slavs

what is it that makes a Russian Russian? A Pole a Pole? A Slovak a Slovak?
is it food?  is it clothing? is it religion?
asked the professor.

yes, and no, I said.  language defines culture and culture defines language, so the answer is language.
if you understand a language well enough, you understand the culture.
the reverse isn't true.

we all have gods, and even the Irish have cabbage........

October: again

October, again
 Beyond all other names for time
 Beyond all other times
 October stands in memory
 Taller and more beautiful

 She is wife most faithful,
 A muse most wonderful
 a month of eternity

 gentle rain
 and not so gentle women
 fill her days, the days of mind
 the days of mindlessness
 the women, memories
 the rain
 a certainty

 I wake in the dark
 and you are there
 (or is it you? or you ?)
The Sun rises
l am alone.
 Never lonesome, I smile at the memory
of a morning kiss
 an evening kiss
  the notion of love
    or something like it

October, again
the smell of things about to sleep
the sun on golden leaves
the smell of women
who will be born again
in the Spring

October is the morning
of my year
the morning
of my life
the time of times
unmarked by sadness
or deceit

it's a day of the mouth, live within its boundaries

it's a day of the mouth
live within its boundaries
i can see farther with my mind
than with my eyes
and project myself even farther than that
but what you see is not always what i do
so we'll have to settle for words
a day of the mouth
not much
without your ears

a note on poetics

poetics (uncountable)

1. (philosophy, literature) The theory of poetry, or of literature in general. 

I kicked off a reading in a bar (not the one it was planned to be in, but the one it ended up in) by saying that I was more interested in poetics than poetry.  Nobody left, so I read anyway.  I've lost all of those poems, but I don't think it makes any difference, because it's just as much now as it was then and maybe even more.

There are those who believe there is nothing more than the eternal now, and nothing less.  I may be one of them, we'll both have to wait and see.  

in case your wondering....

most of you who read this stuff know who I am.  for those who don't, CP means Crazy Polak, because that's who I am-the Crazy Polak from the monastery on Stone Street...

wearing a snail on your head

if you wake
and the Sun is shining
put on your sandals and walk
anywhere
it may rain
or snow
or their may be something else
just as silly
to ruin your day

not my idea of love, this jihad

not my idea of love, this jihad
nor crusade
or any form of killing

even pagans
are human

an older form of insanity

mystics burning
hanging from trees
rotting in cells

god weeps

Eckhart ascending before his excommunication
smiling god's smile

Joan burned quietly

the baptist's head in a basket

amen. amen. amen.

guru falling

praising heavens
cursing man
singing love
roaring hatred
guru falling
guru spinning
duality
duality

beautiful women should not be ignored

eye contact

smile

a few meaningless words

I won’t follow up, but it could be interesting

Sleeping Buddha

Buddha means to ‘be awake’ or ‘to be enlightened’ (western interpretation, most Indian or other Asian practitioners would probably say awake, although, they don’t need to) and that’s the goal of Buddhism.  Zen is a branch of Buddhism with many different schools.  The one I follow most closely is the Soto school.  So, if I say I am a sleeping Buddha, I am right.  I am also wrong.  This is because it is hard for a linguist to let go of language.  It’s better when I say I am.  That’s okay.

sitting quietly

eyes open

mind not

wake me when I return

TIME as a function of ME

waking up
I brush away a dream
later remember it
and I have made a loop
in time