This poem is
About the sun.
The Sun
Told me you
Were a poem
Forever.
I felt it on
Our shared skin that night.
And then
We wrote it
Everywhere
On this world-we could be enough song for us all
Until, we were
Graffities of praise…or giraffes of wonder in some distant continent’s glaze or listening glisten…that is…
Wherever we rose
Into our morning names, together forever,
We were, even before-shining like this.

From when i lived in Paris as a younger man- another from the “written on my napkin series”, when i was younger and falling in love with watching well:
this cafe
in afternoon-
a portal-
this middle aged woman’s wrist leaning
towards wine glass in this type
of white sheer pen hole vignnetted sun tone,
a kingdom
in itself. A new wave of knowing, again simple things.
And the old man who runs the place
and has been
watching afternoons like this
forever. His
knowing
smile, having
taken it all in,
gathered so many
afternoons
into a bouquet.
So, by the end of
his life, having learned to see well,
a single afternoon-this is his
eternity.
And she finally
spoke
after having had a sip or two-“life is
how well
you dwell
in afternoon
with one
another.”

From Paris, when i was younger and falling in love with watching well:

this cafe
in afternoon-
a portal-
this middle aged woman’s wrist alone leaning
towards another wine glass in this type
of white sheer pen hole vignetted sun tone,
a kingdom
in itself. A new wave of knowing, again simple things.
And the old man who runs the place
and has been
watching afternoons like this
forever. His
knowing
smile, having
taken it all in, having
gathered so many
afternoons
into a bouquet.
So, by the end of
his life, having learned to see so well,
a single afternoon-this is his
eternity.
And she finally
spoke
after having had a sip or two-“life is
how well
you dwell
in afternoon
with one
another.”

Translating ancient wisdom poems today. This one a scandinavian monk’s-about finding The Sea and how it helped him find meaning in taking out the trash-or how knowing the sea teaches us the value of simple daily activities!

we sailed
until
we knew
the sea
then stopped,
came home
and took out
the trash.

in Icelandic it sounds more wise, i assure you!

við sigldum
þar til
við vissum
hafið
hætti svo,
kom heim
og tók út
ruslið.

a response to hasidism’s-the jewish mystical movement’s-future:

they taught
that God is immanent
and found in mundane daily life
that the supernatural could be encountered
while shoveling a ditch, cleaning your toilet, or
walking your dog; then,
Jesus came walking along
beside them, and He
agreed

listening to a mocking bird on my roof today

the mocking bird is not mocking
its talking for all the silenced birds ever
it remembers all their songs
it is not plagiarizing as supposed
all artist are thieves
we all sing other’s songs
but mocking birds just
impersonate better than most.

Jeremiah said:
they were radiant
over God’s goodness
in restoring the normal mundane-wine, oil
walking talking, taking a bath, seeing a new bird…
everyday things of life
to them
and they shone in thankfulness
like that forever
while they walked their dogs
and drank great wine.

I’m still a kid
hiding out
near the radiator
melting crayons
in the back
of yeshiva, or
rolling under the pews
at church
and in
the synagogue.
And promptly
being kicked out
of class,
having left glory behind
to the wonder
of my friends

(Prayer of simple thanks in hope, from an urban monk who likes coffee on cold mornings)

Thank You
for the warm comfort in my palms
when i hold my coffee today on a chilly morning
Lord. And in advance
for meeting that new bird friend
and rose we will certainly
walk by together this day.

Foolish enough to be useful today!

I talked someone out of committing suicide today.
That’s about the 15th time i think that’s happened. The first time i was around 23, and walking someone off that internal and physical cliff in Paris (long but good story, which ended well!). Had to do it with images and gestures, and as i recall in some sort of “tongues”.
This one was easier, as we at least had language and Love in common. Still, it’s always chilling, simplifying and humbling. First you have to convince yourself that life matters hourly! That each person really is a poem worth savoring, cultivating, beholding and keeping inspired!
“Never limit Mercy”, as Thomas Merton put it!
Maybe a birthday blessing at the same time today, to get to talk this new friend down! I love bringing Life near my celebration! This fellow just needed to be seen, not ignored, but valued, listened to in his daily story and struggle.
It’s the little things, which make me feel like it’s still good to be here, honoring one another’s stories, despite the times, bombs and rampant and random hatred of life. Good reminder today also, to stay available as we go. Life still matters friends.
It reminded me of that line: “What fools God uses to save us through is His choice.”
I’ve gotten to the point that at least i know I’m foolish enough to be useful.