Fruits of Sin

Oranges and lemons
Evidence of outcomes

Choices made things unseen
Peaches and nectarines

You never see the other side
You'll never see what could have been
You can't compare like for like

Apples grow on apple trees and
they grow from the apple seeds

Truth is beauty beauty truth
but sins of flesh bear evil fruit

You'll see them grow
with leaves and shoots
clinging to your ego

The Quest of Milarepa

PART TWO

-

Obeisance to their lordships
the teachers

Especially do I pray them
of their grace to be my refuge

-

When ye look at me

I am an idle
idle man

When I look at myself

I am a busy
busy man

-

Since upon the plain
of uncreated infinity

I am building

Building the tower
of ecstasy

I have no time
for building houses

-

Since upon the steppe
of the void of truth

I am breaking

Breaking the savage fetter
of suffering

I have no time
for ploughing family land

-

Since at the bourn
of unity ineffable

I am subduing

Subduing
the demon foe of self

I have no time
for subduing angry foe men

-

Since in the palace of mind
which transcends duality

I am waiting

Waiting for spiritual experience
as my bride

I have no time
for setting up house

-

Since in the circle
of the Buddhas of my body

I am fostering

Fostering the child
of wisdom

I have no time
for fostering snivelling children

-

Since in the frame
of the body

The seat
of all delight

I am saving

Saving precious instruction
and reflection

I have no time
for saving worldly wealth

-

Since upon the mountain
of limitless truth

I am tending

Tending the wild horse
of self knowledge

I have no time
for tending sheep

-

Since out of clay
of flesh and bones

I am building

Building up
the miraculous reliquary

I have no time
for molding sacred images

-

Since upon the apex
of the triangle of my heart

I am raising

Raising the butter flame
of clear light

I have no time
for offering the sacred fire

-

Since in the temple
of the undifferentiated void of bliss

Before the image
of the tranquilized mind

I am offering

Offering
perpetual oblations

I have no time
for formal worshipping

-

Since upon the sheet
of pure mind

I am writing

Writing
desire-less characters

I have no time
for painting sacred pictures

-

Since in the skull-cup
of the very void

I am churning

Churning the poison
of the passions

I have no time for churning holy butter

-

Since in the close retreat
of good intent

I am cherishing

Cherishing as friends
the sentient beings of the six kinds

I have no time
for cherishing kinsfolk

-

Since in the presence
of the fathers the teachers

I am burdening

Burdening my soul
with counsel

I have no time
for growing old in ordinary ploys


[taken from "The Message of Milarepa", John Murray, London, and Grove Press, Inc., New York, 1958 republished as Songs of Milarepa by Dover Thrift Editions, 2003]

Disgust

Don't let this poem be successful
as a work of art

Lest the circumstances
and complaint
which led to its creation
be things you come to celebrate
as good things in themselves

Hope

A poem written in two times

In one time now
your grief is ever present

In the next
this thing it was
that you lost will have been
restored to you

Poetic Mood

Poetic mood
foretelling doom

Up on the moor
and in this room

I walk my dog
and talk with God

Outside the door
Thy staff and rod

Will lead me to the valley

Beneath the Sun

Turn the flower
to the left or to the right

It depends which way
you're looking at it

From above or from below

-

Beneath the sun

This is
how the flower
that you planted grew

Your tea is ready
for you now

-

Two armies
crossing at the border
occupy each other's land

They're two completely
different things

Too late to sleep
perchance to dream

Extinction of Man

Meat is murder

Murder me

With candle light
blow out the candle

Dig my grave
with broken sandal

I'm not waving now

I'm drowning

-

Go away a little closer
to your Father and your Mother

If you take just one step closer
that will be one step too far

Not for you but for me

Metal monster in the forest

Burning is too good for you