If I had ever been to Tibet
I would be in Tibet right now
If I ever sat by the Japanese monk
I would sit by the Japanese monk right now
If I had ever been with the Buddha
I would be with the Buddha right now
If I ever reached enlightenment
I would be in enlightenment right now
Instead I am with the Dutch artist Volbeda
In his studio by the beach in Uist
Instead I am with Brother Daniel
At Vespers in Buckfast Abbey
Instead I am in the public-house in Dublin
With the guy who was good for society
Instead I am with my darling one
On a beautiful birthday vacation
If I, instead
Just bathed in the meditation
Listened to the Om
Chanted it, as my silent mantra
Waited, mindful
That the bells would ring
If I did all of that
Would I have been anywhere less at all
Tuesday 31 July 2018
Monday 30 July 2018
I Did It Because
This is the role I play
And I cannot remake it
Those are the words I say
And I do not, cannot, fake it
Even with the cake
Left out in the rain
I have to move on
I must forsake it
The presence is no longer
There to give me pain
There is a light, a light
And I know that I can make it
No more the sad romance
Waiting to dictate it
No more nostalgic thoughts
No more to placate it
But don’t you forget
Those days running on the sand
Don’t you go forget
Rejoice, remember, o yes, how grand
To skip, and to laugh
And to make love upon this land
To skip, to laugh, and to dance
To make love upon this land
And I cannot remake it
Those are the words I say
And I do not, cannot, fake it
Even with the cake
Left out in the rain
I have to move on
I must forsake it
The presence is no longer
There to give me pain
There is a light, a light
And I know that I can make it
No more the sad romance
Waiting to dictate it
No more nostalgic thoughts
No more to placate it
But don’t you forget
Those days running on the sand
Don’t you go forget
Rejoice, remember, o yes, how grand
To skip, and to laugh
And to make love upon this land
To skip, to laugh, and to dance
To make love upon this land
Sunday 29 July 2018
You Did It Because
I too stole pears
As you say Augustine did
I too was a thief after dark
In the western tradition
That I say this gives me pleasure
For the memories are the truth
They are the power and the glory
To make me as I am, from my youth
With means to fill the whole page
With other ignominious deeds
Also, to mention the monastics
Here, by the river, here, beside the reeds
I too stole life
Has many more had before me
I too was a thief in the park
In the northern tradition
That I say this gives me witness
For the memories are the truth
They are the hope in my truth
To make me, make me as I already am
As you say Augustine did
I too was a thief after dark
In the western tradition
That I say this gives me pleasure
For the memories are the truth
They are the power and the glory
To make me as I am, from my youth
With means to fill the whole page
With other ignominious deeds
Also, to mention the monastics
Here, by the river, here, beside the reeds
I too stole life
Has many more had before me
I too was a thief in the park
In the northern tradition
That I say this gives me witness
For the memories are the truth
They are the hope in my truth
To make me, make me as I already am
Saturday 28 July 2018
First One Here, Only One Here
There is a stillness
A peace, a quiet, a calm
A future to invest in
An opportunity
Not to take the world by storm
But, but to peacefully be there
Where there is light
Where there is shadow
Where last night is now gone
Where there are bare branches
Where there is rooftop moss
Where none of that displeases
There was a morning letter
Or rather morning words written
Written, what could be better
Than to celebrate the page
Age not being such a bad thing
With a wholeness to the ring
Sing then; there is a stillness
A peace, a quiet, a calm
So bring on the future to invest in
A peace, a quiet, a calm
A future to invest in
An opportunity
Not to take the world by storm
But, but to peacefully be there
Where there is light
Where there is shadow
Where last night is now gone
Where there are bare branches
Where there is rooftop moss
Where none of that displeases
There was a morning letter
Or rather morning words written
Written, what could be better
Than to celebrate the page
Age not being such a bad thing
With a wholeness to the ring
Sing then; there is a stillness
A peace, a quiet, a calm
So bring on the future to invest in
Friday 27 July 2018
Blue, Big Blue
The seventh wave roars in
As the first wave hobbles out
The huge crash
Breaks onto the impenetrable rock
The rising, and falling spray does it
And does it again the whole of the day
Water charging into stone
Stone standing solid, resolute
Beneath the surface, out in the deep
Shoals and predators
Dolphins, whales and sharks
All the known colours of the world
With the music of communication
All the stillness of the depths of solitude
With the deft touch of survival
Among the beautified breadths of love
As the first wave hobbles out
The huge crash
Breaks onto the impenetrable rock
The rising, and falling spray does it
And does it again the whole of the day
Water charging into stone
Stone standing solid, resolute
Beneath the surface, out in the deep
Shoals and predators
Dolphins, whales and sharks
All the known colours of the world
With the music of communication
All the stillness of the depths of solitude
With the deft touch of survival
Among the beautified breadths of love
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