Original Poetry
The Book of Paying Attention
My fullest collection of poetry, to date, is The Book of Paying Attention,
which can be found at the Kindle Store. A print version, as well as an audiobook is forthcoming.
M e d i t a t i o n
Having time for oneself is critical.
Take a moment for the moment to focus,
to breathe,
to pay close, relaxed attention.
Find your core of happiness.
Offer it to others.
If you dare, take on their suffering, anxiety, discontent.
Exercise your ability to stay attuned to a single state of mind.
Loosen the grip of distraction.
What is pure meditation?
It is no thought of ’I’
or the world “out there.”
No appearance of separation
between oneself and
others.
No thought of past,
present or future.
Aware, lucid,
open, spacious,
calm, engaged.
I Miss You
Many of my poems address matters of equity and social justice:I Miss You
The world is a vast mosaic
of colors, tongues, creeds,
orientations, abilities, and
attitudes.
Each plays a role
in fulfilling
the whole.
I miss you when
you are not a part
of our creative ecology.
When a piece is missing
the mosaic lacks cohesion.
Without cohesion the
great picture cannot hold.
We are like a vibrant coral
reef, living in unimaginable
interdependence with
one another.
Our delusions of dominance,
deceit and appropriation
or even just insincerity
blight out unity,
defeat our brilliant
potential,
frustrate our
longing for peace
and contentment.
Justice is not an abstract
principle, it is the
underlying, inalienable
condition of our
existence.
This Year
One poem makes an appeal for sanity and decency in the face of crisis: This Year.