Take the Ripe Plum

How far from nature and life it is

the gray clouds, airplanes in them

the night cooing and pigeons roosting

Sirma's garden gone to roses and seed

                        That airplane overhead!

                        pointing the way

                        pointing to war

War being an aggravated condition of what

we already know

                        Flowering beneath the noise

                        of yet another jet passing overhead.

                        *                  *                  *

Why this much sadness in a world so beautiful?

We are sad for the weariness of everything, including earth

(that will go on tropically flowering long after we are gone)

we

            who are nothing

            in powerful time's

            grip

history, passionate history, coffee between

neighbors.

                        *                  *                  *

            Enter into alliance

            With the sweet darkness, night!

            Night and day, day and night

            Everybody knows when the moon is bright.

            We dance by the light of the moon

            All night.

                        *                  *                  *

We dance by the light of the moon.

We dance by the light of the moon and setting sun.

                                          We drive

                  we crow and call

three pigeons!

                  and make the world alive

                                          even bricks.

                                          Jets

two pigeons!

                  Milk-skinned doves

                                          enmesh

                                          Two gray-skinned sharks, jets,

embrace in the sky, a blue green oil truck takes

the hill, cobblestoned, in low

steady gear.

                        *                  *                  *

Zazen position

      to remain so

            unmoved

                  yet moved

                        by the stillness

the movement of the car uphill

      part of your system of beliefs

            unmoved by it, parked

                  necking in the front seat

                        hawks diving for pigeons' eggs

and so you are compelled to move

      by the force that created you. but

            you impose your own small order

                  departing from traditions

                        human history understands

                  a mutant

such as those currently developing

the human mind beyond its past capacities.

                        *                  *                  *

                  Two straw sandals

                        blue jay call

                              two sea gulls

                        *                  *                  *

The jets return

      flying low.

            Laying low

and breathing low

      mists

            of pure noise.