“Poetry is a history of the human heart”
Poet Laureate Billy Collins
May these words shine a light, pierce a soul, with seeing and deep love, and sometimes unexpected laughter, or long-awaited tears.
May these words help us know companionship and compassion, ease regret and inspire kindness, and nourish whomever travels across these pages.
the moon
she arrives
quietly
travels
lightly
under the cloak
of night
and endless stars
tenderly
she holds
my gaze
as if
we have been
in love
for a thousand years
whispering
our secrets
glowing
her knowing
answering
my wonderings
the moon
she travels
lightly
i drink her in
and soon
i fall asleep
crossing
her threshold
of dreams
and wild imaginings
where we travel
lightly
the cloak of night
and endless stars
billowing behind us
while we disappear
as one
into the mystery
“moonlight is a friend of mine she dances on my skin”
alighting awareness
the flame awakens
shining everywhere
all is light
a dancing field
form and matter
and shining space
pervading
a joyous shout
the roar of silence
an infinite prayer
of Love
i am dying
bravely walking
carefully
stepping over
these cracks
in the sidewalk
where
weeds are
laughing
in bursts of
yellow and green
Here we sit
with infinite sadness
by our side
Insatiable grief
Like a loyal dog, panting
Let’s sit boy
Come here girl
Let us come to rest
Let’s stop the fight
Let’s just see each other
and Mourn
While holding hands
And touching feet
Tribute to Thich Nhat Hanh, January 2022.
the passing of a great monk
a gentle soul
a powerhouse of humanity
i am diminished by your loss
and uplifted by your example
peace is every step.
you embraced life
welcomed every perception
saw the light in every thing
and now
you are that light
connecting us all
peace is every step.
you lived and taught in a way
that was illuminating
buddha came alive
through your words
through your pen
i was and am forever changed
peace is every step
Quiet and astounding
you were always there
thank you for showing us
how to shine
with peace in every step.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I let fall the heaviness of my armor,
and gracefully out steps a ballerina,
dancing on her tippy toes.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I crawl into makeshift forts,
and from that cozy space
entertain my demons and angels with high tea.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
the rug is pulled out from under me,
and I’m left standing on an exquisite marble floor,
reflecting my own magnificence.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I meet my rage, breathing fire and smoke,
a dragon guarding her precious heart
bedazzling tears of jewels falling like rain.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I encounter heart-breaking beauty,
and I have to pick up those pieces
and put them in my pocket.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I have to be alone and unfettered,
so I am free to ask
Who am I, really?
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I have to get in my own face
to get out of my own way.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I need the warm embrace,
and crystalline laughter of my fierce friends,
reminding me of my goodness.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I flounder in despair and helplessness,
waiting for the sun to rise.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I indulge my senses in wine and chocolates
my lover’s caress
and celebrate being alive.
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I curl in around my numbed parts
and massage them back to life
or get help
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I cast out what is false
to protect my own integrity
and budding sovereignty
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I look beyond the life I’ve created
to the life still waiting to be lived
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I brave the terror of creativity
and let her awe my judgment
into divine silence
Sometimes on the Path of Intimacy
I abolish learned tyranny
and restore my inner freedom and safety
Always on the Path of Intimacy
I stay kind
I stay welcoming
I stay in love.
a long ways from home
a woman
who looks like me
on the corner
of the street
like she has nowhere else to be
leaning against a pole
smoking her cigarette
almond eyes
black hair pulled up
petite
life has hardened her beauty
carelessly
the bathrobe draped
over her slim frame
her lips painted
a plastic pink
that doesn’t match her skin
our eyes meet
the slight recognition
and wonder
vast distances
and very different stories
of how we came to be
on this same corner
here
as immigrants
seeking the same privileges
in the land of the white man
i can tell
she still has her pride
the way she keeps
her chin lifted
what did it take
for her to get this far?
i shudder
and my heart aches
this land of opportunity
of hopes
and dreams
and thundering
realities
my foot eases off the brake
i’ve paused too long at this stop
she looks the other way
and takes a long drag
the smoke wraps around her
like a shroud
our worlds passing
like ships in the night.
An ode to the suffering of women in my Chinese lineage, including two great-grandmothers with bound feet. A line of mothers that had overcome all odds of tradition, culture, abandonment and abuse. Too strong to break, but inevitably broken-hearted. My heart goes in to you all, take my hand.
Dark
Maroon
Smoke
the essence
from generations
of fury
repression
and
servitude
when i was made
to cower
next to my mother
my grandmother
my great-grandmother
in the corner
where there’s no way out
pressed against the cold concrete
broken feet
tucked in
making ourselves fit
into their ideas
of what a woman
should be
the smell of fear
and quiet indignation
cling like beads
of perspiration
we did their bidding
wore their shoes
designed to cripple
our will
and still
we persevered
through waves of turmoil
changing country
culture
language
clothes
we raised children
sharing
what’s left of us
what’s kept hidden
from view
a shadow
a memory
of dignity and grace
a flash of joy
amidst valiant
empty
sacrifices
mothers, how did you do it?
leaving behind everything
when nothing was yours to begin with
stepping into
the broken shoes
your mothers left behind
filling a new gap
in someone else’ life
Dark
Maroon
Smoke
rising softly
reminding me
of the damp earth
where you cried and cried.
life is humming all around
and within
the air is thick
with the nectar of creation
everything is flowing
moving
in the direction
of becoming
manifesting
and unbecoming
energy recycled
like the artist’s palette
like the potter’s clay
each moment
a new beginning
we are this flow
this foreverness
humming into eternity
flipped
time reverses
we grow young
and old
at the same time
it glows
where death meets life
where laughter meets sorrow
where the mystery
dances
beyond
beyond
within
beyond
watch out
i am
unshackled
i am
no longer
your slave
no longer
your servant
no longer
your yes girl
she who owns herself
watch out
my power runs deep
and i am
not afraid
of you
i am
my own
Today we breathed in the fresh moisture of earth
leaves still shiny from the rain
green carpets of moss, standing tall
we witnessed the quiet beauty
as nature creates, decomposes, and creates again
an everlasting flow
life’s intention clear as an arrow
but she executes in ever-widening circles
spiraling outward
a joyful shout from the dark womb
celebrating life
and connection
mushrooms glistening everywhere
a quiet knowing
touching her colors with my eyes
and hearing the gentle thump thump of the woodpecker
as the stream sang by
my heart quickened
and my mind gave up its own musings
to rest in wonder and belonging
i have come to rest
my mind
upon my heart
my heart
upon the earth
let my bones tell their story
simply by sinking
deeper
i surrender
to
all that is
