Thanksgiving

Hello, friends. Thanksgiving is a time for gentle reflection as well as enjoying the gifts of here and now. As difficult as the pandemic has made such gifts difficult to find, my own reflection has become a healing of ordinary mind (the title…

“Smokey the Bear Sutra,” by Gary Snyder

Hello friends, Gary Snyder is a poet, environmentalist, and essayist. His lifelong concern has been the care of the earth and its resources, often in terms encompassing many cultures and beliefs. Here is "Smokey the Bear Sutra," his very western…

Aging in the currents of the moment

Hello friends, Autumn brings cooler weather and an opportunity to take note of changes, both seasonal and personal. As I get older the more deliberately I need to operate, like a car that has many miles on it and more miles to travel. But the…

Journey

Hello friends, September is a good time to reflect on time's passing. A change of season, a difference in the weather, makes me realize that my own journey through life has been a series of passages as well. Here's a poem from my new book, "Interbeing,"…

Advice from Walt Whitman

Buddhism is important in my fourth book of poems, "Interbeing," also in honor of my deceased brother, George. I'm recovering from a couple of falls at 91. I'm coming back slowly surrounded by fine folk and a lovely garden. Landed on lower back,…