Relevance of Hope

the Vidyahara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
eleventh descendent in the line of tülkus
teachers of the Kagyü lineage of Tibet

warned against two calamities:

being in love and
having any hopes

therefore one might be free
happy

a harsh teaching

it does however when i work with it
seem to connect me

with the inexorable loss
and losses

as i walk with humankind
at-large this bright pink dawn

in California land of record voter-turnout

looking for a poem in the manner
of some or any resolution

worth the saying

of global catastrophe
personal tragedy

ever-present dangers
on all scales of imminent

obliteration

that tülku was a trickster

* * *

eternal war seems clearly to be
the preponderating chant
of certain Abrahamic sects
by loveless consensus
hopeless conviction

if anything is to be believed

rigid iron magnitudes of force
monstrous energies without end

nothing blurry about this but set

in definite space of blood sacrifice
burnt offerings

self creating self destroying self
in these most earnest

prophetic circles

* * *

there is no gamelan to hammer with
here in Monterey

the epic Mahabarata
tales of rivalry and conquest

no shadow theater
with magic and humor

to express the feelings
of this day

* * *

if i try to keep on in this way
i will only regret it

saying more of what i don't know

of what might have been
and was not or the cruel

evasiveness even to imagine
what can be

* * *

it is beneficial to be steadfast
and possible to advance

hope or no

sky flavors the wet
winter earth all around

it is helpful to connect
witness attentively

work vigilant wherever
the email list may find us

standing still like
absolute silence

is not actually possible

November 5, 2004