"3 Spring Zens"

(27)

“Dinosaur Zen” 

(Previously published as Television Zen July 10, 2015. Edited since.)

I was watching TV last night.

It was a movie about prehistoric times.

Although, it being prehistoric, 

How would they know?

A young woman with big breasts 

In a little costume 

Was fighting a dinosaur.

She had plenty of zen!

Her zen was in her bravery

As she fought the dinosaur.

And in her costume,

Which struggled to contain her.

Just in the nick of time a handsome muscleman 

In another tiny costume came along.

He quickly assessed the situation

And knew just what to do.

His zen was mighty!

His zen was the zen of valor!

He fought and slew the dinosaur.

Then he was kissed by the movie cavewoman 

With the big you-know-whats.

The camera made sure I saw

Them crushing against his manly chest,

Straining to break free from the tiny costume,

While the dinosaur 

In the background writhed and bled.

For him the straining was over.

Then as the music swelled 

Up came the words,

The End.

Hmmm.

I wonder where 

That dinosaur is now?

He had the most zen of all.

(30)

“Zen in Outer Space”

(Previously published Aug 28, 2015. Edited since.)

Is there zen in outer space?

Or is it just the sound 

Of no hands clapping?

It appears empty.

Yet it is fuller than we know.

It is even filled with things we cannot see,

But can only, 

For the time being,

Guess at.

Yes, outer space is 

Beautiful and mysterious.

Like zen is.

And patiently awaits 

Our further discovery.

Like zen does.

But, and here’s the difference,

Unlike outer space,

Zen is everywhere!

Yes! 

There is an endless supply of zen 

In the universe!

But only so much space.

(31)

“Zen in a Canna Leaf”

I saw some zen this morning, 

In sunlight 

Beaming through a canna leaf.

I try to be observant.

Especially in my garden,

Because you never know 

What you might see.

The sunlight is strong around here in the morning.

Strong enough 

To pass through a canna leaf anyway.

To pass through and nourish,

Leaving a trace 

Of beauty behind.

A miracle for my brain 

To ponder,

And my heart to delight in!

Thank you, creator!

For eyes and heart 

That see beauty 

All around me.

Beauty in the simplest things…

The normally unnoticed things…

The unchancy things…

Thank you for that beauty, too!

And for the understanding 

That flows from Zen.

Three More Zen Poems

Three More Zen Poems

(2)

“Zen Only Takes a Minute”

Good morning, fellow traveller.

Or afternoon, if that applies.

Care to join me 

In a little zen?

Okay, get comfortable.

Relax.

Empty your mind.

Now, take a deep breath.

Hold it…

Breathe out.

Breathe In. 

Hold it…

Breathe out.

In.

Hold…

Out.

Think of nothing 

But your breathing

Breathe In… 

Hold it…

Breathe out.

In… 

Hold…

Out.

There. 

Feel better?

Perhaps for a moment

You’ve stilled the monkey noises

In your head.

That was easy, wasn’t it?

Zen only takes a minute

To learn.

A lifetime to master.

(3)

“No Internet, Plenty of Zen”

No internet this morning.

But surprise surprise we didn’t panic.

Our world didn’t collapse.

After all, we’ve still got our health

And our golden house 

With rocket car in the garage.

There’s a nice

Zen garden in the back, too,

Just a few steps from my office,

Where I’ve spent many happy hours.

So, I put my computer to sleep

And went outside

With an eye of zen

(Which is to say an eye of love!)

To take photographs

Of flowers and plants 

And things from nature,

So close at hand.

Because beauty is everywhere,

If we would just see it.

Like zen is.

Hmmm, no internet, eh?

Good!

Think I’ll knock off

And head for a garden.

See you tomorrow.

(4)

“Morning Zen”

With the morning sun 

I feel my zen rising.

I suppose I’m a morning person, 

As they call it.

But really I’m just a person.

Morning, noon or night.

I have my victories and defeats.

Like you do.

One day I’ll be dead.

Then it won’t matter 

Which was which.

And if it won’t matter 

Which was which after I’m dead,

Why would it matter now?

Zen!

“For A Minute There I Was Worried”

I found some zen in my garden today.

But that’s no trick.

I find some every time

I enter my garden.

It’s a beautiful place filled with love.

Summer or winter.

Dawn or dusk.

Empty and quiet,

Or loud and full of life!

My garden is loaded with good zen!

After all, 

Zen and love

Are the same thing.

Or perhaps two sides of the same thing.

So I use it extravagantly while I’m there,

Blowing it all on the good life!

Wasting it like it was money

Or something equally valueless.

And I take all I want

In a huge doggy bag 

When I leave, too.

Ha! Ha!

It’s like I was

A zen-dog millionaire!

Hmmm.

Now I’m worried.

Is this a sustainable practice? 

Should I be conserving my zen?

Am I possibly using too much?

How much is there?

Will it last?

Will there be enough zen to keep me

And comfort me in my old age?

Yikes!

At the rate I’m going, 

(Extravagant fool  

That I am!)

There won’t be enough 

To last me more than,

Let’s see… multiply by eight, carry the two,

Hmmmm,

About four trillion years!

Give or take a few hundred millions.

Phew!

For a minute there

(A very un-zen-like moment!)

I was worried.

But I’m okay now.

Four trillion years.

A four followed by twelve zeros.

Four thousand thousand thousand thousand.

4X10 to the power of 12.

Anyway one looks at it,

That’s a lot of time.

More time (by far) 

Than the universe has existed,

So they believe.

But just to make sure,

The way time flies around here

And the way I go through the stuff,

I’d better get to my zen garden again pretty soon.

And stock up now for later.

Hmmm. 

Now, where did I

Put that

Doggy bag?

One-a-Day Zen Poems

Tuesday

“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.

Wednesday

“Morning Zen”

With the morning sun 

I feel my zen rising.

I suppose I’m a morning person, 

As they call it.

But really I’m just a person.

Morning, noon or night.

I have my victories and defeats.

Like you do.

One day I’ll be dead.

Then it won’t matter 

Which was which.

And if it won’t matter 

Which was which after I’m dead,

Why would it matter now?

Zen!

Thursday

“Listening for My Zen”

I thought I heard my zen calling,

So I listened with all my might.

But it was only the wind.

The wind which constantly rushes 

From the mountains to the sea.

And back again.

The wind that never rests.

Don’t listen to the wind as it rushes past.

You’re just wasting your time.

Real zen comes from within.

Try listening there.

After all, it’s in our souls

To feel such things.

Search your heart and see the truth of that.

There!

With a little soul-searching 

A new beginning has been made…

Zen!

Friday

“I Found Some Zen in a Palm Tree”

I found some zen today in a palm tree.

It must have been there a long time, 

For the palm is quite old.

Or maybe it was just resting in the palm tree 

When I happened along and found it.

Who knows?

Not me.

Zen’s like that.

It can be anywhere.

Anytime.

Waiting to be found.

Saturday

“I Saw My Zen in the Clouds Today”

I saw zen in the clouds today.

But that’s no trick.

Zen is everywhere.

If you know how to look.

Sunday

“My Zen Pulls Me Through”

In a tight spot

My zen pulls me through.

It always has.

Through what 

I’m not completely sure.

It’s difficult to know these days.

Although I try to hide it,

I ain’t so smart.

It’s a good thing my zen 

Knows what it’s doing.

Your’s does too,

Whether you realize it or not.

That’s the beauty of it!

Monday

“My Zen is Free For The Taking!”

My zen doesn’t come cheap,

Yet it’s free for the taking.

How is that, I wonder?

Oh well.

This world is full of contrasts,

And doesn’t always make sense.

Hardly ever does, really.

Make sense I mean.

That is the way of the world.

But it would be nice 

If this poem made sense.

So to get back to my point…

My zen is free for the taking!

You see, zen is like love.

The more you give away…

The more you gather in.

So please, take some with you.

To nourish you on your journey.

Or for any other reason you choose.

After all, it’s your zen too 

And always was,

To do with as you please.

Go ahead. Help yourself!

Don’t worry about me.

I’ll be fine.

Remember, there is an endless supply 

Of zen in the universe.

Plenty for all.