March 10, 2018. I spent February studying Zen poetry – reading many of the classics and writing to suggested prompts. Lorraine “Bird” Mejia is a skilled online teacher and manages to pull things from me I did not expect. True with the Zen writing, for sure. But one of the exercises took me a bit off-prompt, smack dab back to the New Mexico mountain where we camp every August – specifically, back to the “snag” (a tree dead but standing, top broken off) where I sit in solitude. I posted about that snag in 2015, and here I repeat that earlier poem followed by my “Zenish” perception. One snag, two takes.
Who knows? There could be more snag poems to emerge …
Those unasked questions often engender the deepest responses!
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Indeed!
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It’s easy to understand the inspiration this place provides.
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The snag is a private retreat from a group convened on the mountain for 5 days of ceremony, all wonderful, but my soul seeks solitude on a daily basis!
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Love the Zen!
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Thank you!
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I didn’t realize Zen was so poetic. Very nice!
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Thank you!
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I didn’t know the term “snag” but find myself photographing them – their presence a startling message. I really like how these poems progressed – the more recent shocked me (for lack of a better word this morning) for it abruptness – so effective! Such efficiency of words offering maximum impact. Wonderful.
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VJ, thanks – I like both poems, and all sorts of poetic modes others write in. It’s an engaging challenge to express something in just a few words … at least, for a talkative Texan, it is.
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Thank you for introducing me to the concept of snag trees; I’ve seen them all my life and never knew they had a name!
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Thank you … a case of nomenclature that makes sense (so much doesn’t!) … I never knew the term until I started talking to others about this “broken tree”.
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