Connections

Even a fox can get exhausted

straining for all the sounds.

The world will shrink if it doesn’t change

Opulence doesn’t guarantee happiness

She learns from an Indian friend

A butterfly can tilt Indra’s net.

Delight when scenery 

unfolds before you

wherever you are.

You may be alone 

but you will not be lonely.

Her silence is a conviction 

not to judge others 

by any standards.

She will pass by a garden

and admire a flower

for what it is.

A neighbor will ask her, 

Did you see Mary today,

going to church dressed 

improperly?

It is a warm weather finally,

she will answer.

She may not be precise,

that’s what she sees.

Why

She goes to school.

He goes to church.

Others look for their birthdays in the zodiac.

There are other ways of learning.

People are confused.

Life consists of many parts

Some parts are broken.

Then life changes enormously 

Like shifting shadows in the afternoon

Turned into giant mass of dark clouds enclosing the world,

Silent, hidden, and stilled.

People do not understand why

After they learn to spell catastrophe

They are not happy but distraught.

Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage of the heart,

an errand of the spirit

I will take a morning walk 

and knock on my friend’s door,

lean on a tree, feel the root’s vibrations.

I  will fold my hands and listen to stories:

People walking, their pockets heavy with stones,

birds singing sad songs and hiding  their wings from the sun

riverbeds with broken porcelains,

multi-syllabic prayers uttered in silence at Angelus.

A child and a lady smile and wave 

when I pass by on my way home 

on the sidewalk with wild flowers 

blooming next to the iron fence.

I have been walking to the river again since 4 days ago. I did not walk today.

Morning Walk

58, cloudy, low tide

a woman and her daughter run

a dog runs with a red ball in his mouth 

he drops intermittently to keep up with his master 

A grandma pushes a stroller

two other children walking and talking

vultures hoover, ducks hurry on the river

My morning walk to the river

find excitement in the moment

experience the goodness of the earth

Ancient Habit

A thought 

awaken you from velleity

a summon to bear fruit

you lace your shoes

you start walking, an ancient habit

fresh persuasion of open air,

feelings of space and seeing

the outdoors, vast and hospitable, 

slopping hills 

you bravely ascend steps, 

carefully accelerate descent

blistered heels and suffering knees,

and muscle burns

temporary distractions,

hesitation gradually fades

one step at a time, the trodden way

strength prospers and optimism lifts

exhilaration and healthy elements

you huddle a new circle, your kindred:

sway of stride, unhurried banter, 

their voices twinkle in greetings

you don’t have to

but you keep a journal 

the notches, tiny achievements

nourishing pastoral scenes, 

joy of jotting experiences

the long walks

you observe the olympians, 

their constancy

you wonder how they do it

the focus, the intensity

the magnitude of sacrifices

you weigh yours in gratitude

you try to understand, 

is there time to exult or console

you are in your eighties

you dare to disturb life expectancy

in full measure.

Wet and Dry

Today was a very sad for our country. An “insurrection” breached the U.S. Capitol which was eventually repulsed.

We had a very good rain On Monday. Yesterday I walked to the river. It rained again today.

Last few weeks I watched chess tournaments on line. During the last a few days I started to play chess with a friend. 

I have a hard time writing poetry recently.