Category: Poetry

Jun 11 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Who offends the inoffensive,

the innocent and blameless one,

upon that fool does evil fall

as fine dust flung against the wind.

–The Dhammapada, 125

Phenomena XIX: comparing

Groove Thing

Are we there yet?

We can spend our time

counting the days

living metronomes

beating out the hours

minutes or seconds

but in the end

the important question

is whether or not

tomorrow will be

a better day

than today

and perhaps

we could wonder

for whom

that may be

and for whom

it will not

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–April 2, 2008

Jun 10 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Look upon the world as a bubble,

look upon it as a mirage:

the king of death does not see him

who thus looks down upon the world.

–The Dhammapada, 170

Phenomena XVIII: altering

Half Twist

Mental Gymnastics

Steps forward

do not automatically

come with steps back

Expecting them

is the road

to pessimism

Better is to follow

the steps forward

with two and a half somersaults

with a half twist

to the left

in pike position

and see what

can be seen

from this new perspective

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–Febraury 18, 2008

Jun 09 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

One should first establish

oneself in what is proper.

One may then teach others,

and wise, one is not blamed.

–The Dhammapada, 158

Phenomena XVII: wondering

Looking Back

Lacking Options

Meaningful discussion

about what it means

for me to be

differently gendered

must clearly begin

by exploring

why you are not

I shall wait

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–May 30, 2008

Jun 08 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Just as a mother would protect her only child

even at the risk of her own life,

even so, one should develop unbounded love

towards all beings in the world

–Sutta Nipata

Phenomena XVI: defending

Shades of Gay

Queries

How can parents

stop loving a child

simply because

that child is gay?

And if parents

love their gay child

whence comes your right

to hate that child?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–March 17, 2008

Jun 07 2009

The Beauty of Spring Blocks My Way

By rb137 in Art, Poetry

Spring comes slowly and quietly

to allow Winter to withdraw

slowly and quietly.

The color of the mountain afternoon

is tinged with nostalgia.

The terrible war flower

has left her footprints-

countless petals of separation and death

in white and violet.

Very tenderly, the wound opens itself in the depths of my heart.

Its color is the color of blood,

its nature the nature of separation.

The beauty of Spring blocks my way.

How could I find another path up the mountain?

I suffer so. My soul is frozen.

My heart vibrates like the fragile string of a lute

left out in a stormy night.

Yes, it is really there. Spring has really come.

But the mourning is heard

clearly, unmistakably,

in the wonderful sounds of the birds.

The morning mist is already born.

The breeze of Spring in its song

expresses both my love and my despair.

The cosmos is so indifferent. Why?

To the harbor, I came alone,

and now I leave alone.

There are so many paths leading to the homeland.

They all talk to me in silence. I invoke the Absolute.

Spring has come

to every corner of the ten directions.

Its, alas, is only the song

of departure.

~Thich Nhat Hanh, 1951

1 comment

Jun 05 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

In this world

Hate never yet dispelled hate.

Only love dispels hate.

This is the law,

Ancient and inexhaustible.

–The Dhammapada, 1

Phenomena XV: Love

Transition

Conundra

Fear is strong

Does hatred

make anyone

stronger?

We come in

all degrees

of beauty

all depths

of substance

all capabilities

of love

Should cultural

imperative

so consistently

deny us love?

The riddles

need solving

so that lives

may be lived

and love

may be found

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–June 13, 2008

Jun 04 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Prayer without tears is like a well without water.

–Bhagavad Gita

Phenomena XIV: crying

Tears

Toxic Raindrops

Spitter, spatter – dribble, drip

eroding the soul

The sizzle of acidic water

dissolving resolution

Hard hail pellets

hammering the identity

Cold shards of sleet

penetrating the heart

Invisible tears

damaging the interior

where the scars

are mostly not visible

except in the

resulting behavior

which can be

so terribly bizarre

Confidence

roughly scoured

forcibly removed

from internal corridors

while outside

there was a smile

and a helping hand

for those less fortunate

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–February 21, 2008

Jun 03 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Victory breeds hatred.

The defeated live in pain.

Happily the peaceful live,

giving up victory and defeat.

–The Dhammapada, 201

Phenomena XIII: hurting

Ice

Frozen

Cold raindrops fall

snow clots

into flakes

clumps

into ice

hard as rock

and so cold

Sharp water

cuts at my skin

Does your heart bleed

when the cold

drips from its hardness

as it condenses,

becoming not large enough

to contain any love

for people

different from you?

Ice pellets

from so many eyes

and thoughts

crystalize

into hatred

Are they even

aware of it?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–February 12, 2008

Jun 02 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

One should not strike a brahmin,

nor should the brahmin

let loose with his anger.

Shame on the brahmin’s killer.

More shame on the brahmin

whose anger is let loose.

–The Dhammapada, 389

Phenomena XII: interacting

True Colors?

Reality Bumping

Unlike glass baubles

the edges

of our worlds

co-mingle

For a brief moment

we share

realities blending

intertwining

exchanging electrons

of information

changing each of us

Then we pass

our realities untangle

but we each

carry onward

a piece of the other

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–May 2, 2008

Jun 01 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

He who experiences the unity of life

sees his own Self in all beings

and all beings in his own Self

and looks on everything with an impartial eye.

–Bhagavad Gita

Phenomena XI: uniting

Flow Lines

Primary Element

What could

even should

have been a time

to listen to one another

became instead a time

of antipathy

a time of distrust

of attack

of justification

of baser instincts

of pushing apart

rather than

pulling together

The strength of water

lies in it’s unity.

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–February 8. 2008

May 31 2009

A Fool’s Point of View

By Joy B. in Poetry

I am a professional fool. A clown from a long line of clowns, going so far back into the mists of prehistory that some say the Fool was created first when Man Maker the Magician decided one fine day to create human beings…

So, just as a reminder to all that the Fool hasn’t yet given up his day-job of speaking truth to power, here’s a breakdown on the ‘official’ definition in the immortal rendering of Ambrose Bierce:

fools, history, Just for Fun

May 29 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

What I know,” the Buddha said,

“is like the leaves on that tree;

what I teach is only a small part.

But I offer it to all with an open hand.

What do I not teach?

Whatever is fascinating to discuss,

divides people against each other,

but has no bearing on putting an end to sorrow.

What do I teach?

Only what is necessary to take you to the other shore.

–Siddhartha Gautama, The Dhammapada

Phenomena X: Separation

Campfire

The Only Thing

Sitting around a campfire

we could select a problem

and jointly figure out

how to solve it

if we wanted to

But we are too many

for such a gathering

and to form

such an intention

and we have changed

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–March 21, 2008