Mondawmin MVA at Closing Time

"Now serving number
ninety at counter sixteen,"
robot voice drones on...

"That's why I say GOD
bless you," a man says to a
stranger behind him.

I pay bills. Children
crying. Women on phones say ~
"He grown, he too grown..."

"My phone 'bout to die
they had me on hold so long."
Lives intersect here.

Beautiful little
girl with braids smiles at me for
no reason I smile

Earlier I was
crying. My pain and struggles
merge with ev'ryone's.

~ written August 25, 2010

Joshu's Dog*

In gray BMW
a white dog barks an answer
to evening church bells.

~ written August 24, 2010

*Joshu's Dog, a Zen koan
"A monk asked Joshu, a Chinese Zen master: 'Has a dog Buddha-nature or not?'
"Joshu answered: 'Mu'. ["Mu" is the negative symbol in Chinese meaning "no-thing" or "nay" or, perhaps, "no way"]

"This is the barrier of Zen...If you want to pass this barrier, you must work through every bone in your body, through every pore in your skin, filled with this question: 'What is Mu?' and carry it day and night. Do not believe it is the common negative symbol meaning nothing. It is not nothingness, the opposite of existence."
~ from The Gateless Gate (Wúménguān in Mandarin, Mumonkan in Japanese)

~~~~~~~~~~~ to escape pain, you must go through it ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wellington Boots

Weather like Wuthering
Heights. Wearing Wellingtons like
crusty old Yorkshire man.

~written October 28, 2009