Put all malice away from you. Lighten your soul with spiritual fruit: empathy, grace, and forgiveness and reverse the growth of bitterness.
For many years, I lived a safe and tethered life-- loving my creator and the world, until I was introduced to my first philosophy class. Little by little, I started to feel smarter than the creator of all things; so smart that I started to question and test my God. What kind of God -lets children starve? -lets people get sick and die? -lets bad things happen to good people? The innocent faith of the child that lived in me was confronted with questions too large. My God-fearing parents prayed for me. And then, I wrote God a Dear John letter.
"Teach me the meaning of heaven and hell," the samurai barked. The monk opened his eyes. "I have no time for rudeness or silly questions." So goes the parable of The Monk and The Belligerent Samurai.
All Rights Reserved © Selma Martin 2021 Folklore inspired by a grasshopper that landed on my head. A red-legged, pale grasshopper, her life’s purpose completed, came to say ‘sayonara’ to me, and I saw beauty in the encounter: how beautiful this cycle accepted with reverence. May we learn more from these fragile creatures whose offspring we'll see in the summer.
Given into the serenity, I got caught in a desire to investigate-- my human foible. Glad I did for the carp's folly gifted me a smile and a memory that I recount to you in this string of senryu poems. Enjoy.
Phoenix When you were still green behind the years, and self-righteous thoughts ruled, do you remember feeling like a phoenix endowed with mighty physical-strength? I know, right! But did you…
What a perfect coincidence is what I’ve come to think. Yes, it makes perfect sense. That witching hour is karma. What precision. What joy.
Have you been looking for God in all the wrong places? Perhaps you looked for Him in your place of worship but all you found was un-Godly people? Well, get ready to be surprised because after today you'll know exactly where to find God.