Five Poems Written in Niagara

Poems 18-22

Control

Naturally plans fall apart,
people places and things
disintegrate.
Yet we,
like blind mice,
scurry from the center
to the extremities
trying to piece all the bits
together
to keep parts intact.

It's not if,
it's when,
she said,
her bruises and scars visible.
Enjoy,
she said.
Yes.

Force

Arresting vibrant pull
of three senses
anchors straight down
into now,
and there's nowhere else to go.

Dynamic fierce intensity
rouses unnamed currents
which merge into the greatness
that's here.

Feel this power
seeing how the world
keeps going
in an unstoppable universe.

Amitabha

Namo Amitabha
We read this
and thought this
then.

As if summoned
a sweet man appeared
speaking to us,
asking questions and telling us
gently
what to do to come back
into refuge.

They always come back to get us.

Flypaper

More and more of the time
it's like this,
the same types of experiences
and characters filling our container.

Follow the scent.
You know what you like.
It gets better.

It's more like this,
expanding on all sides,
harmonious.

Somewhere they are all waiting
together in a separate slice of reality.

Monument

I don't know where it stands,
the towering block of stone
enduring all erosive forces
and protecting what continually returns
as love.

Love under different guises.
Salutations, my friend!
Pay homage to consistent recurrent
dominance.

Wrap your arms around it,
this feels solid.