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)
My soul gives
and you taketh
there is no bargaining
in love and marriage
only trial and error
practice makes perfect
By Phan Tan Hai
Awake, waiting for the new year—
the wind steeped in tea’s fragrance;
past midnight, hair turned white,
a lifetime nearly gone.
I write upon the page
the ancient words of Scripture,
inviting you to read again,
to take a step across the shore.
Life is very short—
today we laugh and speak,
tomorrow we are ash and dust,
scattered by the wind across the sky.
To repay our parents’ grace,
nothing surpasses practice:
seeing Buddha in each flower,
smiling the smile of eternity.
Poems and prose—fine garments,
reflections in a mirror;
carriages, silks, and paintings—
all shimmering illusions.
Wine, beauty, pleasures—
leave them behind, my dear;
a wanderer’s life
passes like dust across the threshold.
Sit down with me,
soften your heart,
search within your breath
for spring’s silent fragrance.
Let go, my dear—
past and future both;
the Buddha teaches liberation
is found in this very moment.
Clumsily, I sketch
the wondrous mind of Nirva?a—
an endless spring,
where every day is spring.
--- Written in the first days of 2020
the soul that fell
must cleanse its heart
before reuniting with source
recognising all as one and none apart
just as dawn’s first light is clearly beheld
awakening too must be free from fear
with all ego spawned desires ended
whence light of God draws near
mindfulness is the key
breath by breath self-aware
remaining in a stillness continuum
seeing ego spawned thoughts as a snare
save obliterating ego there seems no way
living out our earth life in total surrender
radiating the effervescence of love
felt as soundless bliss thunder
Some point at principles as high as Everest
But when it comes to practice no exult
Appears, and more so, no interest
So what has been achieved, what's the result?
Conventions, declarations and agreements
Attempts of paperwork to stop the time
Let’s count the profit gained from these events
I want to hear about result if you don’t mind
For all that’s good in human, let’s enhance it
I can’t believe it must be complex or occult
After the hardships overcome we all admit
Don’t disappoint, just tell me the result
You wise men in your offices, or beggars
On wetted benches in the park, excuse me please
What’s the result of all the good for us
Apart of air we're still allowed to breathe?
She fantasizes day and night.
Jessica's dream is to become a ballerina.
Practices dancing heart and soul.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 1st place 2026, 3rd place 2026
Australian Medical Professional Society..'
Great to see such diversification.'
Competition sharpens
Practice and encourages more attention.'
Long may this new body prosper,
Long may its effects be felt, as it spreads
To every corner of health awareness
Both corperate; and self.'
????PRECISION WITHOUT PRACTICE????
A nurse with a needle, eyes squinting tight,
Hunts for a vein in fluorescent light.
She taps and slaps, she warms the skin,
But that sneaky vein won’t let her win!
She squints, she sighs, she calls for aid,
Veins playing hide-and-seek in a masquerade.
“Make a fist!” she cries, “Now pump it twice!”
Still no vein, just skin that’s nice.
But lo! In the night, with zero fuss,
Comes a buzzing beast without a bus.
No flashlight, no gloves, no sterile prep,
Just wings and vibes and a sneaky step.
The mosquito lands with ninja grace,
No charts, no scrubs, no frantic chase.
It sniffs the blood like a wine connoisseur,
Then tap the vein...precision pure!
While humans sing and slap their thighs,
It drinks and flies before sunrise.
No training needed, no med school debt,
Just hunger, stealth, and zero regret.
So next time you're poked five times in vain,
And your arm looks like a subway train,
Just whisper softly, with no disdain:
“Should’ve hired a mosquito to find my vein!”
????VICK MANUEL POETRY????
{VMP}
Copyright ©? 23rd - 24th October 2025.
Your outlook colours your world
Cynicism is no way to move forward
Bite into life with optimism
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 1st place 2025
Years to formulate
From average to great
Today it became appreciate
It was my grandfather bless his soul
He wanted success for his grandson
Foundation of the Typewriting keyboard you see
Typing was going to be bread and butter for me
Skills in that order
My Grandfather covered two theories of typing and preparing me for college
I practiced typing 4 hours every day
Getting my fingers acquainted to the keyboard
Alpha letters and extending sentences in typing lookout
The Thesaurus being my lesson to elevate intellectual boundaries
My Grandfather being business minded in mind, body and spirit
Determination virtue my high mark
Years of cultivation to master
Success came through typing
My Grandfather being my number one fan
“Succeed until fulfilled”
Look back only for a moment and striving forward
Reflecting back on my teachings having an impact
Grandpa’s hopes and aspirations for his Grandson
My world without end
My beginnings into the future
Before my Grand Father died, he said, “You are going to remember this old man”
You can’t forget where excellence got its start
Thanks Grandpa
You made a difference through me that follows me.
His rants will our freedom stifle
The lives of others a trifle
The lies Trump expounds
Sound like lethal rounds
Shot from Don's mouth like a rifle
Bleeding feet beneath the graceful dance.
Years of practice.
Knife blade through onion skin by Chef,
scarred knuckles for twenty years.
Swan's neck curves like a question.
Beneath churning continuously under water.
Brush moves across white paper in creating a marvel painting.
Decades in each stroke.
Earth spins 927,000 miles daily in creating golden light.
No applause.
Crumpled drafts seventeen times by writer.
The final line breathes.
Citizens, weapons practice,
Refugeees, seeking homes,
Think globally, guys,
Evolving ceasefires---grand.
Citizens, weapons practice,
Refugees, seeking homes,
Think globally, guys,
Evolving ceasefires--grand.
aristocratic antelope alarms and annoys
blue-eyed baboon’s billy goat buster
causing confusion, consternation and crying
distressing and disturbing deliberate donkey
egg-producing egret elevates enthusiasm
forever frolicking in farmer fred’s pastures
giddy goats gallop in garnished with garlands
happy horse henry hypnotizes henrietta’s hens
intense iguana ignores idiocy of inmates
jackals justify jack rabbits jelly-like jeers
kangaroo keenly kicks off kingly kibitz
luxurious llamas lollygag in the lounge
mischievous monkeys march among marshes
nervous newts nibble on nutty Nutella
obnoxious oxen opts out of outrageous opportunities
preening peacock praises his pompous president
quivering quail questions quaking quasar
rustic rooster ruffles robin’s restlessness
sassy songbirds swizzle and sway toward sand beach
talkative turtle trains tarantula to twist and turn
understudy Ulysses utilizes universal unitedness
validating vocabulary of vicious vultures
wandering weasel wants to find his wishes
‘xacting ‘xtra ‘xhibitions ‘xperiment on eagle’s nest
yellow yak yawns next to yipping young wolf dog
zealous zebra zips into view of aristocratic antelope
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