Zen Mountain Monastery

Written 1/12/08

Wake up, wake up
raise and rise.
Your day is today
a good today to be alive.
Show up to live your day of days
and don’t forget
you will find your way.
Wake up, wake up
arise and fly,
because if you miss this day, today
the rest will pass you by.

Zen Mountain Monastery

Written 1/12/08

It is morning
the sun has yet to rise
and I am awake
singing, chanting, breathing incense
from ancient beauty
that whispers across the room
into my body
and I am broken
tears run down my cheeks
but I am not to touch them
let them fall
and be present in the knowledge
that you are here
in this moment
awake, alive and open
stay grounded and believe
this minute is yours
on your count
you will notice your body still
and even when you don’t think you can hold on any longer
you will
you will hold on
in order to breathe in and out
you will hold on in the darkness
and break that darkness with your silence
as many others have done before you
and many others will continue
when you are no longer here
accept it and begin
you will transform to end your suffereing
because without it you are free
finally free
from conformity and confinement
from self-destruction and definitions
in the enlightenment of awareness
true and whole
because you are both
beautiful and still
for just this, just this moment.

Untitled #5

I'm world weary and vaguely born
I was brought here to find my reason
my purpose
But as I look around at all the chaos
the heartache and shame
I am continually reminded that I can't undo the past,
foresee the future or live here in the present
without hope and faith in my fellow, common man.