunts me
Three love notes
Still to find

[25 February 10]

Day 18

2010-02-24T21:48:00.004Z

In the darkness of the evening
In the gaps between thoughts
The bleating of lambs is heard

[24 February 2010]

Day 17

2010-02-23T20:22:00.003Z

Absorbed all day
But when the computer crashed
I noticed the snow whirling and swirling down outside

[23 February 2010]

Day 16

2010-02-22T15:33:00.004Z

Falling into the mind current
The dark evening slips by
Taken swiftly by the rapids

[22 February 2010]

Day 15

2010-02-21T13:23:00.001Z

Sunshine dances
Across snow and ice
Inviting Spring to burst through

[21 February 2010]

Day 14

2010-02-20T07:54:00.003Z

Sleep beckons
But there's work to be done
Awakening

[20 February 2010]

Day 13

2010-02-19T07:50:00.002Z

Great lumps of snow
Poised
Frozen on leaf and branch

[19 February 2010]

Day 12

2010-02-18T21:14:00.004Z

Reaching for one phone
The other phone rings
And we're together again

[18 February 2010]

Day 11

2010-02-17T07:36:00.004Z

The grey morning
Emerges from the dark
To be greeted by the lambs

[17 February 2010]

Day 10

2010-02-16T20:34:00.003Z

Recall the lambs in the field
The cool morning light
A day gone by

[16 February 2010]

Day 09

2010-02-15T18:47:00.001Z

I can't think of
A single thing to write
So I'll just sit here

[15 February 2010]

Day 08

2010-02-14T09:49:00.003Z

We waved across six thousand miles
I see snowdrops in the lawn
And think of you

[14 February 2010]

Day 07

2010-02-13T09:43:00.003Z

Dance! Dance! Dance!
My heart dances this morning
Overflowing with love for you!

[13 February 2010]

Day 06

2010-02-12T09:05:00.003Z

Black faced sheep
In the field next door
Friendly neighbours

[12 February 10]

Day 05

2010-02-11T06:08:00.003Z

Joyful intimacy
Not bound by geography
Lightens the morning

[11 February 2010]

Day 04

2010-02-10T08:42:00.002Z

Not sleeping
Thoughts of work
Prowl this dull mind

[10 February 10]

Day 03

2010-02-09T07:28:00.003Z

The boiler hums
Reminiscing
Suddenly I'm hungry

[09 February 2010]

Day 02

2010-02-08T08:32:00.002Z

Breakfast for one
Wrenches the heart
Still there is eating

[08 February 2010]

Day 01

2010-02-07T12:13:00.003Z

She's gone.
Her absence
Fills the space

[07 February 2010]

Walking in white

2010-01-14T19:41:00.001Z

A ghostly walk
Trees loom
Disappear
In heavy mist

On yesterday's
Footprint trail
Deep
In wet snow

[14 Jan 2010]

Sit

2009-10-25T20:55:00.003Z

Make no effort to block the thoughts

Don't stop the river
Let the waters flow
Watch it all go by

As the sun rises down the garden

A pheasant climbs
The pile of wood
Just sits, with the morning

[10 October 2009]

Sunrise

2009-10-14T21:23:00.004Z

After the effort
Everything put down
Back in its place
Just doing
What needs to be done

The morning so still
The sky to the west tinged with pink
The world beginning to awaken

[09 October 2009]

108 for Daido Roshi*

2009-10-10T10:57:00.005Z

Going on, going on
His Dharma carried so many
Going on together
Leaving the raft behind
He has gone beyond
Bodhi Svaha!

[10 October 2009]

* Refers to chanting the Prajñāpāramitā Mantra in memorial of Daido Roshi.

What about

2009-10-07T21:35:00.003Z

What about this morning?
What about today?

The mind just simply won't settle!
It cannot find the way!

The money plant looks melancholy.
The sky above is grey.

[05 October 2009]

Full of Stars

2009-10-05T21:10:00.000Z

Awake
With the morning star

Out in the cold
Clear morning

Exercising this body
Sharpening this mind

A rooster calls the day break
The dark sky still full of stars

[24 September 2009]

Thus gone

2009-10-04T15:07:00.000Z

The owl's eerie hoot
Has no location
In the dark of the early morning

The rooster's rousing crow
Comes and goes
Untouched by the cold air

The cow's sonorous groan
Reverberates
Shakes the morning, then subsides

Thus come, thus gone

[19 September 2009]

No trace

2009-10-03T07:42:00.000Z

The candles burn bright
But the morning sun
Is weak and pale

The mist clings on
Soaking the garden
Obscuring the view

The neighbours pigeons
Appear from the mist
Disappear into the mist

Leaving no trace

[13 September 2009]