13. DONE odmmb (unedited) writings

13. DONE odmmb (unedited) writings


Alas, 'tis true I have gone here and there
from pillar to post as they say
and made myself a motley pesky pest
I, with mine own thoughts have
made no affections my behest;
Most true it is that I have maimed a jade-
sent some driftwood askatter,
But these blenches always are
a somewhat different matter!
No worse mine appetite though:
May these old molars forever grind on
these decks, and with
these the sweetest of roses,
for not to mine own pitiful posies
would'st I choose to be confin'd!


--------------------------------------------


Like a passing cloud
This lifetime has drifted past
It's shadow moves on
-//\\-odmmb

---------------------------------------

Tonight,
The outside world seems
Far away and unreal.
The cool evening breeze has
been swallowed up by
the stillness of the night.
Suddenly, above the tallest pine,
The full moon appears.
-//\\-odmmb

------------------------------------------


passing clouds
misting, dripping
sparkling light on liquid,
"flowing everywhere,
to the left and to the right,
loving and nourishing all things"
today
here
now
-//\\-odmmb

________---------------------------------


in here i'm free
in this place from which
i watch what is happening
watch the moon rise
watch the early morning
sun grow hotter,
watch pleasure pain,
life, death, ages pass
watch, see, experience
from in here
where i am free
-//\\-odmmb

========


The moon lights up
nearby pine grove with
the brilliance of neon,
flashing wind-tossed needles.
The faraway sound of
clacking iron wheels on track;
train whistle moans it's lonesome
midnight sound into my pillow.
As in another time
from ages past:
"Taking no notice of frost's bite,
I rise, go to the open window and
sit in the glow of the night."
-//\\-odmmb

----------------------------------------


Real self:
walking around in a bubble of being
lively buoyant, versatile,
easily jumping from one log to another
across cold water creek
getting to the other side, not
looking for anything in particular,
enjoying this wonderful, beautiful
day in the middle of Blackwater River
Forest.
Eating chinquapins and wild persimmons.
-//\\-odmmb

------------------------------------------

closing eyes to see,
knots come easily unraveled
things fall into their
appointed place-
movements lose frenzy
time disappears-
all things flow smoothly.
-//\\-odmmb


==========
At a landing in
a swampland
beside overgrown
bushy banks
There's
mirror waters,
towering tall tulip trees;
cypress knees bow low into
reflections.
A proud little
water hen walks by
lifting each foot high,
then squarely down
onto the mud at water's edge.
She passes on by leaving not a trace or track.


-------------------------------------------


cyclamen on the porch
loving cold winter weather
children laugh as
they tumble and play in the snow,
making balls of it to throw;
There's flashing light
from icy drops of water
which fell sometime in the night.


======


the sky then later softly changed
great big fluffy white flakes of snow,
came drifting down from the sky.
-//\\-odmmb

=========

Last light of day color high clouds
Blown this way and that by
Atmospheric conditions
Gentle breezes cool
Trickling waters' fall into
A pool Sparkling.
Along garden paths grown still and quiet
In preparation for the coming night
Leaves, birds, rabbits soft and furry
Scurry quickly darting flick'ring wings
Into secret little hideaways.
Human feet make their way
Along the paths at the end of day
Drinking in the unspeakable
Splendor of it all.



----------------------------------------------


thirty-one mimosa trees
sprang up in our untended garden this year
along with at least sixty plums
some are now taller than my head
I have trimmed all their thin trunks
so that they will make a canopy over my head
A haven for me...
I shall weave my way slowly among them
as they grow into a forest of heaven...
-//\\-odmmb




things internal things external
things things things
like clouds rolling in from out there
dark and full of rain
drenching the earth with sustenance
pleasure sadness joy pain
life love truth soul spirit intelligence power
trees flowers animals rocks caves oceans
things things things
things internal
seen heard tasted smelled felt
sensed
by
sentient beings
-//\\-odmmb


_________________________________________________

We see the autumn mood
Yes, and feel it too
Watching the weeping sky
Turn a deeper blue
It goes so very deep
We know not what it means
But we see ourselves in season
With nature's passing scenes.
-//\\-odmmb

__________________---------------------------


An Old Zen Saying,
When you enjoy the earth
and all of it's bountiful
beauties and fruits
You won't need to try
To be kind and helpful,
For you will be without trying;
And if love is your desire,
You need not go out hunting for it--
For when you care for and
Desire only good for others,
You gain love without seeking it.
Take the natural lessons
The earth offers naturally.
Take it to heart,
Therefore preserving ultimate reality,
And being nothing but sincere.
Embrace each moment for
The good you find therein,
And the whole world will
Respond like ripples in a pond when
A leaf falls into it from a tree.
Like your shadow,
Good will travel along with you
All along the way.
.//\\-odmmb


---------------------------------------------


all day long
can't be known
day by day
written on mind
nothing left out
nothing left behind.



------------------------------


the external world
created internally
a natural state
-//\\-odmmb

------------------------
changing constantly
seasons come and seasons go
no holding nature
-//\\-odmmb

--------------------------------
moving with the flow
like a cork upon a stream
nature sweeps us on
-//\\-odmmb

-----------------------------------
not too big or small
not too high and not too low
not too hard or soft
-//\\-odmmb

--------------------------------
the natural way
everything and every one
falling into place
-//\\-odmmb

----------------------------------



Running river rains
All waters pour into it
Over and over
-//\\-odmmb

------------------------------------

going back and back and back
tracing the way all the way back
to the beginning
following step by step by step
the one thing that led to another
and on back and back to another
and another
farther and farther and farther back
until
Finally can go back no farther
coming to the end of the line
right up against the backside of self.
again.
-//\\-odmmb

---------------------------------------------


a sound is coming from there
when you go to see what it is
you discover it is not coming from there
but from over yonder
so you go over yonder
only to find that the sound is not
coming from there either
finally you find the source..
Oh!
it's coming from here!

-//\\-odmmb

---------------------------------------------------


Like a passing cloud
This lifetime has drifted past
It's shadow moves on

-//\\-odmmb

--------------------------------------------------

whole self enshrouded
in a fog
huddled down
on a driftwood log
on the shore
out of reach
lapping waters'
murmuring speech
cannot see
ocean meet sky
cannot see
sails pass by
wrapt in mist soft and sweet
cool wet sands wash your feet.


-----------------------------------------------

living every day
in sea of being here now
invisible sea
-//\\-odmmb

-----------------------------------




We inherently perceive
something invisible to human eyes
permeating all of existence,
manifesting itself in the form of
intelligent good,
having many aspects,
none of which can be described in
one fell swoop.
-//\\-odmmb

--------------------------------------------


Ordinary folks.
Like dandelions popping up overnight on the lawn
and disappearing without a trace,
we come and go_
a long line of us_
We are no one,
yet we are every one.
-//\\-odmmb

------------------------------------------


can't know
unless know self.
can read same thing over
hundred times
memorize
repeat another million times
but don't know
until become
then once know
know don't know
don't know
so natural
knowledge, practice
is unconscious
is not to know
is to be

daybreak creep
into sleep
who could sleep?
with that hot ball of fire
searing their brain
with shooting flashes of
get up and go!

----------------------------------------


noise. confusion. clutter.
dust, dirt, dinginess.
crispy green leaves
stirring in breeze
golden glow of sunlight filtering in
through windowpanes shaded by sycamore trees
sound of breatheing.
-//\\-odmmb

-------------------------------------------------


A little bee buzzing around this morning
above the waters
of the pond.
The white waterlily floats
silently,
sweetly,
moving
with wind blown ripples.
All thoughts and
disturbances forgotten.

-odmmb

---------------------------------------------------------

It's morning again.
Yesterday we thought morning
Would not come again.

-odmmb

------------------------------------------------


passing clouds misting, dripping
sparkling light on liquid,
"flowing everywhere,
to the left and to the right,
loving and nourishing all things"
today here now

-odmmb

---------------------------------------------

outside world far away and unreal.
cool evening breeze
stillness of night.
bright sliver of moon
floating weightlessly
through gathering rainclouds
moisture-laden air
caressing
face here and now.
-//\\-odmmb

--------------------------------------------------------


It is a pleasure to have access to the writings
of myriads of masters
old and new
to see what this one and that one thought of things,
Also a deep, deep pleasure to read
their descriptions of a few of the
many, many things of nature,
like peach blossoms and clouds hugging
mountain tops...
Oh how nice it is to be a novice, to have
so much, so much
.....to be discovered!
-odmmb

--------------------------------------------------------


Looking for things,
browsing around on the internet
among zen masters old and new
or anywhere and everywhere...
Finding things that "ring a bell"
or that strike a chord of harmony
or
that is a wonderful mental
or visual picture...
All these and more are wonderful ways
to experience studying as a pleasure...
-//\\-odmmb

------------------------------------------------------


Although immediately forgetting
almost everything.
It is still there.

Three days ago a zillion leaves
scattered all over the ground
bright.
Red. orange. yellow. All
and many combinations of
colors.
Today All the leaves are brown
-odmmb

--------------------------------------------------


tens thousands
forgotten
weary legs money in purse
look you, naught be worse
who does so, solemn talk
partly guess slightest folly
on the aisle blushing walk
weary thy hearer
broke from company abrupt
searching of wounds kissing of petals
chapt hands weeping tears mortal
nature aware break shins
fashion growing stale yond stump
wood faint shallow rivers falls
tens thousands forgotten
-//\\-odmmb

--------------------------------------------------

studying a thought:
that:
tho we cannot name by name
nor describe a definition of
that
that is
beyond our ken
with no beginning; no end;
methinks, methinks to study the thought,
that in it we live and move and have our being.
-//\\-odmmb

---------------------------------------------------------


don't know
the answers
I don't even know
most of the questions
Que cera, cera.
-//\\-odmmb

----------------------------------


not too much, not too little
get out a piece of wood
and start to whittle
not too slow, not too fast
can't be first, can't be last
whats too big? what's too small?
gotta be something, And nothing at all!
:-)
-//\\-odmmb

---------------------------------------------



i don't even know what this life is
now,
much less what went before
or what comes after...
-odmmb

----------------------------------------


No matter how much I read,
no matter how much I practice,
no matter what I do,
it all boils down to right this minute
that's all
-odmmb

-------------------------------------------------
It was not christmas anymore
The flag through my front door
told me
It could be over forever.
Not knowing--What will be next--
that's tough
Fear growing
Will what little we've had
together
be enough?
I lean my head upon this cold pane
Praying God..
....to.bring you back home again.
-//\\-odmmb

------------------------------------------------------
No grasshoppers seen
since middle of last summer
Where are they sleeping?
-odmmb

-----------------------------------------------------
And yet while roses grow
gentle tears fall in streams like as
burning lids swell up to burst the eyes
and overflow into the sea of dismay:
to water those still-growing roses,
to pluck away the thorns with bleeding fingers-
so that Lost Love might remain
endowed with all the right to leave
that memory's token intact; unbroken:
She hearkens for lampwicks to light
upon the window sill where fear so gentle
stiffens her spirit and confounds her senses...
There shall be no going in,
No entry to the castle behind the moat, nay
For the snapping jaws of wild crocodiles lie in wait
to protect the ruins of the Garden of Roses.
-//\\-odmmb

--------------------------------------------------------

That night the window framed
The valley below in moon
The river wound it's way around
A mellow spooning tune

They softly sang together
In perfect harmony
Then went outside to stand
On the beautiful balcony

They dreamily gazed the distance
Could see the whole wide world
Where many a delight awaited
This couple, this boy and girl

For many a year they lived
In Lover's paradise
Where growing old was natural
Like their eventual fated demise

Today their love awaits them
Up there in that retreat
Up there on top of the mountain
Where they will always meet.
-//\\-odmmb


-------------------------------------------------

A mountain retreat
Washing and drying in air
High up on a hill
-odmmb

--------------------------------------

without any space
There would be nowhere no place
To put anything
-odmmb

-------------------------------------------

I am not a Monad.
(because of my windows)
Since I have windows
I must needs have a house
For what use are my windows
if i am without house?!!!
___hahahaaaaaa

-odmmb

--------------------------------------

Outdoor room, a corner full
of good old goldenrod
summer sun making seeds
to sow upon the sod

growing light

on tall strong stems
waving in the wind
a surefire way to tell:
Winter will soon begin!
-odmmb

--------------------------------------


And Today:

Like big soft flakes drifting, wafting,
falling to the ground
Leaves of many colors, yellow, brown
red orange and many hues between
even green

Carpeted the floors
of my room outdoors!
-//\\-odmmb


-------------------------------------------------


dining out
beneath the canopy of heaven
safe from summer storm
little haven,
lovely sphere
narrower than ocean
wider than line
all streams pour into
mind
-odmmb

--------------------------------------------


How do I know?
Well, that's just it.
I don't know.
But I've got it figured out that
it'll be good no matter what it is.
Because if there's nothing
that'll be good. Like being asleep.
And if there's something,
That'll be good too,
Like being awake,
And since I like sleeping,
and I like being awake,
Then I figure that whichever it is,
it'll be fine with me. ;-)
-odmmb

---------------------------------------------


A man's life is for living
and some allow
As to how
we may have it more abundantly
In the here and in the now.
-odmmb

-------------------------------------------


"what is a man's life for?"
for living to be sure. for being.
for being here.
now.
doing this.
thinking this.
experiencing this.
where ever, what ever this is.
on earth or somewhere else.
in body or not.
where ever. what ever.
being.
here.
now.
is there is an alternative?
if so,
what?
-odmmb

-------------------------------------

watching words
floating by in thin air.
reaching out and grabbing
one or a few
now and then.
putting them together like beads on
a string.
or acorns.


-----------------------------------------


standing on a bridge
leaning over the edge of the rail
looking at myself standing on the bridge
leaning over the edge of the rail.
-odmmb

-------------------------------------------
leaving, leaving
last chance
otherwise
I know, I know, he did'nt go
but what happened.
nothing happened.

sound:
of anchors;
train motors, whistles
and peanuts.

-odmmb

---------------------------------------------------


Streams flow by, murmuring
waters cold, deep, reflecting
white clouds, dark foliage, blue
birds fly far away
seeking meadows where
sun shines hot, intense buzzing
bees, pollen floating
on morning's misty breeze
seeking, seeking
gently settles to earth upon
a stalk of corn
where waiting there
a marigold blooms beside
an onion.
-odmmb

--------------------------------------------


No matter what's happening right now,
it was not happening in '42.
whatever's going on somewhere else
is not going on with you.
Nothing nowhere is the ever the same
as it is in another place
Whatever's happening here's not happening
on another planet's face.
Every moment passes,
every single day
no matter how low or lovely
they all will pass away.
-odmmb

---------------------------------------------