Sight Pleasure Gate

At first sight, there was no pleasure to see that gate. But then as it creaked and rattled, metal quivering as it was raised, a strange calm came over me. The spikes were dripping and had muck on them from the river. We bobbed under them, the oarsmen silently working, averting their eyes. A dot of black landed on my sleeve. There were many lords and officials to see me up the stairs. 

Detector Merchant Jungle

I bought the lie-detector from a merchant in the jungle. It was brand new, still in its box and shiny plastic wrappings. The box was a bit battered and stained, but it was oddly thrilling to hear that crinkling noise and the faint whiff of "new" when I unboxed it. It gleamed like a jewel under the swaying flickering single bulb light, on the rickety bamboo table. I took a deep breath and wiped the perspiration off my forehead, cheeks, and jowls. I avoided looking at myself in the small mirror, above which was a small crucifix. With the dim lighting, the mirror appeared to be a deep hole in the wall. 

"Bring the señor in." I said, almost to myself. "And a sturdy chair."

Abanto, sitting on the other side of the door jumped up, to obey.

I watched the swaying single light.

"Doctor, the señor is not here." said Abanto.

I looked at him, we looked at each other without expression.

In the room made of concrete blocks, the shackle and chain were gone. I tested the bars on the locked door, they were firm and beaded with humidity. 

How had he escaped? And now what would become of I, and Abanto?

Berry Point Lid

After the crash, I found a berry, a single berry, on the point. The point was a place that was high and windswept. I put it under a lid. I looked at the looming trees all around, the deep forest that surrounded me. Who knew what was in those woods? I was probably going to starve. 

---

i know

i know
everything that is good

and everything that is bad
is thought up 

and the habit of this

is what i feel is a good life or bad one

.

life itself 

is endlessly amazing 

.

true consciousness

is beyond hope and fear

---

morning

morning 
as if permanent 

every cool thing with dew 

perfect in the endlessness

of the universe

in every drop

all things all possibilities

-

your fears/ aniconic

your fears
aniconic 

and then

one forgets 

they are featureless

which adds to 

the unease

until you

realize there 

is nothing to fix

nothing to improve

nothing whatsoever

that had any

reality beyond

absolute perfection 

and the intuition

that goes hand in hand

with this view

so you can rest

as easy as being

in a swing with

kuntuzangpo

or any other

smiling sky

like being 

and under

both of your feet

as you sway together

all the earths and

all the skies and stars

and smiles and tears

you could possibly invent

*

i remember you teaching

 i remember you teaching

on those hot summer days

how i longed to see you

ask you a thousand questions

you were only 1 door away

and you would have been

happy for my visit i am sure

but i acted like i wasn't allowed

there were many of us

vain imaginative excited

and a bit overdramatic

but always welcomed

now mellowing with time

missing you just the same

and i aim to fix what does 

not need to be fixed by praying

devotedly and attempting 

to spread what you were really teaching

and what was ever in your heart 

then you remind me again

everything is resolved in its own place

from the beginningless beginning

from the view

love unconditionally 

this endless beauty

and be aware of now

--

July 22 

Minneapolis, MN

For Lama Tharchin Rinpoche

off you go on this day

away you go on this day

like off a spingboard or

on a rocket

or i am off the 

board and flying 

on the rocket

ultimately we don't

come or go so much

as it seems

---

LTR

you want to almost / hold your breath

perfectly balanced air

you can imagine it stacked up 

to the stratosphere

as the rabbits sit and squirrels run

this evening is vivid

the color of gold 

while green is striving 

growing blooming 

you want to almost 

hold your breath 

to prolong the summer

memorize the flash of lightening

and thunder that rolls out

over a steel colored lake

put the haunting night

into your heart with a million

zigging fire-flies

--

No Murder on Mars 002

The body was laying straight, forearms up. Clothing & skin had a thin layer of frost mixed with soil of a uniform brown color. The face, almost unrecognizable, was contorted.

I looked at the two, who were nervously shifting foot to foot.

"We should go over your timeline again. This is very important."

"Yessir."

"Tell me what happened first."

"Backed into the wall."

"Saw a hole"

"Then we saw a body."

I looked at them steadily.

"How long was it between when you put the hole in the wall, and you found the body?"

"Um. Er. Right away!"

"You are lying to me."

"No sir!"

"Why are you lying?"

"We aren't."

"You are! There had to be some time that passed between you backing into the wall, and then you retrieving your vehicle, and then finding a body."

"5 hours." said one of them 

"Because it was stuck?"

"Yessir"

"Anything else you want to revise?"

"No Sir."

"Pardon me. But how did you know at all these boys were being dishonest about their timeline? How does that influence the fact that a body has been found?"

I looked at the superintendent. "It has everything to do with how the body was found."

The superintendent widened his hands, "So?"

"See the crystals and tearing on the edges of the clothing? This body has been moved from a different location. Someone placed it here after the hole was put into the wall."

There isn't supposed to be murder on Mars 001

There isn't supposed to be murder on Mars. That is an Earth custom, a sense of the old barbarism from our planet of origin. The body was found in the old tunnels, it had become freeze dried where it had been stashed. 

"Tell me again how this was found."

"Varne Warren226 backed a sledge into the wall there, and we saw a hole."

"What were you doing down here, past the 3K markers?"

"Rat hunting, scrapping."

"They say these tubes here are haunted!"

I could see how someone would think these were haunted. Gloomy, unlit. Frosted. These were the old warrens and access corridors, bored through the Martian rock. 

When I looked at it, I involuntary shuddered. Lights from our headlamps slashed and raised monstrous shadows. 

"Have you touched the body, moved anything?"

"No sir."

"Hmmm" I could see that someone had. 

many of us dream of home

many of us dream of home 
at first in sleep
then we go and aspire
make that in
this waking day

when we dream well
it makes a beautiful home
where lots of people 
can dream their dream
of home

if it is built real or

in my mind

home is always home

what allows it to be

is the dream and

a dreamer who has

a dream

i would write poems about you

i would write poems about you

and poems about lightening 

thunder and storms

then of the quiet peaceful light

which is softly over everything

from beginningless beginning

we seem to have a makeup

that is not fixed and is as exciting

as it can be disappointing or unreal

the best writing are the phrases

never to be claimed but proven through 

every kind deed i do with you

*

one small flower

one small flower

on a bush outside the back door

with no mind to be seen

nor ever admired so i admire it

and i remember how a duck

saw making a nest behind 

this bush to be very tidy and snug

but when i came and returned

i made it afraid 

so i resolve to be

more vigilant and make room

if i can for shy things and

especially walk softly 

with a view this world

is not my rumpus room 

but formed very purely

cradling happy beings

that can flourish if not

cowed by brashness

*

we are mysteries

we are mysteries

which can make us so 

compelling so lost 

so haunted so graceful

so alluring blessed

wonderful

*

people that were loved

people that were loved
now dodged

how better it must be

now that i am sane

but is still just as bad

because while i err

i cannot see how

until later

*

this attitude

this attitude

like a sky that will

not go away 

but when i am 

asleep, is not here

*

Cycle

i apply to a job
they automatically congratulate me for applying
later they automatically reject me

it is all very friendly and encouraging  

i apply to a job
they automatically congratulate me for applying
later they automatically reject me

it is all very friendly and encouraging  

i apply to a job
they automatically congratulate me for applying
later they automatically reject me

it is all very friendly and encouraging  

i apply to a job
they automatically congratulate me for applying
later they automatically reject me

it is all very friendly and encouraging  

i apply to a job
they automatically congratulate me for applying
later they automatically reject me

it is all very friendly and encouraging  

you get to a point in life/ where nothing is safe

you get to a point in life

where nothing is safe

and that is when life

becomes interesting

*

marie antoinette's shoe

i look at a picture

of marie antoinette's shoe

it fell off her foot

on the way to the guillotine

it is a dainty thing

looking almost new

i wonder who grabbed it

when they saw it fall

they must have been

thrilled to have 

marie antoinette's shoe

*