Zelda's Inferno exercise: "this moment appears, then compose a poem"

Submitted by Tom Swiss on Sun, 08/05/2012 - 22:25

Dochong: So, what you are saying is that only just this moment, whatever appears is usually your subject for a poem.

Zen Master Seung Sahn: Exactly, this moment appears, then compose a poem.

-- "Zen and Poetry: a Brief Conversation", http://zenmirror.blogspot.com/2009/02/zen-and-poetry-brief-conversation…

this moment appears, then compose a poem
this moment August 5 2012
this moment of late summer melancholy already descending
of unsettled heart mourning the loss of love
of wondering where the money will come from
of the blessed cool after rain
of the only other customer downstairs in the coffeehouse leaving, carrying
    a furled umbrella
of contemplating the death of Marilyn Monroe
of nostalgically remembering the days when people made phone calls in
     private
of seeing an impromptu memorial to a rose seller, a man who probably
    assisted in hundreds of hook-ups and, who knows, maybe a couple cases
    of True Love
of rich deep blue-black twilight not quite night
of near closing time, watching them bring the sidewalk tables inside
of much to do, but uncertainty that any of it matters
of an old man walking down the street in a Hawaiian shirt and a baseball
    cap, somehow a good omen
of wondering that they've had to start locking the bathrooms here to
     prevent vandalism
of trash and recycling on the curb, waiting for pickup, for
    renewal or disposal
of a sudden wave of couples with young kids, one ten-year-old boy carrying
     his little sister on his back
this moment appears
and what shall I write about?
sitting quietly expecting nothing
no pressure about what I should think or feel.

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