We breathe, eat, keep warm, Clothe ourselves, and take shelter, We escape predators, fend off invaders, Avoid precipices and poisons. We find ourselves in family, take up with companions, We step out into the tribe. We assert, compete, amass our fortunes; We lose and win; we identify. We explore and interrogate; We discover and understand. [...]
On a soft surface, blurry rays penetrating, Or in a tiny conveyance pushed through moving air, Or seated, enclosed, with fabric draped on her front, Nourishment being placed into her mouth, She worked to assimilate the details of her assignment, Fascinated at her awkwardness in her new vessel, Its appendages errand and awkward. The soothing [...]
Just some nights’ sleep ago, You went to kindergarten For your first day of school. And moments later, Your first date ended, Your indulgent mother smiling, Full of questions, Knowing well their answers. Just after breakfast today Your third child was born. Now, as you sip your Gimlet before dinner, She packs for your alma [...]
Regret a trying day No more readily Than you would condemn A worthy person. Each day has in it Your rising and the ticking of your life. Each day has in it The piercing fanfare Of your imperfect procession. Each day has in it The game challenge Of your glorious missteps. Regret even one day, [...]
The warming rays of humankind Divert a portion of themselves That through a sacred prism pass Refracting into vibrant us. We few, we happy few, we band of others-- Whose vision brightens the obscure, Whose music fills the masses’ throats, Whose lines fill full the living page, Whose brushes paint the human soul: Let's spread [...]
The humming remnants of our joining Linger in my ears And grow more sonorous Whenever I close my eyes. The soft force of your encircling arms Settles upon me again Each time I call it back With a mindful breath. Forgive me, I pray, My frailty–my flight from you– The odds I put between us– [...]
Always embrace the mundane– It is the handle of the present moment. The texture of your toothbrush’s stem And the minty taste of dentifrice Are the tendrils of eternity Penetrating your morning routine. Dread not the washing Of your dishes after breakfast, Nor the packing of your children’s lunches. Rush not through the traffic, Nor [...]
My back hurts more from weighty vanity Than from the burdens livelihood requires. My soul aches more from my humanity Than from ill answer to my base desires. With fifty circles run in matter’s realm, And dozens yet to come if fortune grants, I see a new tide harshly overwhelm The shore of egotism’s vast [...]
Real Teaching 