Zen Koan Poem (With Bird, Fly, Buzz)
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Zen Koan Poem
So, what IS the sound of one hand
clapping?
I tell myself that I can answer
“cla-”
and just not think about it anymore,
if,
when I hear a fly buzz, I
sto–
myself from a good quick
sla–
with the swatter and, instead,
let it out
through the screen.
The same with
the spider in the bathroom that,
rather than squish, I
tra–
in a releasing
cu–
I make no promises
to
mosquitos–
–p.
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I hesitate to post the above photo, especially in the context of a Zen Koan poem, because it makes yours truly look like a bona fide meditator. (I most regrettably am not.) The little bird who landed on my head, however, was not aware that it was catching me on a rare attempt. It stayed for about five minutes (ensuring some measure of stillness on my part and the need to wash that baseball cap.)
The poem was written for the “Zen Koan” prompt by Kerry O’Connor of With Real Toads. Kerry’s post beautifully exemplifies a rarefied form combining Koan and poetry. Mine owes a great deal to Terry Pratchett, the wonderful British satirist, and in my opinion, Zen master (if not, perhaps, Zen practitioner.)
***************************************’
P.S. If you have the time and are in the mood for something silly or elephantine, check out my books! Children’s counting book 1 Mississippi -for lovers of rivers, light and pachyderms, Going on Somewhere, poetry, or Nose Dive, a very fun novel that is perfect for a pool or beachside escape.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: bird brain?, manicddaily, meditator with bird, Poem about one hand clapping, Terry Pratchett poem, the sound of one hand clapping, Zen Koan poem
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ManicDDaily 
July 1, 2012 at 11:03 pm
come on!!! this is amazing. there is more than one way to meditate, you know! i love the poem too.
July 2, 2012 at 1:14 am
LOL! Fun poem, and I sure wasn’t expecting that ending. 🙂
July 2, 2012 at 5:09 am
I thought this wonderfully zen, in its call for harmony with nature. I’m with you on the saving spiders in the bath and Terry Pratchett as guru too.
July 2, 2012 at 6:10 am
Superb, it simply took me along with it. No ifs, buts or caveats!
July 2, 2012 at 6:15 am
Thanks, Dave. It’s quite silly. K.
July 2, 2012 at 9:58 am
I like the word breaks here….the sounds are creatively penned…Very nice share K ~
July 2, 2012 at 11:37 am
I liked this a lot – it’s quirky and clever.
July 2, 2012 at 11:46 am
This is such fun to read……….does the mosquito perhaps need an Advocate at your house? I could alert the rescue network, hee hee.
July 2, 2012 at 1:26 pm
What a cool photo–regardless of the subsequent laundry issues. And the poem has that respect for life, in even its less attractive forms, that I do associate with buddhism (and also identify with–there are very few creatures I’m comfortable with killing) the dropped letters circle back to the ambiguity of the original koan, and the whole thing is neatly turned out. And I like the Zen masters who are not necessarily practitioners the best, personally. ;_)
July 2, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Well I confess to using Terry Pratchett’s idea with the sound of one hand clapping being “cla-” so mean to give him credit for that (but only the Pratchett cognoscenti would probably get my reference.) . He is the funniest writer ever; unfortunately, now has early-onset Alzheimer’s.
July 2, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Williams College? i work at Amherst. 🙂
July 2, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Ha! The dreaded Amherst. One of my daughters went to Williams. k.
July 2, 2012 at 2:11 pm
🙂 funny!
July 2, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Funny! and goes great with the picture.
July 2, 2012 at 5:00 pm
This is so fun!
July 2, 2012 at 8:05 pm
haha def some good fun k…lol…and i like the picture…smiles…