Every time I sit, really just sit
I'm reminded that this
is enough
to let it go and just settle
without expectation
but alert awareness
here and now.
Enlightenment, liberation, grace, peace etc.
whatever we call it - the ideal we're aiming for -
isn't a matter of building or achieving
or a process of developing or becoming
it is instead what we naturally have
when we stop the building,
relax the grasping.
Yet it is easier said than done
especially when we're young
and our ability, our habit, our desire
to grasp is so strong.
And so we use that desire
homeopathically
to grasp and really hold
until exhaustion.
And then instead of holding such ideals
and concepts, and methods
so tightly
just let them go.
Or if we must
hold the concept like the reins of
a wind horse
gently, delicately between two fingers
ever ready to release
in this
complete moment.
And simply sit, just sit
and trust that that is enough.
(First published in my 2016 book, Little Pine)
(for Stephen)
There’s a certain point in summer
when it feels like it’ll last forever
a dazed mix of complacency and lethargy
when everything is tired
from the gardens, to the dogs, to our senses.
Satiated perhaps, but it’s something more,
a sense we have arrived at the peak of the peak season,
the fullness of Leo,
in all his solar glory,
and what can top that?
Of course this is about the exact time the nights get cooler,
we notice the peak has passed,
and winter approaches
with all those chores undone.
So is life....
in all its simplicity,
and yet with this endless cycle of seasons
the endless cycle of human ups and downs also churns on,
all the things that
naturally arise in our habitual
dualistic mind.
And this is far more taxing and exhausting
than the external heat and dust and smoke,
exhausting and overwhelming,
at least for me.
So a good friend tells me something today
he probably didn’t make up
but just as easily as anyone could have;
“Everything you need you can get from a single exhalation.”
(Originally published in my 3rd book, Sun Made Flesh and Fiber, 2019)
I sit in a meditative mood under a canopy
the sun tries in vain above to pierce through.
A playful light breeze cajoles the senses
while life delightfully carries on about.
Summer lingers and we strive to enjoy
every graceful afternoon as it stretches
longingly and mercifully into that magic hour
where the sun sets to retire in its flamboyant glory.
Candlelight leans against ancient stones, a single flame steadying the dim.
My breath circles the quiet room—slow orbit returning to its center.
In that small, unwavering glow, I learn how emptiness becomes peace.
(“Splendid Isolation Merit Badge”, 2010, original oil)
Take a minute to breathe
Actually, just exhale
The rest will take care of itself.
All around, the world is showing you
How to simply let go.
With signs as subtle as which way the wind blows.
Or if you’d rather,
Hold on as tight as you possibly can
Eventually you too will become exhausted.
Pleasure or pain isn’t the point,
Since both are subjective,
And interchangeably desirable for some.
The point is finding there is really no point
No up or down
Only that space you’ve exhaled to.
(8/10/26)
Words paint a universe where music is more than background—it’s atmosphere, gravity, and the stardust we breathe/ Here is a poem inspired by space jazz/
Space Jazz: A Dreamy Meditation
Chillin’ on Saturn station, vinyl spinning in zero-g, where the bassline tangos with distant moons and snares spark across nebulae/
Dave Brubeck drifts through airlocks, his 5/4 beat time waltz echoing as bone and starship trade places—beep bop, high orbit, a cosmic groove/
Weed-sweet notes swirl with city lights, lo-fi dust catching the glow of a suburban sunrise, where beats are meteors crashing softly into dawn/
Production geniuses, unseen, build galaxies from sampled fragments—space and jazz, nu soul and neon, downtempo dreams blooming in the vacuum of silence/
To listen is to travel without leaving your chair: fireflies flicker between cymbals, a chilled mode of existence where every track is a little more oxygen for the lovesick, the tired, the hopeful, the lost/
Dope ass mix—wonderful vibe—the universe keeps rollin’, and so do we.
lean flame
the ancient stones
my breath circles quiet room
slow orbit returns to center
emptiness becomes peace
Stimulation of the mind and body to find it's balance
I wish I could give myself completely
surrender to the arms of the unknown...
Bask in the sea of meditation and
find the serenity I have been seeking
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
633.
Meditation on the 3rd Joyful Mystery:
The Birth of Jesus Christ
In the days of Herod, Jesus Christ was born
(In a manger forlorn)
Since there was no descent lodge available
(Our Lord was born in a stable)
This is the 3rd Joyful Mystery – The Birth of Jesus Christ
That solemn night, angels invited shepherds to come to the newborn baby
(Who will shepherd humanity)
And a bright star guided three wise men to the infant
(Kingly gifts unto Him they would grant)
The fruit of this mystery – Love of the Poor
Oh God who had made flesh the Word divine
(Our Savior oh so fine)
The God who became man, the man who became God
(Who shall rule all the nations with the iron rod)
As “The Birth of Jesus Christ” had shown “Love of the Poor”
Lord God, like in “The Birth of Jesus Christ”, we want to love the poor
(This is a way unto Thee for sure)
Like Jesus – the King who had lived in poverty
(But rules mankind for eternity)
Praise God! We realized “Love of the Poor” through the 3rd Joyful Mystery.
-04/03/2019
*Meditations on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary
632.
Meditation on the 2nd Joyful Mystery:
The Visitation
Blessed Virgin Mary came to Elizabeth, her cousin
(A blessing from the Virgin)
Both women were pregnant at that time
(What a moment sublime)
This is the 2nd Joyful Mystery – The Visitation
When Mary gave Elizabeth her greeting
(The child in her womb was leaping)
Happy, indeed, were their children
(Filled with the Spirit were both women)
The fruit of this mystery – Love of Neighbor
Oh God who had blessed those women
(Those women who were His chosen)
The God who blesses His Chosen Ones
(His blessed daughters & sons)
As “The Visitation” had shown “Love of Neighbor”
Lord God, like in “The Visitation”, we want to love our neighbor
(Teach us that way through our Savior)
Like Mary who is blessed among all women
(We want to be Thy blessed children)
Praise God! We realized “Love of Neighbor” through the 2nd Joyful Mystery.
-04/02/2019
*Meditations on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary
631.
Meditation on the 1st Joyful Mystery:
The Annunciation
Archangel Gabriel came to Mary
(For she is worthy)
And this Angel of God made a proclamation
(The good news of salvation)
This is the 1st Joyful Mystery – The Annunciation
That good news was the coming of our Lord
(The Savior of the World)
Whom Mary would bear by the power of the Holy Ghost
(Lord of Heavenly Host)
The fruit of this mystery – Humility
Oh God who had sent His Messenger to Mary
(For the love of humanity)
The God who would bring us salvation
(On every generation)
As “The Annunciation” had shown “Humility”
Lord God, like in “The Annunciation”, we humbly submit to Thy will
(And to Thee we worship & kneel)
Like Mary we listen to Thy message
(Of redemption to every age)
Praise God! We realized “Humility” through the 1st Joyful Mystery.
-04/01/2019
*Meditations on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary
Soul Healing
Breathe in.
This moment.
In stillness, find acceptance.
Life’s involution swirls,
yet flows toward convalescence,
in beauty,
In solace.
An eternal, calm canvas.
A silent symphony of souls.
Presence introduces you to mindfulness,
The other you, at rest.
In between days.
Moments.
Mind, body, connection as one.
Listen to the silence.
Give way to hope.
And birth in reflection.
A new hope.
Step away from the edge.
A wooden duck sits still.
Upon the lake.
While the world spins,
out of control, in a haze,
On golden violet.
Breathe deeply here.
Even the refrigerator hums a
Refreshing tone.
Listen! Listen.
As the wind holds its breath.
No breath.
We all need these moments. Now.
That the healing speaks.
When I was younger I practiced meditation
Like clockwork, sitting twice a day
And sometimes all day.
Now that I’m older
Fatter, wiser, more stiff and tired
I still practice
But in the form of watering gardens
Feeding dogs and mowing lawns.
I’ve got these routines down
So they are mostly mindless
Which is of course the goal
Of all mindful meditation.
What are my experiences of accomplishment
You may ask;
A vision of rainbow-body flower blossoms
Amid a thousand shades of green,
A heavenly chorus of bird song,
A soft caress of Sunlight on bare skin,
And, not least, the joy of a pack of dogs
Fed on time, every time.
These are the simply joys of retirement,
The joys of a life slowed down
Enough to smell
And sometimes even eat
The roses.
(6/3/26)
Some nights I wonder
if planets think~
not in words,
but in long, slow pulses
of orbit and heat.
If their crusts remember
the pressure of forming,
the way bones remember
the weight of childhood.
Perhaps their mountains
are thoughts that rose too quickly,
cooling into ridges
before they could finish
their sentences.
Perhaps their oceans
are moods~
vast, tidal contemplations
that shift with the pull
of distant companions.
I imagine Jupiter brooding
in its storm-lit spirals,
a philosopher of gases
turning over questions
older than light.
And Earth~
our quiet, breathing sphere
might be dreaming through us,
thinking in forests,
solving in rivers,
wondering in whale song,
asking itself
what it means
to be alive.
If planets think,
their thoughts must be slow,
patient as gravity,
ancient as dust~
a kind of cosmic meditation
we only hear
when we finally
become still.
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