Complication: Screaming River

Downhill all the way,
Time wasted all day;
What a harrowing trip
To the mountain bottom;

Washed away
By a valley stream,
Going flowing;
What a dream,

A nightmare in fact,
An apple cider fountain
Burns my tongue
And chills my bones;

Where am I going
With this?
I wonder
I hear thunder.

Oh no!
And the rains came,
Tumbling down
The waterfall I go;

Cascading balls of fire
And whirlwinds
Buffet the shore,
And the river winds down

Until it comes to the sea;
And I’m back on
The ocean again
Lying on a bed of kelp,

Calling for help,
‘Oh, great galloping Buddha!
What have I gotten
Myself into now!’

Complex: From Temple Pillock to Fenceposts

Sometimes practice begins with
Sitting meditation,
And at other times with
Picking oneself up off the floor!

Or, at least,
So it is for me
On days like this,
When rain pounds and wind pummels.

What happens
Between one day
And the other?
Who can say?

Bad news
I suppose:
I never could
Hold my bad news;

Possibly I’d prefer Scotch neat,
But that would only
Dull the senses
And mend no fences.

My rails have come down probably,
Or I’ve fallen off them maybe;
Either way,
I’ve been hanging wire mesh all day.

There’s no way to avoid it:
I have to weld the staple gun;
It’s no fun,
And I’ve only just begun.

The sun is setting though,
Putting on a free show
For all who care to see;
And so, I temporarily set aside my tools
To take in this heartening spectacle.

Completely: Breakthrough

I don’t identity
With this at all;
Everything I’ve written
‘Til now, seems like nothing.

I’m floating in happiness,
Alight in delight,
Held up by bliss,
Overflowing with joy.

All else seems trivial,
My senses inconsequential,
My cravings satisfied,
In compassion I abide.

I have fed my daemons,
And they are resting now,
Purring in their sleep
Like cats who’ve et their fill.

All is well and silent,
The only thing
Left to do therefore
Is be happy.

How long
This will last
I will not
Even dare ask!

This has to be
The best it’s been
In a very long time
With my practice and my mind.

It’s been such a difficult trip,
It’s so sweet to be in this state,
What comes next I would not even care to guess;
Regardless, it’s great to be at rest for a while.
There will be another test, but until then, no worries.