Sunday, June 05, 2022
TEN OLD MONK POEMS (70)
MORE OR LESS
More or less is about,
the old monk said.
~
WHAT THE MOUNTAIN ASKS
What the mountain asks
the mountain answers,
the old monk said.
~
WHAT WHIPS THE WIND
What whips the wind
is sky. The wind
whips the trees. It's
all downhill from there,
the old monk said.
~
NOTHING
Nothing
is less than
nothing,
the old monk
reminded them.
~
IT CAN BE
It can be
great or small,
depending on
how many,
the old monk said.
~
NOT EVERYTHING
Not everything
is something,
the old monk said.
~
TURN YOUR WORDS
Turn your words
so they turn
the meaning,
the old monk told
the poet.
~
ALWAYS LEAVE OUT
I always leave out a step
to see what they can figure out
for themselves,
the old monk said about teaching.
~
IF YOU THINK
If you think
that's what it's going to do,
that's what it's going to do,
the old monk said.
~
YOU HOLD THEM
You hold them
while you split them
tenderly,
like making love,
the old monk said
about cutting melons.
~
