Meditation and Poetry

buffleheads in the marina

Traditions of deliberate attention to consciousness, and of making poems, are as old as humankind. Meditation looks inward, poetry holds forth. One is private, the other is out in the world. One enters the moment, the other shares it. But in practice it is never entirely clear which is doing which. In any case, we do know that in spite of the contemporary public perception of meditation and poetry as special, exotic, and difficult, they are both as old and as common as grass. The one goes back to essential moments of stillness and deep inwardness, and the other to the fundamental impulse of expression and presentation.

- Gary Snyder, “Just One Breath”

Now, If I could just shut my mouth and remember to breathe instead of talk.

Coming across this piece in Tricycle Magazine made me remember that the only library book I ever stole was by Gary Snyder. It might have been  "Practice of the Wild." I didn't mean to steal it. I just didn't want to give it back.

Here in Margaritaville/Pillville these days, it seems to require a stolen moment to blog.