Comments for Reading & Writing

Comment on Zazen & Happiness by jd

jd — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:24:45 +0000

Lovely, Peter. The gentlest description of reincarnation I’ve ever seen.

Comment on Zazen & Happiness by Peter Rennick

Peter Rennick — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:30:12 +0000

Incarnate Valentine

The sun on a pair of finches bled
is happiness the loss of suffering
liberation from the pain
of this existence
as Buddha said to begin
with the knowledge of sorrow
sparrows on a fallen bough
and how not to return
to this illusory world
of the body and the senses
or is it more like practice
carried over from lifetime
to lifetime the tortoise good
finally catching up with
the hares of wisdom
and nothing that ever happened
wasted or worthless
in the end

Comment on Student Poetry Slam by jd

jd — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:55:24 +0000

Sam, don’t know that autobiography, but you’re right everybody gets their book these days. What’s interesting to me is the endless multiplicity of “scenes” each one believing itself the center of the poetry universe or music universe or whatever universe — if only people would notice us! Now that I’m getting old I just think that what makes any scene real or authentic is how wholeheartedly the participants go at it.

Comment on Student Poetry Slam by Sam

Sam — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:22:51 +0000

Greetings from the PRC, where I’m just starting my last rotation here. I was stimulated to visit sharpsand as I’ve just finished reading Pete Brown’s autobiography. Yeah, everyone has an autobiography now I guess. There’s far too much of ‘and then I met this person (insert name of no significance to me) who was huge on the london poetry scene and we tried to get something started but it failed’. Nonetheless he does describe the poetry and music scene from that era and in that in a very evocative way. Made me imagine being there for it and also made me think about you a bit as well. Pete says that he’s finally brought himself to be able to sing some of the Cream songs in the context of bands without a care of outdoing Jack. There’s some youtube of it that’s pretty entertaining.

Comment on That Flag Really Gets to Me by Paul

Paul — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:29:13 +0000

Where we eat for entertainment under outdoor heating units on patios in the February cold while others can barely feed their families or heat their homes.

Comment on A Little Poem by Chris Robinson

Chris Robinson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:31:27 +0000

This is a Cezanne kind of poem. Lovely. On this day when I am mourning the passing of Wislawa Szymborska this little poem means all the more.

Comment on Zen Again by andrew burke

andrew burke — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:14:28 +0000

Joe – thank you for that. I meddled with Zen years ago and admire your meditation weekend. I have had glimpses of the calm meditation can bring and the creative energy it can foster, but I’ve never kept it up long enough. Looking forwArd to more about ZMM.

Regards = Andrew

Comment on January by Daniel - Pagina web economica

Daniel - Pagina web economica — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:17:17 +0000

that pics are so beautiful, I love how the snow looks

Comment on A Poem from The Book I’m Putting Together . . . by jd

jd — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:40:18 +0000

Once the poem comes out in the journal, I’ll see about linking to it or distributing it in a way that won’t undercut the American Literary Review’s legitimate interests. Also, it will be in my next book!

Comment on A Poem from The Book I’m Putting Together . . . by Chris Robinson

Chris Robinson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:38 +0000

Joe — I saw the Clarkson announcement and I want to congratulate you again. And I congratulate myself too. I’ve really enjoyed your poems and hearing you read them. Now my taste in poetry has been confirmed by a panel of experts. I sure miss chatting with you.