Standing/ on your phone/ in the rain

7/26/2022

Standing/on your phone/in the rain
7/26/2022, Con/Jur/d

An ode
to youth
this standing
this mind lost
amid the rapid
distractions, body
poised, waiting, someday

to grow old, to wither, to die
will you take it as gracefully
as you hold the phone? As
you ignore the shifting sun
the gentle patter of large
liquid drops

                   or 
                   do 
                   you 
                   feel

like the rest of us, some-
times awkward in this in-
carnation, 

desperately,
seeking weak rewards
to offset the increasing
and quickly approaching
heat

of history's conflageration.

RE: Marcus question

So much depends upon the age of your inner self

He would get annoyed when we went out to bars — and women would ask if we were twins

Despite our 7-year difference — when looking at our lives as a whole — who was the eldest — was a game — with little to do with biological facts

Host and Guest

“One day, the Layman arrived while Tse-ch’uan was meditating in his room. The Layman said, “If you simply stay in your room, absorbed in meditation, how can you know when a monk has come to see you?” Tse-ch’uan uncrossed one leg.The Layman turned to leave, but after taking a few steps he turned back around. Tse-ch’uan then recrossed his leg. The Layman said, “Do you call this “freely being yourself”? Tse-ch’uan said, “I am being the host.” The Layman said, “The elder teacher only knows how to be the host. He doesn’t know how to be the guest.” Tse-ch’uan then called to his attendant to bring some tea, and the Layman did a little dance and left.

One dokusan — after we had tried to moor in Cane Garden Bay amidst 30-foot swells — I found I was not able to sit comfortably cross-legged anymore — when I asked the Teacher — he said “Remember your ancestors died in their 30s — sitting in a chair is fine” — Since we share many memories in parallel sometimes — I think — we are creating new experiences for us both — to remember

Like the time we wanted to go sailing but the lake was rough — so we watched the kiteboarder instead

Happy birthday Bro!

Much love,

Con/Jur/d, 7/26/2022