Poem

Three Poems

By John E. Vérin
Published in Volume 18 Issue 2 | Comments 0   

 

Burning

Incense is burning
slowly
through
this
deep
night
exactly
like me
Breath stoking body
to ember
to ash
smoke whispering
itself
away
fragrance kissing
it all
goodbye

 

Siren

A siren
woke me
up
while I was
meditating
entering
on an inhalation
Yes
I was
asleep
I mean
not
the nighttime kind
but the asleep
of not Awake
You might be
asleep
too
right now
even though
you are feeling
in to
these words
about Awakeness
I am not
criticizing
you
We are all
the same
Next time
you
will remind
me
like the siren
deeply urgent exhale
cutting through
the chaos
of traffic
trying to save
a life

 

So Many Words

There are only
so many words
we can use
to speak of
Silence
the kind that is
before sound
not after
Sacred speech and print
are just shadows
of the noteless symphony
unwritten
on blank sheets
There are only
so many words
We must choose
wisely
Just one
can drop the veil
or be one
too many

About John E. Vérin

John began writing in middle school, starting with mini comic books and short stories. In high school, he started writing poetry. He also explored drawing and photography, which further informed him about evoking images with words. English and Writing was John’s college major, earning a B.A. from Ithaca College in 1991. In his mid-twenties, he became professionally involved in sustainable agriculture and community gardening and wrote educational pieces for a variety of audiences. During a recent 16-month Zen monastic training, John resumed writing poetry and is now pursuing the craft of writing as a career.

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