Poem

Sitting cross legged on a wooden floor
     above the tiny desk, pine branches hang in rain
before my eyes thru glass – a drop falls from the roof edge

broken earth here, pebbles brought from afar scattered
     by white treestump, green grass Crowds the path –

Grey streaks my beard, I began sitting quiet
     lately, but it’s too late to read Lankavatara,
Surangama, Diamond and ten thousand sutras –
     bald head holds no Chinese, Sanskrit, Japanese,
and now Rheumatism twinges my Knees ehn I walk –
Well, with such pines hung in grey sky                   
     I still must be Buddha here – If not
                                who am I?
                                                                    May 3, 1971