More Monday Zen

“Zen Can Do Anything”

My zen and I 

Had a couple of drinks last night.

Oh? 

You didn’t think that zen could drink?

That it was against zen’s religion or something?

Ha Ha! 

Don’t make me laugh.

Zen can do anything!

Anyway, as I was saying,

We had a couple last night,

My zen and I.

Hmmm.

Now that I think about it,

Nothing was achieved.

I missed my dinner.

I spent my wages.

I stepped on the cat’s tail when I arrived home.

And now my head hurts.

“My Camera Helps Me Find My Zen”

My camera helps me find my zen.

I think it’s the way it makes me see the world.

To look upon things without distraction

And allow my eye to fall in love.

That’s the zen of it!

My camera helps me find beauty, too.

To see it right in front of my face

When it was there all the time.

That’s zen at work.

Beauty and zen share many traits.

You could probably name a dozen easily,

So I won’t bother, except to remind you…

That one cannot exist without the other.

“The Zen of Crows”

(Previously published July 20, 2015)

A murder of crows landed in the large oak tree 

That overhangs my home.

That’s what you call a gathering of these large, black birds.

A murder.

Who thought up that name, I wonder?

It is very zen!

Anyway, from beneath the tree 

I watched and listened,

While I drank some tea.

The crows were very noisy and active.

I might even call it confused or chaotic.

They seemed to be without zen.

I put down my tea,

And clapped my hands loudly 

As I rose from my seat.

“Where’s your zen?” I shouted.

The crows took flight

And circled overhead. 

Then as if by mutual consent 

They flew away to the north

Making a beautiful pattern 

Against the clear blue sky.

“Aha,” I said to myself.

“There’s the zen.”

“Keep Your Shiny Side Up!”

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

That is the name of a famous book

I once read a million years ago.

But I didn’t understand it too well.

Maybe it’s my fault 

That I didn’t understand it.

Maybe it’s the author’s.

Who can say?

Understanding doesn’t come easily

To anybody.

But I don’t blame my zen for that.

Who but an imbecile 

Would be stupid enough 

To find fault with their zen?

Not me.

I understand that much.

I like motorcycles.

I have since I was a boy.

I especially like riding them.

It is a very zen-like experience.

The freedom.

The speed.

The chance to empty my mind 

Of all but the road ahead.

The strangely relaxed tension

Of body, mind, and machine.

United as one,

Working in harmony 

To execute a perfect corner,

Or avoid being crushed 

By that eighteen-wheeler!

Yes! It’s quite a thrill

To ride a motorcycle!

And live to tell about it.

I guess, after reading that book, 

That I understand the zen of riding… 

Better than I do the zen of fixing.

But that’s okay.

So long as I don’t 

Confuse the two.

And remember to 

Keep my shiny side up.

Zen!

“The Odds of Zen”

“I don’t have time for zen today.”

Yeah. 

Right.

You may think that statement is true.

But it’s not.

There’s always time for zen.

It only takes a minute.

Sometimes even less.

But it can last you all day.

Maybe even a lifetime.

How do you like those odds?

And it’s free too.

I’m offering it to you now.

You simply have to reach out and take it.

I’m no mathematician 

Or economist.

But I know this much;

Zen offers a great return 

For your investment. 

Three Ready Zens

Something Good is Bound to Happen

I’m a big fan of zen.

Once I realized what it was.

Funny, but I had it all along

And didn’t know it.

You have to relax 

And let the beauty of it

Come down and through

And into you, 

In order for it to work.

Sometimes, that’s the hard part.

Letting go and relaxing.

So don’t worry if it hasn’t 

Happened to you yet.

There’s still plenty of time.

Remember, whatever 

Should happen, will happen.

Just keep yourself ready.

Listen to your heart.

And read my zen poems.

If you do 

Then I guarantee

Eventually something good 

Is bound to happen

To at least one of us.

No Zen In That

Have you ever noticed how easy

It is to be critical 

In this imperfect world?

A world where most things are broken

To some degree or another?

Just look around you!

People are complaining all the time.

About everything!

It’s too old.

It’s too new.

It’s too cheap.

It’s too dear.

It’s too plain.

It’s too fancy.

It’s too …

But why go on?

Anything you can imagine,

Anything at all,

Isn’t good enough for somebody!

Sadly, being critical is an easy occupation.

But a rather difficult habit to break.

So let’s quit finding fault.

There is little zen in that.

Let’s see if we can find something 

More rewarding to turn our godlike

Comprehension upon, 

Instead of faultfinding.

After all, it is much more pleasant 

To look around and see 

The beauty that is everywhere…

Instead of the fear 

And pain and injustice and…

That is also everywhere.

Beauty and pain.

Both of these things exist

And have a place in the scheme of things.

Sometimes they exist side by side. 

Or even within each other.

How can that be?

It’s difficult to understand.

As human beings we must 

Live with contradiction.

That is our curse.

So sing! and be happy!

We’re all at fault!

Or said another way,

We are all faultless.

Because there is no perfection, 

Except perhaps in zen.

Hmmmm.

The perfection of zen.

That’s a big question…

For another time.

How Big?

“How big is your zen?”

A student once asked me.

“That’s an easy one,” I answered.

“My zen is very… er, big.

Or rather say it’s everywhere all around.

Or maybe never-ending is a better term for it.

All encompassing?

Hmmm.

I’m finding it a little 

Difficult to describe,” I admitted.

I was a little embarrassed

And wanted to change the subject.

So I added, “That’s zen for you!”

And shrugged my shoulders.

The students laughed,

And my ignorance 

Went undiscovered

For another day.

Wisdom is sometimes knowing

When you don’t know 

What you’re talking about.

Ah! 

There’s the zen.