I don’t write in a journal everyday, but I have accumulated many entries over the past 50+ years beginning in 1966. Some items evolved into longer works. Among the leftovers little pieces survived. I thought a collection of these with a piece culled from the same date in a past year would make an interesting yearbook. The consistencies and inconsistencies of mind, skipping back and forth across time, provide varied perspectives. It is difficult to remember the context of the past we’ve lived; we also make suppositions about times that predate ourselves.

The few alterations from original drafts were to improve clarity. The worst of my work is not included. There remains enough mediocrity and immaturity to make me feel humble and you feel smart. There are also moments of accidental insight and incidental humor.

Author Stephen Crane referred to his little pieces as pills…apparently they were small and somewhat hard to swallow, but good for you.


Comments Welcome!

Thursday, December 30, 2021

What is Cold Mountain

 

December 30, 2014  (I was 70) 

 

The name of the Chinese poet, Han Shan

(writing circa 760-800 AD), translates as

“Cold Mountain”.  The name refers to the poet,

the place he lived and the state of mind expressed

in the poems written in his cave there.

 

What is Cold Mountain

Han Shan is high land under all light

gold land beneath the sun

silver land below moon and stars

It is your name when you are there

your attitude when you are not

Begin with attention to breath

the odor of the air always there

scents come and go upon it

sound of current flows in and out

feel expansion and contraction

sensation of its temperature and force

aromas that entice the tastes

and shiver the skin

dilated pupils let colors in

awaken awareness of being

within the swirling gasses

Brief but steep is the way 

from there the path

downhill to everywhere

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