When worry washes
over us and we fear we’ll
drown, what must we do?
~
We must do nothing!
We can choose to tread water
or swim for the distant shore.
When worry washes
over us and we fear we’ll
drown, what must we do?
~
We must do nothing!
We can choose to tread water
or swim for the distant shore.
Since there’s no escape
from the agony of life,
why not relish all moments?
–
What?! And give up all
our whining and complaining?
You’re asking too much.
From your travels near
and far, what sights and songs still
fill your eyes and ears?
~
Laughter and wailing
still echo and tears of joy
and sorrow still obscure.
Are seekers of truth
content with endless searching
or is it more like… tenure?
~
There are some who seek
and some who sit. Truth’s visits
leave them both content.
If it is true that
time will tell, does space join in
and reveal all too?
~
Neither space nor time
are tabloids or worse, Fox News!
Gentlemen don’t kiss and tell!
Why must one work hard
to excavate arcane truth
from some simple little verse?
~
It could be much worse –
like trying to make sense of
all that Congress does.
If the answer, my
son, is blowing in the wind,
what was the question?
~
Why’s Johnny in the
basement mixing medicine
while vandals take the handles?
Between cool waters
and cooling evening breezes,
Which balms the spirit better?
~
There is no better
balm than cool heads and warm hearts
in any kind of weather.
As the days grow warm
and tempers grow warmer still,
how can we maintain our cool?
~
A certain Zen peace
can be found by Immersion
of the hot heads in the pond.
Why must it cost twice
as much to eat well as to
dine upon more toxic meals?
~
While eating well
may seem high, not eating well
costs us all much more.
How can we honor
those who tend the land without
exploitation and abuse?
~
We can honor them
with our purchase of the fruits
of an honest farmer’s work.
How would we know if
we are stuck on the wrong side
of some digital divide?
~
When your digits grow
stiff and your mind grows weary,
you’re on the wrong side.
Why do folks get on
a treadmill when they say they
want to avoid the rat race?
~
Running a maze is
no walk in the park. So say
all the rats on the race track.
What magical words
allow us to deliver
unpleasant truths, painlessly?
~
Magic lies not in
the words, but in the spirit
in which they’re spoken.
When under stress what
helps us remember to take
a breath, much less count to ten?
~
Breathing is easy!
One must inhale to bellow.
The counting is the hard part.
When all is alive
with the promise of springtime,
why must some embrace darkness?
~
Darkness seems to be
the chosen ground for those who
lack a way to grow within.
In this fast-paced world,
what can we do to nurture
those that travel slow?
~
Prod them to quicken?
Or step down from the treadmill
and join their leisurely pace.
Since “All the world’s a
stage and people but players,”
in what role have you been cast?
~
I often assume
the director’s role even
when I’ve been cast to assist.
What is discovered
when we leave our maps behind
and just go a wandering?
~
A vast and trackless
world filled with treasures; strangers,
wanderers, and chance met friends.
Is there a secret
to unlocking the hidden
code of these wild places?
~
The code of places,
both wild and tame, is best
accessed with simple presence.
What would help us make
joyous laughter the second
language of our land?
~
Why just settle for
second place when laughter can
communicate more than words?
What meaning can be
fathomed in the drumming
of the falling rain?
~
Why look for meaning
when the simple pleasure of
listening is quite enough?
In the midst of sun
how might we remember those
in rougher weather?
~
With condescension
and disdain, if we divorce
ourselves from humanity.
Is there anything
quite like canine companions
to lavage our souls and soles?
~
For therapeutic
washing of the soul, they can’t
be beat, but I’ll pass on feet.
How many members
of Congress does it take to
reach enlightenment?
~
Enlightenment can’t
Be reached by consensus!
For some, perhaps, hope remains.
Why must some deny
Pilgrims traveled many roads
To reach their destination?
~
Short cuts and brief trips
are often preferred by those
who want a quick fix.
If we invited
everyone to the table
what could we expect?
~
Many guests, welcomed
and less so, would attend our
most glorious feast of crows.
But what, you may ask,
of evil uninvited?
How can we surrender then?
~
Is it possible
that it’s the not inviting
that leads to evil?
With so many ways
to resist how will we find
our way to sweet surrender?
~
Embrace the evil
that we invited, and own
sending the invitation
Is there even a
hint of a glint of a point
to this mad sprint we call life?
~
Looking for a point
can lead to missing the joy
of simply living.