Social Poems Political Poems

I am interviewing folks who do meditation and it is so beautiful how each of us seeks out the divine in ourselves seeking out freedom bliss, joy, transcendence absolutely beautiful © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

what is mindfulness? is it to talk about mindfulness? this is mind stuff mindfulness means clearing the mind so that it is open to experience now looking closely at now whatever its contents noticing those details looking closely at this © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

open up to yourself in this present moment by looking nowhere else no subject no object just taking in the whole all in one eternal moment in this now and forever right in this instance © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

staying calm staying clear paying attention and remembering that it is not the end of the world this is my job right now in the present moment as neither of our cars are managing to start © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

doing the dishes listening to music dancing a little while I scrub pots and plates, etc. getting the most out of the moment this is mindfulness © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

our tea kettle is no kettle it is a small pot that will sit there and boil until dry and begin to stink all because it will never ever whistle © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

the shadows part the clouds disperse and out comes the light of joy open and watchful excited and eager simple energy prevails again without the fog of this must that © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

the sunlight is spilling onto the refrigerator at a low angle broken vertical lines shadows of window frames the contrast is there to tell me something is happening © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

this moment is real you are alive now reading this poem paying close attention this is mindfulness where are your thoughts? are you having thoughts? are you thinking about yesterday or tomorrow? who is here now? who is it inside you? and are they enough? © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

bread is amazing bread is beautiful wheat is ground turned to flour mixed with water salt and yeast and left alone to rise and rise all by itself then baked and the taste is incredible can you smell the bread baking? © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

this poem is a mindfulness poem but only if you are really here only if you are really attentive only if you are paying attention to all that this poem is offering not what is going to happen tomorrow or what happened in the distant past this is all we have this here now THIS like a toddler holding up a toy to show Mommy making a noise until Mom acknowledges that it is what it is this is that same poem © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

just watching life stare at itself in disbelief over its own beauty © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

this book that I am reading has pages in it on the pages there are marks language lying there like little scratches all making so much sense somewhere in my psyche problems spin and grow solutions cook and smolder what is this silly process? why focus on books and pages, when there are trees and flowers? © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

here we are living in eternity with all this business all this technology buildings, bricks pavement, cars I'm not sure that all that matters, though they call it so © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

there is a light in the whole of me in the hole of me deep down inner inward emptiness and everything is alive there sitting in lotus position calm, relaxed, complete shining outward from time to place and time see to shining see this is the whole of me © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

there is a bag in my living room with a drooping handle the bag itself is crumpled one handle is still somewhat reaching up still struggling to hold it together © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

a photographer notices something special something dynamic something bright and extraordinary in a photograph she took whilst feeling particularly joyful and full of trust © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean

the sun is casting shadows slowly moving across the walls of our apartment creeping around corners ever so slowly time and dimension this is life contrast— change against stillness © 2009-2010 Benjamin Dean