Category: just texts

Writing practice

Hundrest poem without taers

My English translation

In 2012, I heard Dragica Rajčić read her poetry. She is Croatian and lives in Switzerland. Her volume of poetry is in German; she also writes in Croatian, which I cannot read. I did not like the English translation, also presented at the reading, because it had eliminated all the idiosyncracies of the original. I believe it is the little nicks that make this poem.

And if you like the just texts — poems I wrote or translated, prose that often has a rhythm — they are, in no particular order, under Just texts.

Chickadee

A very good group at this writing workshop. The prompt was ‘lingering love’.

If you have the energy to read more of the Just texts you find them in blog order on this website. Please comment on what you associate with them, what you like, what you dislike, what you read in them, how they make you feel …

If you do not follow blogs, which I understand, I also let all know on Twitter and Instagram. See you soon.

Just words: Giving

Nung Chan Monastery, Taipeh

“Subhuti, if someone gives treasures equal to the number of sands on the shores of the Ganges river, and if another, having realized the egolessness of all things, thereby understanding selflessness, the latter would be more blessed than the one who practiced external charity. Why? Because great disciples do not see blessings and merit as a private possession, as something to be gained.”

Subhuti inquired of the lord Buddha, “What do you mean ‘great disciples do not see blessings and merit as private possession’?”

“Because those blessings and merit have never been sought after by those great disciples, they do not see them as private possessions, but they see them as the common possession of all beings.” 

Diamond Sutra, chapter 28

Let me give you some advice. Give me a break. You have got the gift. Give it back to me. What gives?

There is a lot of giving going on here. Always. Everywhere. Each of us. Let us take time to reflect: Did I give you this to receive? Later maybe? Straightaway?  How does a gift make me feel? Is it pure joy? Any gratitude?  Oh, gratitude! Now, am I obliged to give? Give to you? When? Or to somebody else? I am sensing a debt with a forceful forecast to pay. Back. Am I chained to the gift already? What must the newly gifted slave do?  What have I given? To whom? Often? Or seldom? Too often? Too seldom? Too little? Too much? Too to many? Too to few?

And I give you the spoiler. Straight up. I have no answer for any and all of these questions. I have very few answers to give. And I give them freely. What do you mean, you didn’t ask? There is a time when an answer comes. Just like that. You can’t give it back. You don’t know where it came from.

There is a lot of giving going on here. Everywhere. Always. For all of us. We got a gift. Unique to each of us. And shared among all. The gift. Life. Don’t give it away. Keep it. Share it. We are all gifted.

Subhuti, good people have no merit and were given no blessings. You understood. Good people share and shine the merit and blessings we all possess.

I have signed up for a year-long online writing course. This is lesson 4 on ‘giving’. I am committed to the remaining 48 lessons … I am a little behind, because we are in week 5 of the year, but I believe it is going well. So far I have done the fairytale Hans in Luck, short autofiction on work, and some freewriting on ‘obstacle’.