![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/81\/2022\/09\/allen_ginsberg_by_jan_herman.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selected from MOSTLY SITTING HAIKU<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n from a Chapbook published in 1978<\/p>\n By Allen Ginsberg<\/a><\/p>\n I stumbled upon these on the interwebs. Should the copyright holders object, they will be removed, promptly. But I hope they won\u2019t. I find them delightful, expressions from the poet Allen Ginsburg\u2019s meditation experiences, mostly under the tutelage of the now controversial Tibetan meditation teacher Ch\u00f6gyam Trungpa.<\/em><\/p>\n Anyone who has sat a silent meditation retreat in the Buddhist<\/a> tradition will feel some resonances.<\/em><\/p>\n And perhaps all of us can feel the invitations flowing from Allen\u2019s words\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Lastly, for more about Allen Ginsberg and for some cool stuff, go here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n James Ishmael Ford<\/p>\n **<\/p>\n The short poems (here) range from purest haiku through wry senryu to several which are simply poems, outside any genre save that of Coleridge\u2019s \u2018the best words in the best order.\u2019 They are mostly about sitting, not in the studied attitude of a self-appointed adept, but as a person aware of the twitches and aches that tell him who he is. Perhaps through them we can learn more about who we are.<\/em><\/p>\n (Abridged from a larger introduction by) William J. Higginson<\/a><\/p>\n (Some of these poems first appeared in LOKA and in Mind Breaths (City Lights, 1977)<\/em><\/p>\n Originally published by<\/em> **<\/p>\n MOSTLY SITTING HAIKU<\/strong><\/p>\n **<\/p>\n Mountain wind slow as breath, **<\/p>\n Meditation hall silent **<\/p>\n Fog rolling down **<\/p>\n A mountain outside **<\/p>\n Snow mountain fields **<\/p>\n Use breath as Manjusri **<\/p>\n CABIN IN THE ROCKIES<\/strong><\/p>\n **<\/p>\n Sitting on a stump with half cup of tea, **<\/p>\n Not a word! Not a word! **<\/p>\n Fly on my nose, **<\/p>\n Against red bark trunk **<\/p>\n White sun up behind pines, **<\/p>\n An hour after dawn **<\/p>\n WALKING INTO KING SOOPER<\/strong> **<\/p>\n A thin redfaced pimpled boy **<\/p>\n PARK ANENUE PATERSON \u2013 2AM<\/strong><\/p>\n **<\/p>\n A red sweater **<\/p>\n The withered purple roses droop **<\/p>\n LAND O\u2019 LAKES, WISC. SEMINARY<\/strong><\/p>\n **<\/p>\n 1.<\/p>\n I thought my mother was dead and 2.<\/p>\n Buddha died and 3.<\/p>\n Candle light blue banners incense, 4. 5.<\/p>\n Did you ever see yourself **<\/p>\n Sitting **<\/p>\n FOR CREELEY\u2019S EAR<\/strong><\/p>\n **<\/p>\n The whole my heart in head ache riding **<\/p>\n The photo of Allen Ginsberg is by Jan Herman<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n **<\/p>\n
\nFrom Here Press<\/em>
\nBox 2702<\/em>
\nPaterson,NY 07509<\/em><\/p>\n
\nmist drifts over pines<\/p>\n
\nbird slammed into window,
\nsat brooding half an hour
\nSaw Buddha then.<\/p>\n
\nthe mountain
\nthe tram lift towers
\nabove leafless aspen.<\/p>\n
\na room inside
\na skull above
\nSnow on the mountain
\nflowers in the room
\nthoughts in the skull<\/p>\n
\nseen thru transparent wings
\nof a fly on the windowpane.<\/p>\n
\nSword instantly cutting
\ndown thought after thought
\nheaviness of sleep dream
\nfantasy, breath after breath
\noutward.<\/p>\n
\nsun down behind mountains \u2013
\nNothing to do.<\/p>\n
\nFlies do all my talking for me \u2013
\nand the wind says something else.<\/p>\n
\nI\u2019m not the Buddha,
\nThere\u2019s no enlightenment here.<\/p>\n
\nA fly\u2019s shadow
\nlights on the shadow of a pine bough.<\/p>\n
\na moth flutters past
\nthe brown wood pile.<\/p>\n
\nI haven\u2019t thought of Buddha once yet!
\n\u2013walking back into the retreat house.<\/p>\n
\nAFTER TWO-WEEK RETREAT<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nStands alone minutes
\nLooking down into the ice cream bin.<\/p>\n
\ncrumpled on lawn grass
\nunder bright streetlights<\/p>\n
\non their green dry-leafed stalk<\/p>\n
\nlamented her
\nsurrounded by billions of mothers
\ncows grassblades & girlfriends\u2019 eyes<\/p>\n
\nleft behind a
\nbig emptiness.<\/p>\n
\naching knee, hungry mouth\u2014
\nany minute now the gong\u2014potatoes &
\nSour cream!<\/p>\n
\nSunlight on the red zafu
\nclank of forks & plates.<\/p>\n
\na breathing skull
\nlooking out the eyes?<\/p>\n
\nunder wooden roof beams
\nlistening to a hundred people
\nsit
\nsniffing, cough, clearing throat
\nsneezing, sighing
\nbreathing through nose
\nshifting on pillows in clothes
\nswallowing saliva,
\nlistening.<\/p>\n
\nweight of
\neverything
\ntoo much<\/p>\n
\nthe subway
\npounding
\nsubtly<\/p>\n
\nfrom smoking
\ndizzy
\na moment<\/p>\n
\nuptown to see
\nKarmapa
\nBuddha tonight.<\/p>\n