Wednesday, June 29, 2022
THREE OLD MONK POEMS (237)
THE TIME TO MAKE
The time to make the judgment
is not after it's over,
the old monk told the referees.
~
THE OLD MONK HAD
The old monk had a master
who thought he'd never get it.
His students know that.
~
THE DISAPPOINTMENT
The disappointment
is not in your wanting,
the old monk said.
It comes later.
~
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
THREE OLD MONK POEMS (236)
LOOK ABOUT
Look about --
there are poems
on the mountain,
the old monk said.
~
GOING TO SLEEP
Going to sleep is like
turning off the stars,
the old monk thought
as he went good-night,
or like turning them on.
~
ANYONE WHO
Anyone who wants to
can learn to do it
except for the part
about how to get down --
that takes practice,
the old monk said.
~
Monday, June 27, 2022
THREE OLD MONK POEMS (235)
HOW SLOW
How slow is fast
when you want to,
the old monk asked.
~
THESE THINGS
These things I teach,
my father knew
but didn't say,
the old monk said.
~
ACCEPTING DEATH
Accepting death
you trust the stars,
the old monk said.
~
Sunday, June 26, 2022
TEN OLD MONK POEMS (73)
THE OLD MONK / TALKS
The old monk
talks like a farmer
but without
the wisdom,
the master said.
~
THE FARTHER YOU GO
The farther you go
the light stays longer,
almost until midnight,
the old monk said.
~
IF HE WANTS TO
If he wants to, he will,
the old monk said about the hermit,
to his students. Now,
don't be betting on it.
~
ISN'T YOUR UNHAPPINESS
Isn't your unhappiness
the last thing you want to give,
the old monk asked his students.
~
TIME'S UP
Time's up when we
run out of clocks,
the old monk told
his students.
~
IT'S A SLIPPERY
It's a slippery thing
and you've got to hold on,
getting a line of poetry,
the old monk said.
~
IF HE'S AN IRISH MONK
If he's an Irish monk
wouldn't he talk with a brogue,
his students asked his master.
~
ISN'T GRAVITY
Isn't gravity
like time trying
to hold the light,
the old monk asked
the physicist.
~
THINK OF IT LIKE
Think of it like
a piece of paper
with everything
printed on it,
the universe,
the old monk said.
~
YOU CAN'T UNDO
You can't undo
what you've not done,
the old monk said.
~
THREE OLD MONK POEMS (234)
CALCED OR
Calced or
discalced,
the mountain
doesn't care,
the old monk said.
~
THE STARS DON'T
The stars don't know
about death
until they go
up against it,
the old monk said.
~
EVEN AFTER
Even after
the lights go off,
the lights go on
down the hall,
the old monk
noticed.
~
Thursday, June 23, 2022
THREE OLD MONK POEMS (233)
YOU DON'T GET
You don't get
dressed up for
falling down
the mountain,
the old monk says.
~
YOU BELIEVE
You believe
you believe
but do you,
the old monk asked.
~
I'VE GOT NOTHING
I've got nothing
to do but sing
of sorrow
and preach,
the old monk
admitted.
~
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
THREE OLD MONK POEMS (232)
IF A DOOR
If a door swings open,
at least look in,
the old monk said.
~
TO COUNT IS
To count is why
you have ten fingers,
the old monk said.
That's basic arithmetic,
~
FLOWERS ARE
Flowers are
all about
sex,
the old monk
said. Think
about that,
the beauty
of it.
~
Monday, June 20, 2022
THREE OLD MONK POEMS (231)
YOU DON'T KNOW
You don't know you don't know,
and that makes you dangerous,
the old monk told his students.
~
THE EYES ARE
The eyes are one
way of seeing,
the old monk said.
~
THE WAY
The way is
the path you take
when no one's
looking,
the old monk said.
~
