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ZEN KOAN

A poem is a kind of Zen Koan,
for people to decipher what life is,
without having it spelt out
in our already watered down intensity of expressions;
carved into stone, words,
words uttered by the great, the small and ourselves;
taking the mind for a kind of spiritual walk
in the whole of existence,
and leading one to see the truth you perceive,
the one that is your own personal expression of it,
at that particular moment in time.

Style / type: 
Free verse
Editing stage: 

Comments

That we have a translation of life and what it means is really good.
I read the "Dreamland" one about the teacher it was really a fun write but at the same time a very good lesson for the pupils and all that read, I have bookmarked and will return to the others, I notice there are 99 of them so it will take a little time.
Thank you Our Lady of the North for bringing these to us,
Yours Ian.T

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

The Australian Aborigine heaven is "Dreamland"
The kangaroos came out of the mists of time and created earth.
Among others, they have many deities too, based on nature's fauna.

How many manners of expressing human life there have been,
and there will be many more colourful ones to come,
we surely haven't exhausted them yet.

The Zen Koan is as obscure as it is basic, and clear,
its a matter of degree.

Happy day Ian, from Ann.

"The image of yourself which you see in a mirror Is dead,
but the reflection of the moon on water, lives." Kenzan.

author comment

poetry is koan for westerners.

However to make form match content perhaps it could be shorter.

The poem strikes your head,
if there is pain
you are not dead,
there is gain.

[grins]

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

I grin back Jess
Ann :)

"The image of yourself which you see in a mirror Is dead,
but the reflection of the moon on water, lives." Kenzan.

author comment

but the preservation of the self
the survivors of hardship
kept going with this

the ones who lost hope
perished
the ones who noticed
who interacted
saw felt gave
moved through
saw the beauty
the terror

lately I am listening
I am seeing
I am feeling

this poem is a great
bookmark for my
journey

Thank you Ann

Oh how lovely to be a bookmark for you Wolf,
as you pad your soft grey feet along the wild paths,
and see, and feel, and hear the messages of nature
communicating its wisdom, silently, beautifully,
their gift, not mine.

Love Ann in the Autumn mists.

Another day blooms its pale colours
across the wide sky
the little moving ribboned veil of pale blue mist
floats an even snake all the way to the lake,
so delicate looking, some of it so opaque
one can see through to the houses and trees.

Today perhaps to Hauktjern or Hawk tarn
where the steep cliffs on one side of the lake
are like a Zen garden and the trees in the way there
are now decked for the Autumn ball,
the carpets gold and the tiaras red
as it is a red year, when Maples turn so magically
into living fires, beautiful.

"The image of yourself which you see in a mirror Is dead,
but the reflection of the moon on water, lives." Kenzan.

author comment

and our pens doth leak
like rains
an emotional
draw
the drape of it
in awe

capricious and
lavish life
in a fanfare
fire

before the
soft cool glitter
the ice and
winds bitter

Thank You!

So true Wolf, so true.
Thank you too

"The image of yourself which you see in a mirror Is dead,
but the reflection of the moon on water, lives." Kenzan.

author comment

and our pens doth leak
like rains
an emotional
draw
the drape of it
in awe

capricious and
lavish life
in a fanfare
fire

before the
soft cool glitter
the ice and
winds bitter

Thank You!

to my mind… there is nothing spiritual in living life ….all is mundane
and each one has one’s own frame,,, to dwell in happiness or pain …some love to within a cocoon remain…. passed life's living vein
whilst others brave the storms… of the those who wont to slain ….and within senses and distance remain…
spiritualism thus beyond life …in imagination should…

as it does and must remain…

loved

I agree with " there is nothing spiritual in living life" as it is our own
psyche that creates what we perceive in the brain, yes, but the Zen
monks do believe in spirit, perhaps in another way, we use that word
to describe something we cannot quite understand. It means feelings
in some way " I am in good spirits."

Cheers!! Ann

"The image of yourself which you see in a mirror Is dead,
but the reflection of the moon on water, lives." Kenzan.

author comment
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