Caught

What blocks happiness?
When caught in the thinking mind,
Regretting your Past.


What blocks happiness?
When caught in the thinking mind,
Seeking the Future.

(More from Ezra Bayda in Beyond Happiness)

Accept Others (and Yourself)

Where do we all end?
Death -- the great equalizer.
Get over ourselves!

(Reading Guy Kawasaki's Enchantment, The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions)

Are You Happy?

What is happiness?
It's not what you are feeling,
Nor is it a goal.

Happiness starts with
generosity of heart,
And being present.

(Reading Ezra Bayda's Beyond Happiness)

Taking a Break

Through the window glass,
Looking across the river,
Bikers cruise the trail.

Tax Time

Working on taxes,
Plugging in all the numbers.
Getting a refund!

Little Boys on a Mission

My first boyhood friend
recalled childhood memories
I had forgotten.


At the age of four,
determined to get cookies,
Two boys ran to Grandma's.


Going the wrong way, 
They didn't get to Grandma's,
Neighbors caught them first.


What were they thinking?
Just to get Grandma's cookies,
Boys know what they want!

How were they punished?
To your room without dinner,
Which Mom brought later.

After sixty years,
Two "old boys" eat their dinner,
Thinking of cookies.

Rinpoche IV

Meditation is
non-judgmental awareness --
Watch your thoughts come and go.

More March Madness

Butler Bulldogs win!
Live for a Saturday game.
Can they win again?

Rinpoche III

Just notice your thoughts.
There are no good or bad thoughts,
there are only thoughts.

A Walk in the Sunshine

Narcissus in bloom,
Pink and red camellias,
Flowering delights!

Rinpoche II

The mind is active
like the ocean making waves,
Your thoughts just come up.

Birds of the Season

Turkeys gobbling,
Another sign of Springtime
Or Thanksgiving Day?

Birds Remembered

Robins are singing
Memories of long ago,
Beginning of Spring.

Round Ball Marathon

Watching "March Madness,"
more buzzer-beaters today,
And a few blow-outs.

March Round Ball

Basketball madness,
Tournament games have begun,
Who beats the buzzer?

More Signs of Spring

Light purple flowers,
Rhododendrons in full bloom,
Spring is on its way.

Hints of Spring

Through the window glass
Tree branches with rosy buds,
Pink blossoms next week!

On the Rise

River still rising,
Will it overflow its banks?
More rain on the way.

Stormy March

Rain blowing sideways,
Tree branches litter the streets,
Driving toward home.

End of Long Illness

Walking in the sun
Holding hands with my sweetheart,
Together at last.

Reunion After 55 Years

I received a note
from my first boyhood "best" friend,
Coming in two weeks!

Oregon Spring

Trees are blossoming,
Buds are bursting pink and white
While the rain keeps falling!

Gratitude Prayer

Thank you for this day,
Thank you for all that I love,
Thank you for my life.

Bedtime

I'm getting sleepy,
Haven't written a poem.
This is it today.

Life Lesson

Starting where you are,
not where you would like to be,
Gives your life meaning.

Daily Rituals

Repetitive acts . . .
Are they a waste of your time
Or your saving grace?

Neverending Noise

The sound in my head
constantly screams in my ears,
No silent moments.

Longing

Her cough lingers on,
No intimacy for weeks.
Missing our kisses.

Watching Oregon Art Beat

Hearing Robert Bly
read his poem reminds
Me of my boyhood home.

Early Morning

Five o'clock wake-up,
Train whistles in the distance,
Railroad reveille.

Tyranny of Time - III

What's left? "The present."
The present moment is now,
That instant of "now."

(Note:  See the last two haiku for reference)