Dear Friends,
Each month, I share a collection of poems written by the Poetry Outdoors community.
These poems are inspired by the teachings we explore in the Meadow, a monthly generative writing circle that weaves together zen teachings and poetry.
In June, we explored the Buddhist myth of Indra’s Net. I love the way Mark Nepo describes it in his book, Drinking from the River of Light:
I learned about the Buddhist myth of Indra’s Net, which encircles the Earth. At every knot in the net is a jewel in which you can see all the other jewels and the entire universe reflected. For each soul is such a jewel, which when we clear, will reveal all the other souls in existence as well as the net of being that connects us.
Each poem was written in conversation with the concept of Indra’s Net — the interconnectedness of ourselves, in relation to all beings, that shines through each jewel woven into the web of life.
Share some love in the comments for our featured poets: Abbie Shanahan, Katelynn, Marion Gibbon, Chris Madden, and Ziv Peleg
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Caught
Abbie Shanahan
Sunlight warmth
on freckled skin,
refracting each
jeweled color of
polished stones:
amethyst for the
divine dwelling,
opal reflection
of each past self,
yellow sapphire
teasing at greed
for more of what is
an unearned gift,
intended for all.
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Being
Katelynn Hegedus
Bound in place by
shame and heartbreak
I claw and rip at my own self
for the illusion of escape
by tears and shreds.
Breathing room for the deluded.
Tatters tangle,
the eyes in the mirror
trapped
in the body of a stranger.
A glint in my prison
tells the tale of
arriving in this moment
as infinite fragments of me.
Every dimension of
joy and sorrow
brought to the here and now.
Reaching out
I may touch each shard,
turn and gaze acceptance in the face,
bow deeply,
and unfold in wholeness.
The net which binds
is the same that cradles.
Find me the web of life
and I will show you suffering.
I will show you ecstasy.
Find me the web of life
and I will show you
Love.
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Pine and Ash Trees Ziv Peleg When I was a child, I sat with my grandmother beneath an Ash tree. Her ancestors, who believed the tree was sacred, made wands out of it, set with sparkling stones. There were pine trees in her forest, too. At dusk, their evergreen leaves glowed like her hair. "The pine is soft" she said, "but its needles are hard and acidic they make life difficult for the ash tree’s soil, yet he manages with strength and resistance." Strong hardwood ash with papery leaves Softwood pine with needles pierce air "They get along from afar," Grandmother whispered and the wind carried her words into the branches of the trees, which laughed as the letters tickled their Foliage.
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Indra’s Net
Marion Gibbon
A web stretches out,
Across the globe,
At every intersection,
A crystal reflecting,
Connecting one to the other,
A net of interconnections,
Nothing survives,
Without relationships,
No one person
Is an island.
Reverberations of hope,
Vibrating in harmony,
Lessons being translated,
Children laughing,
A red thread,
Tells each of us,
Who we’ll meet,
On our life journey,
Each of us holds,
Out a hand,
When crises unfold,
We find who cares,
Realising our communities,
Hold the essence,
To support one and all.
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Mirror Chris Madden I am a mirror of reality and dark matter of thinker and observer of everything and nothing of understanding and uncertainty a fractal of the universe I have worn many masks across the fabric of my life all have served me or I have served them master or slave or neither which characters are present? which roles are calling? why? where am I hiding now? I am beautiful and terrible I am wise and ignorant I am selfish and selfless I am curious and closed I am kind and unkind I love and I hate I laugh and I cry I walk and I fall I am blessed and cursed by humanity I feel things so deeply I sometimes don a warrior's armour swing a sword in one hand while holding the Buddha gently in the other drifting somewhere in between dodging and making friends with shadows feigned invulnerability dissolving into absolute vulnerability on the edge of middle I am a mirror reflecting a lifetime of experiences that transcend who I am releasing me into freedom and fabric woven by interbeing I am not I at all I am dust in the wind I am the wind I take off my masks step out of my mind open my eyes for the first time again and all I see is sparkle and magic dancing in a web of jewels
Our next Meadow circle is coming up on Sunday, July 19th at 9AM PST!
Each month, we gather in the Meadow, a generative writing circle that weaves together zen teachings and poetry. This month, we are exploring the art of the Koan,
a micro-poem structure that inspires deep contemplation about a particular thought or question.
This is an offering for paid subscribers. As a paid subscriber, you receive:
Access to every monthly Meadow, including recordings if you aren’t able to attend the live session
A monthly letter that includes reflections on the teachings we explore in each meadow and writing prompts
An opportunity to have the poetry you write during the Meadow published on Poetry Outdoors
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