Summer Let me enjoy
Every moment of this sitting
All is quiet,
Nowhere to go, nothing to do
Just me and my breath
Evening sit
With all the candles lit
The meditation hall looks cozy
After yesterday’s hike
In the blazing sun
This morning’s rain
Soft and soothing
Pouring yesterday’s tea water
Out of the window
I make it rain, just a little harder,
On the veranda roof below
After the Full Moon Festival
A lone round yellow lantern
Left behind in
The deserted garden
In a sea of green
The first pink lotuses
Their late arrival
Enhances our joy
***
On the mountain path
The footsteps of the hikers
In the sky
The cry of a bird of prey
The village cemetery
A garden of wild flowers
Pink! Yellow! Purple!
There is no way
The rocky mountains
Can escape
The gentle embrace of
The fluffy clouds
In the high mountain valley
Watching little white clouds
Coming to be and ceasing to be
According to conditions
Lying down to nap
High up on the mountain
A young pine offers her shade
A gentle breeze a lullaby
Oh, mountain with
Your pines and shrubs
How my heart yearns
For your stillness
In stillness
The mind can be
Clearly heard
***
Opening my arms
To the sun
Feeling happy
For no reason
Copyright © 2020 by Sister Jina van Hengel. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
