Wednesday April 25 “gazing out, the old
masters say. It
seems easy
enough. But . . . ”
This habit of beginning three work days a week with a poem often stretches my imagination; David Hinton’s few words in today’s poem also stretch me. Reading “Desert” outloud, strong because of its flint-hard word choices, provides a stop during the work day. Perhaps it can offer a break in the crowded pace of the day’s agenda. But that’s what poems do. Some of our c. 2500 readers tease me about the mantra “read outloud . . . with pauses” but in a world where so many messages pulse with anger and fear and over-statement, that’s what poems are for.
Have a blest day this mid-week of final exams on the McNichols Campus.
john st sj
“To celebrate Poetry Month, we are sharing a poem from our forthcoming collection of original poetry, Desert by David Hinton.” ~Shambhala Publications
Today’s Post: “Desert” David Hinton
Empty mind
is a mirror
gazing out, the old
masters say. It
seems easy
enough. But all
night long, stars shimmer
light-years
deep in my gaze. Who
could be that
vast? And at dawn
I’m sure
it’s not me
mirroring
desert, but wide-
open desert
mirroring whatever
it is
I am.
