“If It’s Advice You Seek”

(49)

“If It’s Advice You Seek”

We’re collecting internet followers,

My zen and I.

I’m flattered but,

If I have followers

Does it mean 

That I must lead?

You cannot control all the events of your life.

Hardly any of them, really.

So try not 

To let things 

Get you down.

Be kind to yourself and others.

Don’t eat quite so much.

Think positive thoughts.

And keep your sense of humor

Turned all the way up!

I suppose that’s what I would advise you,

If it’s advice you seek

(And I were the sort of person 

Who gave advice).

Oh! 

One more thing, please,

Seeing as I’m giving advice now…

There’s something important I’ve learned 

Through hard experience

That I’d like to pass on;

(Because I love you!)

Whatever it is

You want to do in this life…

Do it now!

(50)

“Internet Zen”

Oh wonders of the internet!

Some of them that seek guidance via the digital domain

(And there seem to be plenty of them),

Come to me.

From half a world away

They seek my knowledge of zen.

Of which don’t tell anyone I have none.

I just do what I believe to be right.

And let my zen 

Do the rest.

I’m flattered by it,

This internet attention.

As if I know something big.

Like I’ve figured it out.

Like I was wise 

Or something.

But that’s a lot of baloney.

I’m just as dumb as you are.

Or, if you prefer,

Just as smart as you are.

If it makes you feel any better.

Listen to me, internet users who seek a way!

Turn off your computer.

Go outside and get a breath of fresh air.

Take a walk.

Feel the sun on your face.

Find a garden.

(Or some other zen-place.)

Empty your mind.

And search within yourself.

It is there.

All the zen you need.

Forever and ever.

(53)

“Zen For Breakfast”

(First Published on Rusty’s Blog, Oct 2, 2015

Completely rewritten Jan, 2016.)

And now… 

For that very zen-like 

Of questions…

Which came first?

The chicken or the egg?

Or should I say,

Just to be fair to all concerned,

Which came first,

The egg or the chicken?

So I asked my zen about it.

Which is what I do

When I need some wisdom,

About 10,000 times a day.

“Forget it!” replied my zen.

“Don’t waste your time thinking about it.

Both answers are correct.”

Both answers are correct.

That’s zen for you.

"Two Zen Tuesday"

(34)

“Trust Your Zen”

(Published previously on Rusty’s Blog, Aug 28, 2015. 

Extensively reedited.)

“Trust yourself,” my zen said to me.

“Huh?” I answered.

(For I don’t always catch

What my zen says

The first time around.)

“Trust yourself,” my zen repeated.

“Everything you need 

Is right inside you

This very minute.”

“Everything?” I answered. 

“That sounds like a lot.

Are you sure?”

(You see, I was afraid of trusting 

Just myself alone.

For whom would I blame

If I failed?)

“Trust yourself,” 

My zen repeated

With some exasperation.

“I’d rather trust you,” 

I answered.

“Same thing, dummy,” 

Replied my zen.

(35A)

“Zen and Anger and the Lost Wristwatch” 

I remember my first wristwatch.

It was given to me by my father

For doing well in school.

I was probably eight or nine.

I couldn’t have been any older,

Because I stopped doing well at school

The year my mother died.

And she died when I was ten.

It was a bit Mickey Mouse,

That wristwatch.

But it told good time.

Until I lost it.

I took it off in the restroom at school

To wash my hands

And accidentally left it on the sink.

Realizing a moment later,

When I returned to the sink…

It was gone!

It saddened me to think

A fellow schoolmate

Would take it.

It angered my father 

That I lost something valuable.

He said I should learn 

To look after my things better.

“Maybe this’ll teach you,” he added.

But I couldn’t see it his way,

And felt no remorse for the loss.

After all, I didn’t do it on purpose.

My dad remained angry, though,

Which hurt my little heart.

You see, I wasn’t old enough

To understand that his anger

Wasn’t about me 

Or some stupid wristwatch.

It was about the death of my mother,

And the regrets my father bore

Deep in his heart.

He was angry with himself.

That’s why I get angry, usually.

I’m angry at myself.

Perhaps, sometimes, you are the same?

After all, nobody’s perfect!

Listen to me, please.

I think this is important.

Anger is a waste of good zen!

Which even though free and everywhere,

(As I’ve said many times)

Mustn’t be wasted.

And who gives a crap,

If you’ll pardon the expression,

About material things?

My zen reminds me every day;

‘The yearning for possessions

Can only lead to unhappiness.’

Ah, my zen!

Thank you for your loving wisdom!

Thank you for your humanity!

And thank you for helping me 

See a way

To avoid going crazy

In a world

I cannot control…

But must not fear.

Hmmmm,

That last couple of paragraphs

Sounded pretty wise.

Looks like dad was right, after all.

I did learn something.

Ha! Ha! 

I wonder whatever happened 

To that Mickey Mouse watch?

It’s probably somewhere now, 

Still telling the time,

Quietly ticking.

Ticking away the time…

Zen!

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.