Category: Poetry

Aug 15 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Those for whom there is no more acquisition,

who are fully aware of the nature of food,

whose dwelling place is an empty and imageless release

the way of such people is hard to follow,

like the path of birds through the sky.

— The Dhammapada, 92.

Phenomena XXII: perceiving

Window

Reflection and Refraction

I see the past

in the mirror

of tarnished memories

and often misaligned

contemplation

The future

on the other hand

is best seen

through the window

of imagination

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–June 1, 2008

Aug 14 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Better than a thousand utterances,

comprising useless words,

is one single beneficial word,

by hearing which one attains peace.

Better than a thousand verses,

comprising useless words,

is one beneficial single line,

by hearing which one is pacified.

—Sahassavagga, The Dhammapada, 100-101

Phenomena XXI: hearing

A Thread

Tintinnabulation

Can you hear

the beating of the universe?

Have you experienced

the pulse, pulse, pulse of the world?

When was the last time

you put your ear to the planet?

Listen closely now

The hour is getting late

Can you hear

your thoughts

before they become words?

The bell of Truth rings

too thin a tinkle

to be called a peal

Can you hear

how it extols us

to move forward

not back

Can you hear

the vibrating strands

of the Tapestry?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–May 23, 2008

Aug 14 2008

Straight Out of Georgia

By OPOL in Personal, Poetry

No, the other one.

For tonight’s entertainment I present two acts from the state of Georgia, the poet Randall Allen Shields and the band R.E.M.

It’s Hard at the Bottom

There is too much that we ignore,

Important things,

Like children,

And the young,

And the old,

And the sick,

And the poor,

And our prisoners,

And each other.

We don’t do enough to protect our children.

We don’t do enough to help each other.

We don’t do enough to save our planet.

We don’t do enough to save ourselves.

We care way too much about all the wrong things.

We despise the peasants, and worship the kings.

We spit on the angels, and lionize demons,

As the righteous among us are dragged away screamin’.

It’s all upside down,

But smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em,

’cause Lord have mercy!

It’s hard at the bottom.

Randall Allen Shields

Aug 13 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Do not follow the ideas of others,

but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

Your body and mind will become clear

and you will realize the unity of all things.

—Dōgen Zenji

Phenomena XX: Belief

Etching

A Question of Relevance

I don’t worry about

whether or not

there exists

some omniscient

omnipresent

omnipotent being

who may or may not

be a creator

It’s a deal I made

back in the day

when I discovered folks

parsing people’s lives

as worthy

or not

If a god exists

why would it need

Tinkerbellian

belief from me?

How arrogant

would I have to be

to assume

some god

cares about my life

enough to keep a ledger?

So I don’t.

That deal that I made

is that I will live my life

doing as much

as I can

that is right, fair and just

as far as I can tell

If a god exists

that is enough

If no god exists

it is still enough

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–February 20, 2008

Aug 12 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Who offends the inoffensive,

the innocent and blameless one,

upon that fool does evil fall

as fine dust flung against the wind.

–The Dhammapada, 125

Phenomena XIX: comparing

Groove Thing

Are we there yet?

We can spend our time

counting the days

living metronomes

beating out the hours

minutes or seconds

but in the end

the important question

is whether or not

tomorrow will be

a better day

than today

and perhaps

we could wonder

for whom

that may be

and for whom

it will not

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–April 2, 2008

Aug 11 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Look upon the world as a bubble,

look upon it as a mirage:

the king of death does not see him

who thus looks down upon the world.

–The Dhammapada, 170

Phenomena XVIII: altering

Half Twist

Mental Gymnastics

Steps forward

do not automatically

come with steps back

Expecting them

is the road

to pessimism

Better is to follow

the steps forward

with two and a half somersaults

with a half twist

to the left

in pike position

and see what

can be seen

from this new perspective

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–Febraury 18, 2008

Aug 09 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

One should first establish

oneself in what is proper.

One may then teach others,

and wise, one is not blamed.

–The Dhammapada, 158

Phenomena XVII: wondering

Special Saturday Edition

(it being the 14th anniversary of my rebirth and all)

Looking Back

Lacking Options

Meaningful discussion

about what it means

for me to be

differently gendered

must clearly begin

by exploring

why you are not

I shall wait

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–May 30, 2008

Aug 08 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Just as a mother would protect her only child

even at the risk of her own life,

even so, one should develop unbounded love

towards all beings in the world

—Sutta Nipata

Phenomena XVI: defending

Shades of Gay

Queries

How can parents

stop loving a child

simply because

that child is gay?

And if parents

love their gay child

whence comes your right

to hate that child?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–March 17, 2008

Aug 07 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

In this world

Hate never yet dispelled hate.

Only love dispels hate.

This is the law,

Ancient and inexhaustible.

–The Dhammapada

Phenomena XV: Love

Transition

Conundra

Fear is strong

Does hatred

make anyone

stronger?

We come in

all degrees

of beauty

all depths

of substance

all capabilities

of love

Should cultural

imperative

so consistently

deny us love?

The riddles

need solving

so that lives

may be lived

and love

may be found

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–June 13, 2008

Aug 06 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Prayer without tears is like a well without water.

–Bhagavad Gita

Phenomena XIV: crying

Tears

Toxic Raindrops

Spitter, spatter – dribble, drip

eroding the soul

The sizzle of acidic water

dissolving resolution

Hard hail pellets

hammering the identity

Cold shards of sleet

penetrating the heart

Invisible tears

damaging the interior

where the scars

are mostly not visible

except in the

resulting behavior

which can be

so terribly bizarre

Confidence

roughly scoured

forcibly removed

from internal corridors

while outside

there was a smile

and a helping hand

for those less fortunate

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–February 21, 2008

Aug 05 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Victory breeds hatred.

The defeated live in pain.

Happily the peaceful live,

giving up victory and defeat.

–The Dhammapada, 201

Phenomena XIII: hurting

Ice

Frozen

Cold raindrops fall

snow clots

into flakes

clumps

into ice

hard as rock

and so cold

Sharp water

cuts at my skin

Does your heart bleed

when the cold

drips from its hardness

as it condenses,

becoming not large enough

to contain any love

for people

different from you?

Ice pellets

from so many eyes

and thoughts

crystalize

into hatred

Are they even

aware of it?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–February 12, 2008

Aug 04 2008

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

Interlude

[Phenomena will continue tomorrow.]

Below is the first graphic that I created that I called an egg. Before that my graphics were in what I call my sandpainting style.

Little did I know it would eventually intersect with an actual panda…and a poem. I posted them together on Su Lin‘s naming day (pandas born in captivity aren’t named until they are 100 days old, because of the likelihood that they will die.

The poem is a change of pace from my usual fare. And today is the day we are going to see Su Lin and her mom in our respective flesh. 🙂

Art Link

Red Panda

Su Lin

Su Lin, so they have now named you

A small bit very cute

I tried to keep from loving you

But was not resolute

If in those first one hundred days

News came that you had died

My heart surely would have broken

I would have mourned and cried

Why is it that I love you so?

A black and white furred pig

I hope I never forget you

When you get old and big

Your mother has been so gentle

She loves you as I do

I hope I soon can see you both

At the San Diego Zoo

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–November 10, 2005