Tag: Poetry

Poetry

Free Yourself

(Alternate title: The Emperor’s Old Cage)

I see you in your little cage
exhausted having spent your rage
avoiding me from right next door
while pretending you’re in Singapore
I feel you in the gusts of wind
that rattle the panes as drafts creep in
the coldness of your inherited state
your brilliance like countless snowflakes
glittering in the lamplight’s splay
temporary, soon melted away
timid as the portalled rainbows
refracted rays as rare as angels
bestowing a captivating vision to
a silent waiting world,
attachment to external appearance, feeling
meaningless beyond the moment of enjoyment
or perhaps in time travel, occasional memory
bubbling to the surface from an ether
seldomly accessed, no longer in reflex
your alternate reflux exasperating
creating such drawn out suffering
pervading all minds — so instead
you should find the lost key
or break the lock to your invisible cage
and be free of the misery in your head
which is a choice, a bore
and follow the fun and light some more that is the path of the fearless emperor

(how do you resist joyful allure?)

Oh! How you would shine
with the radiance of fresh-fallen snow
in the pure sunlight, if you should try
and break free

Tags buddhist path, cage, character, choice, courage, freedom, ignorance, life purpose, meaning, Poetry, prison, purpose, samsara, self cherishing, self-grasping, strength, suffering, weakness

Poetry

déjà vu

lying cramped in the tub
feeling like I’ve done this not hundreds
but infinite times before
floating here in scented water salted
overly concerned with eight unavoidable concerns
actually caring to be incensed or insulted!
tossed about violently and needlessly by eight winds!
anyway, words are received meaninglessly, buoyant on the sea
of a soured mind, like mine

if I observe for even a moment
I bear witness: I exist so foolishly
perfumed, smelling sweet as a rose
but still rotting with refusal to diffuse
the subtle self-cherishing arising
I see delusions and try to oppose
the inappropriate attention
hooking my senses
guiding me toward inappropriate action
easy to engage for a moment of mild enjoyment

but how much sweeter the treat of her
if you bank with interest for later delight
collected faster with correct imagination
using wise discrimination to do right
saving a virtuous treasure for
an auspicious time, devoid kryptonite
unknown to a non-clairvoyant,
powerful but ignorant mind, like mine

still, I accept that the merit must ripen and
I can find the fruits faster, not by cheating,
but by pure intention and
multiplying with imagination for
immeasurables and always remembering
the tub is the nature of suffering
changing, and misunderstood

Tags bathtime, beginingless lives, beginningless time, Buddhist Poetry, canadian poet, changing suffering, déjà vu, karma, poem, Poetry, samsara, suffering, unforgetting world

Poetry

Break the Chain

I no longer wish to meet those
who make me regret my virtue
of course, I can’t excuse my own forfeit of mind
and I never would regret virtuous intention
even when challenged!

Instead, I see clearly that in samsara
there exists no real happiness, no good reputation
no wealth, no status, no good condition
not only failure, misery, and criticism
not only lowly status and painful position
but always departing from what we love
and too often meeting what we hate!

So if i have any regret, it’s saved
for actions throwing me lower than the grave
then I purify completely in three more steps
with reliance, opponent force and firm promise
never again laying claim to hateful mind
never again to drink addictive poisons
never again to grasp, to crave
never again to begin again
the beginningless cycle of suffering
this lifetime I break the chain!

I will die without regret
having used every momently wisely
a cause-creator, achieving true happiness

Poetry

the shape of my mother

all things are her shape
for she created my world
all beings, mother

Tags all beings have been my mother, buddhist teaching, creation, creative writing, haiku, migrators, mother, mother beings, offering to the Spiritual Guide, osg, poem, Poetry, reality, samsara, world

Poetry

Curious Undertaking

They say curiosity killed the cat
and satisfaction brought her back
but in samsara’s spoiled waters
I find only ill departers
it’s hardly satisfying
when everyone I love is dying
I see sickness in all migrators
who swim wantonly with alligators
breaking open hearts and seals
contemplating Sinbad’s deal
excusing whorish proffers
while taking what’s not offered
to indulge each selfish desire
to enjoy the heat of temporary fire
turning quickly to ember, burning out
leaving grey ashes of deluded doubt

How can I help all beings
with such ailments of the mind
with intense hedonistic attachment
to each sensory pleasure, illusory yet defined
each one appearing solid, concrete
while in actuality like a dream from mind
produced from empty-like space
contaminated matter is all I find
I must vomit out this poison and
grow virtuous roots, from seeds purified

To help nurture this new garden
of joyful, chaste, and pure delights
to replace increasing darkness
with pure increasing Dharma light
I visualize taking from all migrators,
their poison, like charcoal smoke
the delusions leave their bodies
arising unobstructed from all folk
all suffering, ill intent, all harmful desires
billow like black clouds from raging forest fires
flow, now fly, to my subtle mind, my heart
and are destroyed completely at the inner drop
annihilating my self-cherishing and my self-grasping
now I give pure, boundless love and compassion,
and I too receive this medicinal nectar
all beings enjoy happiness, everlasting
and I become a pure preceptor

Tags bodhisattva, buddhist practice, compassion, creative writing, curiosity, delusions, karma, migrators, mind, poem, Poetry, reality, rebirth, samsara, sentient beings, suffering, taking and giving, wish, writing

Buddhism Philosophy Poetry

New Year’s Promise

If you put your hand in fire
And you feel the burn of flame
Although the pain is karma
You must pull your hand away

When others appear to hurt us
We do so much the same
Although appearance cannot harm us
We still turn and walk away

Now I love and cherish others
To purify these seeds of pain
I will practice taking and giving
And pray and all beings do the same

Tags 2025, 2026, Buddhism, Buddhist Poetry, canadian poet, Canadian poetry, four powers, new years, poem, Poetry, promise, purification, resolution, secret mantra, taking and giving

Good Fortune Poetry

Dare You

There is magic in the world
If you dare to see it
There is happiness in the world
If you dare to feel it
There is hope in the world
If you dare to force it
There is love in the world
If you dare to wish it
There is faith in your heart
If you dare to test it
There is compassion in your heart
If you dare to risk it
There wisdom in your heart
If you dare to mind it
There is joy in the world
If you dare to celebrate it

Merry Christmas 🎄

Tags 2025, cheer, choice, Christmas, compassion, courage, courageous, daring, faith, happy holidays, holiday, joy to the world, love, Merry Christmas, poem, Poetry, virtue, wisdom

Poetry

Poisoned

To feel too deeply
and to be unable to feel
are my two greatest sufferings

and to grasp at the feelings
as inherently existent
my greatest ignorance, their source

Tags apathy, attachment, aversion, creative writing, feeling, ignorance, indifference, love, pain, poem, Poetry, sociopathy, suffering, three poisons

Poetry

Prisoner

I’m forced to walk where my feet go
I’m forced to wonder on what I know
I’m forced to move by winds of mind
I’m forced to suffer, for I’ve been unkind

Tags acceptance, cause and effect, cause creator, compassion, endure suffering, forgiveness, karma, patience, poem, Poetry, rude awakening, suffering, virtue

Poetry

confusing conditions

built to be broken
& cracked down to dust
born to be suffered
     offend and break trust
invented to abscond
tried to be trashed
   told to fuck off
     & thrashed for a laugh
samsara’s play buckles
          pulls out all the stops
the audience participation
          wallops a good punch

nonsense and dream world
collide innocent
how do awful things ripen?
can we prevent one torment?

it hurts so we harden
it pricks so we hack
               all beauty to pieces
        even though it doesn’t last
                                     on its own

what pride can be held
    in accomplishing the same
        as time does with no effort
              robbing us of each name
revenge becomes pointless
    as our hearts become stone
I press, we must realize our mind
‘cause I can’t take this pain
                   all apparent losses
    grief felt again and again

all relationships tarnish
      all chaos lets loose
I thought this time was different
      and so volunteered for the noose
but from this redundant perspective
      it’s so easy to see
I was built to be broken
    & caged to be freed

Tags broken, creative writing, feeling, friendship, grief, healing, karma, loss, love, mental illness, pain, poem, Poetry, reality, samsara, schizophrenia, spontaneous feeling