Category: Auburn

urdva dhanurasana

I have never assumed this pose
but I also travel through life
with my softest parts
held up high for the world
to do with as it will

14 June 2013
Auburn AL

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I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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krounchasana

this is the beginning
as the heron emerges
forms on the shape
of a human body
one more reminder
that nothing is created
nothing is destroyed
we simply exchange atoms
each holding their allotment
for a brief time before
scattering them to the universe
to become a bird, a rock
a woman, the space between
the stars

13 June 2013
Auburn, AL

(Note: “Krounchasana” means “heron pose.” In this photo, Arielle is setting up for the pose.)

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I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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baddha konasana

tap tap tap
on the sole of the shoe
slowly inserting the tack
who does this work anymore?
why mend what can be
easily discarded, cheaply replaced?

because by finding value
in the careful repair
of the mundane
we teach ourselves
to recognize the worth of
everything and everyone

12 June 2013
Auburn AL

(Note: “baddha konasana” is often referred to as “cobbler’s pose” because it mirrors the position taken by Indian cobblers as they work. In the photo, Arielle is in a supine form of this posture called supta baddha konasana.)

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I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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tree
(for Arielle and Dre)

the robe and mortarboard
signifying completion, achievement
a broadening of possibilities

on her left hand the ring he gave her
when they decided that facing tomorrow
together was better than facing it alone

there comes a time when the past
loses its hold on us, when
we are pulled forward by the future

in tree pose, one foot is lifted off the ground
because while we remember our roots
we refuse to let them claim us

11 June 2012
Auburn AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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low plank

it sounds silly, plank
it means “flat” in Latin
a board or a piece
of a party platform
(speaking of “bored”)

with a cutlass and
an eyepatch it takes on
a whole new meaning,
ending in water as
the ship sails out of view

one finger, then two, then
three like in the cartoons
I never understood that
if you have the presence
of mind to count, why not swim?

in Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man
Burt’s boat takes on the colors
of the rainbow, each plank
a reminder of a neighbor
or a job well done

it’s a long book, one neither of
my kids ever had the patience for
but sometimes I’d finish it myself
after they’d fallen asleep
their breathing like a gentle surf

10 June 2013
Auburn, AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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bakasana

as she floats above the table
I hear my name in Sanskrit
my mind flies like my namesake
back to that river in Yokohama
we walked along it every day
hundreds of times, never seeing
a single bird that would justify its name
the word for “crane” in Sanskrit
means “stupid” in Japanese
I’ll try not to take it personally

9 June 2013
Auburn AL

(Note: “bakasana” means “crane posture” or “crane seat.” The river referred to is the Tsurumigawa, which means “See Crane River.” Finally, “baka,” which means “crane” in Sanskrit, means “stupid” in Japanese.”)

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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triangle

the Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree
Mara demanded proof of enlightenment
the Buddha touched the Earth, which
responded: “I am your witness”
Mara disappeared, revealing Venus
twenty-five hundred years later
she is on the balcony, one hand
touching the floor, the other
reaching for the sky

8 June 2013
Auburn AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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headstand

am I
upside-down
or have I
always believed
what is really
the ground
is the sky?

7 June 2013
Auburn, AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. Arielle writes the Unforgettable Detritus blog and curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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dolphin

betraying my own ignorance
I ask: are there dolphins in India?
I like to imagine them
swimming in the Ganges
while the devout bathers
wash away the dust of life
according to Douglas Adams
dolphins believe they
are smarter than humans
because they have no wars
or cities or technology
and while I can’t say I’m ready
to give up my computer
or the subway or air conditioning
I think maybe I could be happy
taking this pose beside a sacred river
while the dolphins blow water
into the hot Indian air

5 June 2013
Auburn, AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. These days, Arielle curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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cobra

while it’s true I could fit
everything I remember
of my entire childhood
into one two-hour film
there are still some images
that remain clear and bright
I remember the scene
where a cartoon cobra
is menacing the children
but they are saved
by the heroism of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
a cartoon mongoose
I didn’t know till years later
that he was a Kipling character
I only knew that I liked the idea
of someone watching over me
while I slept

4 June 2013
Auburn, AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. These days, Arielle curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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up dog

the part I can’t explain
is the light
those two beams
shooting down into the photo
like there’s an open door
to the sky
at the top of the frame
although
it just occurred to me
they may not be coming down
maybe they’re trails
left by something going up
not a dog, presumably
perhaps a very small ship
carrying an iPod full of music
to the very edge of the universe
I hope this photo is on the ship
because I’d like whoever receives it
to believe we spend our time
looking for beauty
within our own bodies

3 June 2013
Auburn AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. These days, Arielle curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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down dog

introducing his song
Everybody Has The Blues
James Taylor says of his dog:
“Man’s best friend?
I’d like to think not.”
which for me
raises the question
of what or whom
JT had in mind
maybe it’s enough
to support one’s own weight
to let the spine
the arms the legs
carry around this
bag of colors
without feeling the need
to search for someone
who knows how to mix them together

2 June 2013
Auburn AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. These days, Arielle curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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forward fold

he’d been certain
approaching her door
but when she opened it
and he saw her
framed in the light
from the room beyond
his resolve collapsed
crumpled like a discarded
rag doll on a child’s floor
he stepped through the doorway
she folded him into her arms
he wept until morning came

1 June 2013
Auburn AL

/ / /

I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem will be inspired by a photo of writer Arielle Brousse doing yoga. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years. These days, Arielle curates The Sensible Nonsense Project, a collection of writing about people’s favorite childhood books. Thank you to Arielle for allowing me to use the photos, and for all the entertaining and inspiring writing she’s done over the years.

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