MOUNTAIN
SILENCE

Issue 23;

Poetry

On looking at a wall in Hope House

By Sue Kay

"A wall is a wall, is a wall" you say
Not necessarily so my friend, not necessarily so.
Walled in, walled out, walled up
See the writing on the wall,
is that another brick in the wall?
Struggle with form, form with struggle
which way round for the oryoki bowls?
I need to slant my chopsticks, can't take discipline without question
though maybe straight chopsticks say 'no question without discipline'?
What is the space between the cushion and the wall,
between the looker at and the looked at?
In a moment of peace, I see your turmoil,
in moments of turmoil,all is clash and clatter
Do we hear the same bells , smell that same incense,
feel the same backache and taste that same porridge?
Can you see what I see?
In Hope House we were busy busy busy -
ceremony, cooking, eating, ceremony, planning
juggling plumbers, coal deliveries and ourselves
Oh, yes and there was
zazen, kinhin, zazen, kinhin, zazen........


~Sue Kay

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