backyard altar

backyard altar
-- dAVE

trapped by a rat
not by
cunning
or delicious cheese
not fervid curiosity
caught by
the long-tailed
intrusion
of thoughts
going
awry
scurrying fear
of change
red-eyed
urge to grab
onto the
nearest
big tree
and hold
on
for dear life
thoughts
that
swirl
like
clouds
hummingbird chitters
I sit
see hear feel
breath
see hear feel
breath
swirl

Make the World Small

 I want my heart to encompass the world

a shimmering amber bubble of love
where safety and acceptance invite transformation's bloom

yet too often this vision seems helplessly and foolishly vast

despair floats up in the wake of hubris
voices clamor: it doesn’t matter...nothing matters...why bother?

shoulders tight, air compressed, innards

flip-turn against the cold white wall of the pool
fists clench into a self-induced stasis of knowing

but blessed crisis brings opportunity

and as alchemy turns lead to gold
I befriend the contraction and the petals unfurl in the light

in these moments, it helps to make the world small, again

as a hug, a tear, a grin, a long slow breath
small as deepest truth told in a whisper

I caress your cheek after I rise early in the darkness

the window sighs in the morning breeze
and I put on my slippers to ward off the cold floor

circle of breath

forty-one Buddhas

in black

still as statues

looking inward

toward the center

of the circle

which breathes

as it is breathed

dust motes twinkling

in the sunlight

wisp of incense

painting portraits

glint of silver

on the altar

spiders bowing

crawling kinhin

air dims down

quiet

quiet

speech no words

thoughts race

fall away

for a moment

or two

then wink and nod

bell rings

meditation

never ends

the long loving

look into

depth

still

as

statues

forty-

one

Buddhas

in

black

--dave klaus   9.25.14