waiting for snow

cold and dark morning
waiting for the coming storm
and a white Christmas

What the dying artist said

There is no one thing
that is true.
It is all true.

What Shunryu Suzuki said

"the most important thing
is to find out
the most important thing"

after Foyan

hungry ghosts attacked
stole his body so he told
his guru "I'm free!"

no students

they are not students
they are just silly people
who hang around here

stirring

stirring up the bees
for the thrill of finding out
what happens this time

Buddha on Acceptance

Buddha said: "Events happen,
deeds are done,
but there is no doer thereof."

Suffering in Heaven

Extroverts' Heaven
would be hell for introverts
too many angels

Meaning & music

What is the meaning
of Beethoven's symphonies?
Alan says listen!

What Shankara said

That which is the ground
of knowledge is not its object.
Fire can’t burn itself.

asleep?

Abstraction by Peggy L Radcliffe

where were you when you
were asleep? where would you be
if you'd been awake?

welcome to groundlessness

the earth opens under your feet

and you recall Buddha's First Noble Truth

The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, stress)

and you wonder why is Buddha smiling

dreaming about a sleeping cat

you wake up this morning
after dreaming about a sleeping cat
who is dreaming that he is you
dreaming about a sleeping cat

NOT Buddha

NOT Buddha nature
important to acknowledge
because that is knot

every story has two sides

every story has two sides
you laugh and cry
and the earth abides

north wind

cold north wind blowing
colorful leaves off the trees
winter coming soon

he can't sing

he can't sing
and you can't hear
nothing to do
but go out for a beer

Remembering Dylan

"no connection home
like a complete unknown
like a rolling stone"

What's it all about when it's not about you?

Student: It's all about me.

Zen master: you don't exist.

Student: So what's it all about?

Remembering Alan Watts

the Zen master said
do not try to be perfect
a square is perfect

The Tibetan Book of the Dead

as the student said
I never understood it
but it cheered me up

winds of hungry ghosts

winds of hungry ghosts
chill nights where you run into
souls lost in the cold

Remembering Trungpa

student asks Trungpa
will you enlighten me?
Trungpa says "Fat Chance!"

politics is the bardo of angry demons

politics is the
bardo of angry demons
do not go near there

old tree waits

this wise old tree waits
not sporting leaves too early
strong winds may come late

old tree trunk, new spring

Photo Abstraction by Peggy Radcliffe

nobody builds trees

emerging from moist spring ground

unbidden by us

the humble houseplant

Photo Abstraction by Peggy Radcliffe

humble houseplant grows

a little water and light

even man-made light

when cloud was a word

Snapshot by Rich Seeley, Leica D-Lux 4

when cloud was a word

for this cloud in this blue sky

not an industry

no leaves for shade yet

Photo Abstraction by Peggy L. Radcliffe

this bench awaits me

as my path stops at this tree

no leaves for shade yet

after cold and rain

Photo abstraction by Peggy Radcliffe

after cold and rain

morning brings bright warm sunshine

and this daffodil

no way of knowing

Photo by Peggy Radcliffe, Nikon CoolPix

first flowers of spring

wild with no way of knowing

it is still winter

trees show off

Photo by Peggy Radcliffe

sun shines, days are warm

trees show off first blooms of spring

in February

just daffodil

Photo Abstraction by Peggy Radcliffe

can't make daffodils

can't force daffodils to bloom

they just daffodil

what the watcher sees

Photo Abstraction by Peggy Radcliffe

what the watcher sees

you will never see until

you wait as he waits

The greatest wealth is a poverty of desires. ~ Seneca

Photo Abstraction by Peggy Radcliffe

he never wanted

stuff, so nothing was just what

he always wanted

dark skies little rain

Photo abstraction by Peggy Radcliffe

dark clouds and high winds

doors bang and windows rattle

dark skies little rain

bronze Indian shoots

bronze Indian shoots

arrow into the gray sky

hopes to bring down rain

for those who need songs

Acrylic on paper by Peggy Radcliffe

he wakes up and sings

even on this gray morning

for those who need songs

Li Po reads a leaf

Acrylic on paper by Peggy Radcliffe

ponderous media

takes too long, tells too little

Li Po reads a leaf

Sapulpa Time

times remembered as

good times, bad times on this street

under this old clock

this forgotten red dress

this forgotten red dress

she wore before store dummies

got dressed up for sale

this old hydrant

Photo by Peggy Radcliffe

forgotten hydrant

painted pretty long ago

now turns rusty gold

winter just getting warmed up

open door this morning

dusting of snow shows winter

just getting warmed up

reminder of spring

reminder of spring
evergreen stands in winter
among the leafless

late winter afternoon

late winter afternoon
clear blue sky with waxing moon
pond still as Buddha

69F today in January

warm days at the pond
winter forgotten, birds say
no ice very nice

no snow just winter

cold but not so cold
clear skies, sun and chilly winds
no snow just winter

cats and poets dream

LiPo the cat dreams
he's LiPo the Taoist poet
dreaming he's a cat

wingovers of joy

seagull showing off
for ducks and geese at the pond
wingovers of joy