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THE SAINT OF UNCOUNTED NAMES
A desert again,always a desertand she the saintof uncounted names,her crying eases, nosmile appears for thisMadonna of the coyotes,her orange-orbed eyesshuttered against theslowly retreating sun.Once her tears wateredthe desert sands, mixedwith the blood of a Christnow long forgotten, trans-substantiated into a spiritwe formed in our image,no longer we in his.The Blessed Motherwatches, holding hope,holding space,…
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NANSEN AND THE LAND DEITY 鐵笛倒吹 十八
When you comeinto this townwe know you are coming,when you enterthis room weknow you will arrive.It is only whenwe cannot discernyour presencethat your spirithas truly arrived.Contemplate thisover a bowl of riceshared with mountainand wind. A reflection on Case 18 of Dogen’s Shobogenzo Koans (True Dharma Eye)
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ON THIS DAY
It is December, and in thispart of Florida that simply meansthat a morning jacket is advised,and rain comes as a bit of a surprise.A neighbour was surprised to be toldthat they decorated like a Northerner,but assumed that it was a bit of a dig,though they thought the inflatable snowmanand reindeer captured the season’s spirit.We laugh…
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WE BOW OUR HEADS
Today’s prayer shall be recited in silence total, not even the breath indicating a longing for action. Nor will it invoke a holy spirit without us for it is we we must inveigh to attain the desired actions for which we seek holy intervention, casting off free will, an accreting poor decisions, a goat where…
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ANCESTORS
He clearly remembers standing on the edge peering down into the almost bottomless canyon, listening to the narrow river slide across the rocks thrown down by its walls over millennia. He was a visitor here, knew he would stay only briefly, then leave, his spirit hiding among the rocks in the nearby mountains, staring down…
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OF THEE I SING
My ancestors stole your tongue and left you mute in a world you could not grasp. Now as I search for words of forgiveness I can find none, for my voice is clogged with…
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FEATHERS
He crouched in the hollow in the ancient cliff careful not to disturb the bones scattered just in the shadows behind. He waited patiently until he heard the sweep of the great wings and the mighty bird alighted on its nest. He reached out quickly and plucked two feathers never more, and pulled back into…