without a story, a narrative, a past
what is there?
just this silent presence
no noise
no story teller
no righteousness
no victim
just this
emptiness
of being.
Category: Zen Poetry
turn towards simple beauty, you are a zen master
in the simplicity of zen mind
everything is beauty
because it is as it is
and it is us who bring complexity and confusion
we who bring doubt and divide existence
it is us who create the duality we live in
in zen mind there is no good or bad
or right or wrong, there is no judgement upon things
this is not a cold, loveless state
not a denial of suffering
but instead is a simple turning towards
the truth of things
and seeing with the eyes of god
turn again towards your experience
and look from awareness, not self,
and maybe you will catch a glimpse
of the is-ness of things unfolding
moment by moment
no reason
no interpretation
no judgment
just this
what peace, what emptiness
what beauty, what love
thats it, that’s all it is
simple beauty
you are a zen master
the poetry of small things done beautifully
there is a sweetness in simplicity
when you slow down enough
to become present
to each and every action
without distracted mind
without wishing you were some place else
but doing the thing you are doing
fully
i learned this through the great art
of washing up
it brings me such great pleasure
this simple joy
is presence
a communion with life
an undoing doing
i don’t rush
or neglect
neither do i fret
i just pay attention
and allow it to happen
as if by itself
such is
the poetry of small things done beautifully
i pray this secret joy
is not forgotten
in the pursuit
of importance.
the greatest poem never seen
imagine that the greatest works of art
have never been seen
by anyone beyond the artist
that poem you wrote and never showed anyone
the story that stayed in your head
or the song you played for no one but god
these are the unsung heroes of life
not everything has to be seen
and shared
sold and scrutinized
there was a film i saw recently
of a poet who lived a regular life
his daily poems were just an expression
of life
he was not seeking fame or fortune
or striving to be read
in fact his book of poems
was destroyed by the dog
and no one had read them
some art exists for its own sake
it is all consciousness expressing itself
through form
and it doesn’t care abut fame or readership
i have often said
some of my best songs have never
been heard by anyone.
embrace your aloneness it is your liberation
only when you have
embraced your aloneness
can you truly
relate to another
the path of love
is really
the recognition
that each of us
is utterly alone
when a human being
is unaware of this
they grasp and clutch at each other
desperate to feel safe
but when one has embraced
the truth
all grasping stops
and only the luminosity
of this exquisite agony
remains
each of us utterly alone.
Causeless Celebration
Celebrate
Now
In this moment
Quietly
No one else
Need ever know
Just you and I
Quietly
Celebrating
Being here
With each other
Through
These words
Just celebration
Without cause.
One Thing
Pull one thread and the universe unravels
Because everything is one thing
All the same silken divine thread
From the lowly worm to the cosmic star
All one inexplicable thing
Called God.
What a realization that is.
– Kavi Jezzie Hockaday
“Self is only an idea, a mortal idea.
That which passes through everything, is one thing.
The world you see is just a movie in your mind.”
– Jack Kerouac
Be Still
Be Still.
First the body
Then the mind
Let the pebble
Slowly glide
To the absolute bottom
Of the ocean
And just wait there
Patiently.
That is the only practice one needs.
like you i know nothing
like you i have no idea where i came from
like you i have grown used to this
like you i have no idea where i’m going
when its all over
all we can really do is try and enjoy the experience while we are here
but let me make it clear
none of us actually know
what the fuck is going on.
kavi says, “i am convinced that the more i admit
that i know nothing
the more life reveals its secrets to me.”
the world is drama itself
listening to the rain drip through the gutter
in the early morning darkness
opening the story of the world
that beams from this screen
sipping bulletproof coffee
and feeling the portent
and the potential
of it all
i stay open and grateful