Koan Poems

looking

looking under
flowing waters of truth
finding my own

Categories: koan, philosophy,
Form: Senryu

Kona Koan

I had a Thought –
  far more compelling
    than a What;
      and vastly more intriguing 
        than a That.

Categories: koan, philosophy,
Form: Free verse

One petal alone opens

A lone petal unfurls
not a bloom,
not a flower,
no use to bees,
as one decrepit. 
It's on its knees 
trying to please
all alone.

It's an echo of a question,
yet to be asked.
It's a pose, unpoised, unprompted. 
It's one eye, nose, or ear, 
in defaced mask.
It's a one-handed clap,
an air-kiss from poked puckered lips
It's a hand-shake request 
never returned.

Categories: koan, anxiety, flower,
Form: Free verse

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry

Just a long koan

My emotions

I am honest now
I am telling the truth

Always

Yes

I need life
Lives in the past

My loved past
Black and white

My pure
Monochrome
Life

Where?
Smoked past
Dried heart

Mine

From death
and suffering
of life

Dead soul
passing light
crystal flying

A heart
Mine
Calling

Cross the life
Gone
From this
Life

My emotion is the life
My stream is evil
My life is Satan

Lifesaver
of my life
I am

Satan

Emotions
from past

Just need
Loved heart

Save me
Past

Give
New life

I need
Love

My life is evil
Dark star from

Categories: koan, fate, life,
Form: Free verse

Empty evenings

Empty evenings

Empty evenings, yet full
Spent alone

Evening, I have no other life; night
Darkness brings me hope
Light

Categories: koan, life,
Form: Haiku

Koan

sounds of silence
one hand clapping
most hear not
because they are napping

what is that 
that does not come and go
we know not but can become
sublime elixir of life’s flow

if thoughts cease altogether 
subject and object disappear
identity shorn, as the twice born 
what’s that that does then appear

where lies fulcrum of a scent
wherefrom arises in hearts hope
what is

Categories: koan, introspection, spiritual,
Form: Rhyme

A Stillness Koan

Expanding bubbles within bubbles within bubbles 
Circumference nowhere, yet centres multiple
Free flowing in the current, although the self is still
Awareness still, yet expanding within unified will

01-November-2020

Categories: koan, spiritual,
Form: Rhyme

Stand Then Sit

A Zen Koan

So you don’t understand a zen koan?
To you, it makes no sense?
Then get some sense and apply it!

Everything has a polar opposite
that’s how things are; think 
deeply to soar higher; you must
learn to stand, before you can sit.

Categories: koan, image, imagery, imagination, philosophy,
Form: Free verse

Soul Within a Koan Poem

Soul is soul;
soul does what it does,
a daunting task,
soul within itself,
without.

Categories: koan, appreciation, inspiration, inspirational, introspection,
Form: Free verse

Koan -A Pleiades

Kings ask of wise men while
Kids can see simple truth
Kensho shows suddenly
Keeping students up late
Knocking loudly the door
Knowledge comes in silence
Kindness will answer all

Categories: koan, poems,
Form: Pleiades

Permacultural Koan

I love this koan from 1,000 years ago, or more.

"What is it? Medicine and sickness mutually correspond. The world is medicine. What is the Self?"
by10th c. Zen Master Yunmen

So, yes, 
Self for me is Ego"sickness", 
deductively and reductively self-composed 
of bipolar AngryPast v FutureFear,
trying to figure out a narrow path 
toward healthy hearty love 
as

Categories: koan, anger, fear, health, love,
Form: Parallelismus Membrorum

The Zen Koan As Poem - Same Question - Part One

The Master said: “How do you stop Time from running?”

Said Monk-Disciple 1: “By running backwards against Time.’
Said Monk-Disciple 2: “By running backwards facing Time.”
Said Monk-Disciple 3: “By running backwards and looking

Categories: koan, mystery, psychological, time,
Form: I do not know?

Zen Koan

I feel the changes
The coolness
Damp breezes
Flowing in waves
The future holds us
As does the now
As yesterday is let go

There in the distance
We feel the winters touch
Yet what's this I hear
Across the mountains
Whispered by the streams.
Even a sailing leaf
I see it touch your hand.

We shall look with eyes
Eyes that breath of love
To hold us in our now
That

Categories: koan, spiritual, , cute,
Form: Free verse