an old writer and his words

  • OF DREAMS

    Last night in my sleepI though I heard an angelalthougn I could not, for trying,understand what it was saying,and it is odd since Ido not believe in angels. Perhaps it was the cat,but if so she has come upwith a new voice, using wordsnot formerly in her vocabulary,but you put nothingpast a cat, ever. I…

    Lou Faber

  • THEM, AGAIN

    They say that you shouldnever approach or toucha small bird, lest it he shunned,perhaps to death, by your scent. I’ve never been one to listento any “them” with whom Icannot argue face to face,and so seeing the small bird on the ground curledin its nest, staring upat the branch from whichshe parachuted groundward I scoop…

    Lou Faber

  • AVERAGE

    I am indistinct, maleof reasonable heightand weight, a bit muchmore than I care,but hardly distinct. I have not sufferedmysogeny, beenoverlooked forbeing the wronggender, as ifthere is rightand wrong. I have not feltthe stingof racism, I ammerely oneof the lemmingsmarching alongto the abysscertain of myprivilege, ableto cede myhumanity.

    Lou Faber

  • TŌSU’S MOON

    If you havea full half knowledgewill you be contentor strive for full knowledgeand how will you knowwhen you have it.Remember thatyou measure knowledgeonly as it departsand he who knowswhat he knowsis the greatest fool. A reflection on Case 13 of the Shobogenzo (Dogen’s True Dharma Eye) Koans

    Lou Faber

  • IF ONLY

    As I have aged, I hopeI have gotten smarteror at least more ableto adapt to life’s issues. But there are still areaswhere knowledge fails,where you cannot hopeto attain what you want. World peace is one such,honest politicians another,and the list could go onbut you get the picture. The ultimate failure howeveris imagining that you can…

    Lou Faber

  • RECYCLED NEWS

    The newspapers pile up,their headlines screamout, sections of business newsor the arts, and a halfcompleted crossword., They sit patiently, knowingmuch has happened that weought to know, but wehave grown tired of deathand so each week we place them in the binwhere they are takento the dump wherethe lessons of the newsgo to die forgotten.

    Lou Faber

  • VENEER

    Peel back the veneerto discover the objectalways below the surfacefor all objects have veneersand the true objectalways lies beneath. Grasp this new object,study and consider itthen peel backits veneer and discoverthe true object’strue object. Continue as thoughplaying withan infinite setof Matryoshka dollsuntil you realizethe true objectis no object at all.

    Lou Faber

  • FOUR ZEN HAIKU

    myself is no selfno self is universalinfinite being emptiness surroundsall forms are illusorythis is samadhi compassion aboundsalways out of your sightuntil you live it dharmas teach nothingcontain infinite knowledgejust stop looking

    Lou Faber

  • REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM

    Gertrude Stein saidpoetry is vocabulary,or so Simic reported it,but in that casewhat do we makeof Haiku, wherea poem at maximumcan use onlyseventeen words. Perhaps, if wefollow Levi-Strausshaiku is not poetrybut art, for all artis reductionand there is littleyou can doto reducea haiku further.

    Lou Faber

  • SANSHO’S GOLDEN FISH 正法眼蔵 語十二

    Ask a question,if you get no responseis the question goodor is it foolish,is the teacher fooled,or simply too busy to answer.Be careful or youwill be trappeddeep within the net. A reflection on Case 52 of the Shobogenzo (Dogen’s True Dharma Eye)

    Lou Faber