Category Archives: senryu
Buddha This Way, Buddha That
land or sea or sky
Buddha this way, Buddha that
ineluctable
~~ ~~ ~~
By gods and poets
the Buddha forges pathways
through the wilderness.
~~ ~~ ~~
Did the Buddha laugh
as he lost himself in bliss
underneath the tree?
~~ ~~ ~~
Buddha, when the wind
comes howling down the mountain,
will your shelter stand?
~~ ~~ ~~
At an old hotel
Buddha stops to take a bath—
the towels have holes.
~~ ~~ ~~
If he wants to eat,
Buddha pays like all the rest—
no one’s lunch is free.
~~ ~~ ~~
Three strong cups of tea—
Buddha sips along with me,
but takes no sugar.
~~ ~~ ~~
From the topmost shelf
the bust of Buddha crashes
to the kitchen floor.
~~ ~~ ~~
I pay eight pesos
to sit beside the Buddha
on the bus-stop bench.
~~ ~~ ~~
Buddha by the barn,
do you hear the cow forlorn,
lowing for her calf?
~~ ~~ ~~
Buddha gathers words,
then flings them in the meadow
for mice to nibble.
~~ ~~ ~~
ten thousand flowers,
but for Buddha only one—
a dandelion
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry #171
More Carpe Diem: “Buddha”
Dreaming of the One
This week’s words are: chance, nest, secret, clever, swept, ripe, blinked, stars, basket, flesh, saw, hand
~~ 1 ~~
I dream of the one
who stole my seven ripe plums,
while I blinked back tears.
~~ 2 ~~
I dream of the one
whose basket was filled with stars,
harvested by hand.
~~ 3 ~~
I dream of the one
who thought himself so clever
that he swept my heart.
~~ 4 ~~
I dream of the one
who saw my naked flesh, yet
did not turn away.
~~ 5 ~~
I dream of the one
I met by chance one evening
in a secret place.
~~ 6 ~~
I dream of the one
who helped the wren pad her nest
before the storm struck.
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Poetry Pantry #170
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 129
More Poetic Bloomings: “Glittering Stars”
Seven Circles
Sacred Heart Church, Farmington, New Mexico
~~ 1 ~~
golden the glowing
driving darkness from my door
holy the circle
~~ 2 ~~
on a mountain ridge
drawing a simple circle
she protects herself
~~ 3 ~~
one fragile bubble
burning in circles of light—
there will be weeping
~~ 4 ~~
a circle of stones
rare as forgotten language
beckoning me near
~~ 5 ~~
in the next canyon,
a spacious place for camping—
cottonwood circle
~~ 6 ~~
black cat dips one paw
into circles of sunshine
on the kitchen floor
~~ 7 ~~
The sunflower ants,
dizzy with nectar, stagger
in circles of light.
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Carpe Diem: “Circle”
Mother
Fábrica La Aurora, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México
how a wise mother
weaves her children’s tomorrows
using threads of chance
Text and photo © 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Blue Monday
More September Heights 2013: “Mother”
Rusting
Sonoran Desert, Southern Arizona
Text and photo © 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Haiku My Heart at Recuerda Mi Corazon
Old Man
The old man’s blunder:
thinking that the early rice
would be abundant.
~~ ~~ ~~
a browning paddy
early rice plants withering—
see the old man cringe
~~ ~~ ~~
Choosing to digress
from discussing early rice,
the old man yammers.
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More Carpe Diem: “Early Rice”
More Three Word Wednesday: “Blunder, Cringe, Digress”
Six-Word Whirl
Sometimes paradise
is defaced with rusty stains
that God can’t scrub out.
~~ ~~ ~~
in the garden pool
abundant summer magic
ten thousand tadpoles
~~ ~~ ~~
Sometimes paradise
is the heart of God breaking—
only three pieces.
~~ ~~ ~~
in the garden pool
little ripples of intrigue
the minnows flashing
~~ ~~ ~~
Sometimes paradise
is Christ clang-clanging a bell,
keeping us from sleep.
~~ ~~ ~~
In the garden pool
a bullfrog finds the answer
to the sizzling heat.
Text © 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More The Sunday Whirl, Wordle 125
More Carpe Diem: “Southard’s ‘In the Garden Pool'”
More Postcards from Paradise at Recuerda Mi Corazon
Garlands
a dearth of mercy
but no shortage of garlands—
returning soldiers
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More September Heights 2013: “Garland”
Cabriole
taking center stage
ballerina’s cabriole
scissoring the air
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More September Heights 2013: “Ballet”
Lantern
Zacatecas, México
A single lantern
cannot light a whole city,
but one prophet can.
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More SkyWatch Friday
More Ein Stück Himmel
More Carpe Diem: “Lantern”
cannot light a whole city,
but one prophet can.
© 2013 by Magical Mystical Teacher
More SkyWatch Friday
More Ein Stück Himmel
More Carpe Diem: “Lantern”
