A poem simply sounds the bell, of that which words could never tell.

ZEN

The Zen garden
A moment of stillness
Petrified in time
Ripples in the gravel
So devotionally raked
Halted in their disturbance
Caught in mid pace
Shades of grey
The middle path they say
Between black and white
Half the way to certainty

Worn smooth
By mountain torrents
Quite at ease
Though far from home
The centrepiece
A dome of stone
Frozen
Flexing its polished back
Like a cat
A glimpse perhaps
A crack in continuity
A portal for intuition
Sentient feeling
Knowledge and will
Always existed

Soon after
That first long
Wistful sigh
When space
Clotted into worlds
Before the gardener came
To rake and tend
Were stones the guardians
Of awareness
Perfectly at one
Silent and sure
Today tomorrow
And evermore


17 comments:

Kim said...

beautiful poem...
perhaps you would consider featuring it on my other site PoeARTica

Unknown said...

Kim - thank you for that wonderful invitation - I would be delighted to share it over there.
Thank you - I'll pop over (metaphorically) and see what's what.

Carolina Z said...

Tim, you write like I dream.

DebbieDana said...

very nice poem indeed!

Ellumbra said...

@danadebbie - I am most appreciative of your kind comment.
May I wish you both great happiness in your life together.

Dave King said...

This is a fine poem that cannot be valued after one reading, I think. I shall return. My thyanks for it.

Unknown said...

Praise, both appreciated and respected - coming from yourself Dave - thank you.

silent storm said...

Now why am I still mesmerized?...

Unknown said...

@ Silent Storm - on the count of three . . .
Thanks for stopping by.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful. You have created a sanctuary in this poem. The lines evokes an insatiable hunger from the reader that only the same words from this poem could fill. it entices the reader to dive into its unfathomable calmness again and again...

Ellumbra said...

@ Drippingmind - I feel a strange balance of pride and humility - reading your comment.
Thank you - princess.

Dave King said...

It's growing on me with every visit. I shall have to print it out. Goodness knows what it will do for me before we've finished with each other, it and I!

Ellumbra said...

Quite sincerely Dave, it only wishes you peace and an opportunity for reflection - but watch out for paper-cuts!

Dave King said...

Reorganising my blog recently, I must have inadvertently deleted the lnk to yours. humble apologies. You are now reinstated.

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Oh, that's lovely!

Ellumbra said...

@ - thank you Dave for being so considerate as to inform me.

@ - susan helene gottfried - welcome here - and thank you for your appreciative comment.

Ellumbra said...

@ Carolina Z - how could I be so rude, not replying to your comment.
A dreadful oversight - please accept my apologies.
Please accept my belated thanks as well - your comments are truly appreciated - I have read your lovely way with words.