[Oe List ...] ST Op Ed for Tuesday Jan. 3

[Jaime R Vergara]

Appropriated Nancy's thread and made it my own.  

The usual caveat: if you hear a beat, welcome; not, see you at the next bend.






MY 2012 BOWL – j’aime la vie
 
The shaven head with the smiling face
confident in the gloomy side of shadow,
sandaled feet, sun saffron-robed body,
walks out with a begging bowl, empty.
Whatever is gathered each day 
makes for nourishment, his way.
 
My head remains unshaven, 
but my soul wears saffron.
My gait is not so steady, 
but my sandals are strong.
And I, too, am out begging,
to have my bowl filled full.
 
What does my bowl gather?
Does what comes along
adds to what I already know?
Does the mendicant on his knee 
ever does anything new?
My bowl holds my knowing and doing, 
which maintain and sustain my being.
 
I gather memories, for sure.
They come fully accompanied 
by atmospheric bewildering, 
on loud and fine canvasses, 
wild and angelic rendering,
of romantic misting rain, 
of tears of joy and pain,
from smiling faces, 
smell of earthen places, 
of sounds of laughter, 
brothers and sisters all.
 
In Zhongguo’s earth, the taste of dust 
delivered in amazing and assuring hugs. 
 
When my day is done, 
my bowl is filled, my soul is full,
a mortal flesh chimes on a goal.
 
And what is in your bowl?
 
In my mendicant wandering last year, 
my heart awe struck and shaken,
my hopes and dreams forsaken,
my body gave way to aging,
set fleshly sashay to sagging;
while folks endured their suffering, 
voices throve in melodious singing,
families had fun, kindred spirits ran.
 
New friends in old familiar places,
old friends emerged in new embraces,
painful political systems in decay, 
save us from uncles, we pray,
diverse people choosing to OCCUPY,
new models of sociality to try,
classmates disremembered re-connected, 
victims’ lamentations and stories heard
flagrant fragrances of atrocities aired.
 
Ah, I’ve got experiences to describe, 
expressed feelings, decibels for the night, 
articulated thoughts complex and simple,
in awe and wonder of common encounters,
at once, devastating and full of life,
I am pretty nourished, humbled and gratified.
 
We heard of a manger 2000 years ago,
truthfully imagined, inspired, or so, 
now we herald echoes of a distant flaring,
our universe some 14 billion years old,  
truth sanctifies factual imagining,  
reality embodied, plainly yet boldly told.
 
Light, love, life comes through
in the discordant sound of the erku,
accompanies the gugong in trance,
life’s energy incarnates in dance.
 
Again, 
empty 2012 bowl is out to gain
in another chosen time of turning,
the substance of life ever churning,
and the causes of our lives, we partake,
chances transformed, to undertake,
add the daily choices we will make, 
a year-full begging bowl to contemplate,
life’s being, we willfully celebrate.
Let’s.

Jaime R. Vergara (jrvergarajr2031 at aol.com) previously taught at San Vicente Elementary School in Saipan and is currently a guest lecturer at Shenyang Aerospace University in China.

 
 Jaime R Vergara 


All of yesterday, thanks; all of tomorrow, yes; all of today, let it be!




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