an old writer and his words

  • HOGAN’S HAIR’S-BREADTH

    What is it you are looking for,what you expect to findand how will you knowif you find it? You expected your teacherto present it to you? What would you do with itif you did receive it? You must first see that youare both the searcherand the teacher andyou already havewhat you are searching for,for you…

    Lou Faber

  • LUNA PENDING

    From the heart of the nightthe moon appeared, or a smallcrescent of it, coy this nightas she is on a regular basis. She hinted at her fullness,but we knew that was stilldays off, the moon keptto a rigid schedule always. But her reticence this nightinvited the stars to takethe stage, some we rarely seewhether hiding…

    Lou Faber

  • STARS

    Once the winter starswrapped in their cloudy shroudshed frozen tears, unwillingto come out of hiding.We searched for them in vain,knowing our failure,retreating to the warmthof home, only to repeatthe failed effort on somany other nights. Now, here, the winter starsare usually fearless,some drowned by the moon,but she waxes and wanesand they reappear, the brightestnever fearing…

    Lou Faber

  • HE/HIM

    When he says he thinksthat it is rather queer,you wonder if he uses queeras a non-gendered pronoun,and if so you think hemight just be right. But what if he is a verballuddite, locked in an archaiclexicon, unable to dealwith an ever more complexsocial and sexual worldwhere what was is, and whatnever was is, and who…

    Lou Faber

  • A DECIMAL SYSTEM

    So, if I have it right, Godmanaged to come up with tenplagues for Moses to visiton Pharaoh, although at the timeMoses probably could notunderstand why it was ten,since God was boundlesslycreative, or so He told Moses. Maybe it dawned on Moseswhen wandering in the desertthat ten was a convenient number,after all, he only gave Mosesten…

    Lou Faber

  • MAYOKU THUMPS HIS STAFF

    If as you walkalong the wayyou come acrossa small bird’s nestfallen to the groundits eggs intact,you place itback on the branchwithout a thought. If as you walk onand come acrossanother small bird’s nestfallen to the groundits eggs intactyou place itback on the branchbecause it pleases you. One right thoughtand right action,one wrong thoughtand wrong action,how…

    Lou Faber

  • LOOKING FOR WORDS

    They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Perhaps so, but many pictures don’t travel in verbose company, and there are pictures worth far, far less, although some will search until the magic thousand are found. In Japan a story can be told in seventeen syllables, a picture painted with a single brushstroke. In…

    Lou Faber

  • KYOZAN PLANTS HIS MATTOCK

    In your endless searchfor enlightenment,the best course, the only courseis to stop looking. It may strike you,unexpected or it mayarise without your seeingas you continue your practice. You say there are many Buddhasand you are correct, but I saythere is but one Buddha and Iam also correct, and you arethat one Buddha and I amthat…

    Lou Faber

  • A PRAYER

    Last night, as I sat poisedon the edge of sleep, I askedGod for continued blessings,for I have been blessed morethan I likely deserve. I heard Her reply that Iwould always have Her love,on earth and heaven, and Iknew my request, selfishfor certain, had been answered. But now I wonder if it wastruly She or your…

    Lou Faber

  • THE CAT

    Pause and consider, if onlyfor a moment, this question,which you need not answeras you will be right andyou will be wrong regardlessof what you say in response. What if we are the cat insome Godly thought experimentand our degradation of the planetis the bit of radioactive material,of which we have in profusion. Are we alive,…

    Lou Faber