One Robe, One Bowl: The Zen Poetry of Ryokan by John Stevens

Author:John Stevens [Stevens, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 2006-04-11T04:30:00+00:00

DAWN

I have returned to my native village after twenty years;

No sign of old friends or relatives—they have all died or gone away.

My dreams are shattered by the sound of the temple bell struck at sunrise.

An empty floor, no shadows; the light has long been extinguished.

WHO SAYS my poems are poems?

My poems are not poems.

After you know my poems are not poems,

Then we can begin to discuss poetry!

INTERMITTENT rain—in my hermitage

A solitary light flickers as dreams return.

Outside, the sound of falling raindrops.

My black, gnarled staff leans against the wall.

The fireplace is cold, no charcoal awaits my imagined visitors.

I reach for a volume of poems.

Tonight, in solitude, deep emotion.

How can I explain it the following day?

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.