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Category: Yoga

POEM: gomukhasana

31_gomukhasana

gomukhasana

look at her and
remember:
even in the
fastest river
it’s possible
to be a rock
around which
the water flows

30 June 2013
Auburn AL

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I’m writing a poem a day in 2013. During June, each day’s poem has been 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. Today is the final day of this yoga series. 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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POEM: mayurasana

29_mayurasana_peacock_pose

mayurasana

I like to imagine
the many people
who probably caught sight
of one of these photo shoots

a woman suspended in the air
or balanced on one foot
or stretched in an unlikely pose

people walking the streets of Philadelphia
having whatever day they were having
nudged off the tracks
of their normal train of thought
by the sight of something uncommon
or the sight of something common
in an unusual place

switching places with Arielle in their minds
imagining a life in which its possible
to balance like a peacock
at the top of the stairs
no matter who’s watching

29 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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POEM: salabhasana

28_salabhasana_locust_pose

salabhasana

all Icaraus wanted
was to fly
who can blame him?

28 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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POEM: cosmic dancer

27_cosmic_dancer

cosmic dancer

when I was 16 years old
the first Voyager turned
in its flight through the solar system
to take one last photo of Earth
our world appearing as a dot
in the corner of the image
I was amazed at how small it all seemed
now I’m 39, looking at a photo
of a lone woman opening herself
to that same solar system
and I realize I was wrong
each of us contains everything
and in our moments of beauty
we outshine the sun

27 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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POEM: prasarita padottanasana

26_wide_leg_forward_fold

prasarita padottanasana

most days it’s enough
to find one clear
point of focus
amid the noise and blur

26 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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POEM: poet’s pose

25_poets_pose

poet’s pose

dancing
atop a table
looking for meaning
in the folds
of a tablecloth
the placement of chairs
the careful balance
of elements
it’s fitting
to have one hand
on her heart
while the other
reaches upward
toward a sky
no one has yet
found an adjective
to encompass

25 June 2013
Auburn AL

Here’s an outtake from that same day. It was hard to decide which photo to use:

25_poets_pose_alternate

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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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POEM: twisted bound seat

24_twisted_bound_seat

twisted bound seat

I first saw her in a museum
she was on a pedestal
twisted into a knot
looking away from me
I tried to catch her eye
but she was a sculpture
not a painting, her eyes
would not follow me
I talk when I’m nervous
so I began to describe
the world outside her walls
the soft grass in front
of the museum, the trees
that shade the sidewalks
the smell of tulips the sound
of children laughing
every little while I’d steal
a glance in her direction
hoping for the slightest change
when I described music—
that was when I noticed
the tension leave her arm
a slight release of one leg
I told her about Nina Simone
John Coltrane Stevie Wonder
Bob Dylan Billy Bragg Aretha
until the names became a prayer
and she flowed like water off
the pedestal into my arms
as we left the museum together
she spoke for the first time
“sing to me” she said

24 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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POEM: little boat

23_little_bedraggled_boat

little boat

Polynesian children are placed in boats
at a very young age
their parents want them to feel the waves
against the boat
to understand the subtle patterns and shifts
so that as adults
when it comes time to navigate the far distances
they don’t need maps
they simply need to remain quiet, still
let their bodies
translate the soft messages of vibration
the sailors themselves
are compasses, nerves like needles pointing
no need for north
translating the waves within the waves
as they cross the sea

23 June 2013
Auburn AL

Note: In her own note on this photo, Arielle referred to this as “little bedraggled boat.” I have to assume she was joking, because one look at the photo and it’s immediately clear that, far from being bedraggled, she is radiating strength. This photo and the one of Arielle with her mother and sister are what inspired this series.

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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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POEM: revolved triangle

22_revolved_triangle

revolved triangle

obtuse
scalene
isosceles
acute
equilateral

…right?

hypotenuse!

22 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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POEM: 108 sun salutations

tumblr_mor9vsItTf1qz9vh8o1_500

108 sun salutations

Bernie, who reads all his library books in the car on the way home
John, who is still excited to see me
Jennifer, who takes care of them and reminds them to love
Gretchen, who has somehow decided not to run away
these four weird walls that surround me and keep me dry and cool
Tina, who gave me a place to land and come in out of the storm
Patrick, who appreciates
Andrea, for many things, including Herman Hesse’s name
Emily, who finds new ways to care
poetry, for giving me a deep well to fill
poetry again, for giving me something to fill it with
music, for repeatedly saving my life
Rachel, who offered me a room of my own
Josh, for inspiration
New York City, in which place I am, finally, at home
my Selmer Mark VI soprano saxophone, for all the years we had together
Kate, for showing me what’s possible
Orion, for being there in the sky even when I forget
Walt, because a blade of grass isn’t just a blade of grass
Nikki, for drawing beauty from pain
Nicky, even though
Matt, for lifting us out of our seats with a snare drum and a smile
Andrea, who remembers what it is to be human
Ken, who puzzles and puzzles till his puzzler is sore
Sally, for apples and peanut butter and a heart like a galaxy
Julie, who smiles even though she knows a lot, or maybe because she does
Sean, whom I’ve never met but feel like I know already
David, for being a good listener
Kevin, for all those odd meters back in the day
Jenn, who is never afraid of the truth
my ears, for not yet giving out
whoever came up with writing
and also whoever came up with language; that was smart
Chelsea, who ignites
Jill, who put Ace Frehley in my bed
Connie, who understood why Walt mattered
Mike, who pushed when I needed pushing
Otto, who understands old souls
Daryl, for food and music and a safe haven
F____, even though
Danny, who does the right thing
Douglas
my eyes, which can’t really see colors, but notice other things
Stevie, because come on, he’s Stevie!
Josh, who keeps the bullshit at bay
Jonathan, for his futon and more
Richard, who has supported the adventure
Matt, for hours of good conversation
David, for singing truth to power
Geoffrey, for reconnecting
Maria, for melody and understanding
Alan, the bird without wings
Carmen, for everthing
risk, without which this would all be so boring
Arielle, for giving me the idea
Sparky, for singing
Cash, for knowing who’s boss (not me)
Rome, for believing
Toni, who sees the good in everyone
this tummy, which apparently digs food a bit more than it should
Carolee, who was there when it mattered
Jill, who writes and dresses better than I do
Avery, who gets it
Dan, who gave me excellent advice
Kim, for wisdom
Andrew, who makes me want to think more
Muhammad Ali, who is the greatest
Lenny, who turned everything around
Naomi, who instantly understood
Scott, whose heart is not wounded
Dave, up there on the mountain
miso soup
Reiko, who was my mom when I needed her to be
Steve, who brought the air weed
Bernard, for the swing
Dorothy, who, at the end, uncovered her heart
Amy, who is a muse
Alyson, even though
Mr. Gautama, who figured out something important
Lindsay, who knows what’s ridiculous and why
Sarah, for the birthday song
Brad, who speaks my language
Art, for half
Linda, for those glowing balls of light
Todd, for KISS and Nova
Lynne, for remembering
Jack, for the nursery rhymes
Chuck, for the canal
Bob, for waving
Wade, for shooting stars and the Moody Blues
Jennifer, for being the first
Wendy, who didn’t follow
tofu, which brings magic happy
Jeff, even though
Don, who’s delightful
Hayden, whose words seeped in
Albert, who makes things out of nothing
Kurt, and so it goes
the sun, which is useful and lovely
the moon, which I’ve always been drawn to
Dan, who treated us like people
gravity, even though I don’t quite know how it works
Lenox, which still feels like a dream
sembe, which may be the best thing on Earth
sweet tea, which is a close second
John, for making me want to play deeper
you, for reading this
me, because I’m still here

21 June 2013
Auburn AL

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Arielle, who is the subject of my yoga series this month, mentioned today that she and many others are performing 108 sun salutations (a basic yoga sequence) to welcome summer. I thought I could do something similar, so I though of 108 things and people for whom I’m grateful. Of course there are many, many others.

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POEM: split

21_split

split

into dozens
of different pieces
until
if you’re lucky
you learn
to pull your
self together
to be who you are

21 June 2013
Auburn AL

(Happy birthday, Arielle!)

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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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POEM: big toe pose

20_big_toe_pose

big toe pose

the outer layer is a pinkish stucco
from the time when someone in
this northeastern city thought
southwestern walls would work
behind that a layer of paint or plaster
darker, less welcoming, more honest
dig a little deeper and you’ve exposed
what looks like the wall of a canyon
(picture weighted-down mules following
a trail to the canyon floor)
finally brick, the truth, covered
again and again as if to hide
that this place, like most places
was born from the breasts and backs
of people who worked for a living
you might wonder if any of this matters
given that standing in front of the layers
is someone living in exactly this moment
you might think that although history
is important, it’s still history
you might say that to hold one’s big toe
and find balance for a few moments
is greater than the work of the bricklayers
and architects and stonemasons
you might be right

20 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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POEM: utthita parsvakonasana

19_extended_side_angle

utthita parsvakonasana

if all you have
going for you
are two people
who’ll strike a pose
on camera because
they love you
then rejoice
because you have
everything
going for you

19 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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POEM: uttihita chaturanga dandasana

18_plank

uttihita chaturanga dandasana

oh to eat the chattering
to leave behind the silence
exhale all the breath
till nothing remains
a perfect stillness
rooted to the earth
like the base of a mountain

18 June 2013
Auburn, AL

This posture is more commonly referred to as “plank pose.” Its Sanskrit name means “extended four-limbed staff pose.” The first line of this poem is a play on the phonetic sound of the first two Sanskrit words.

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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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POEM: crescent lunge

17_crescent_lunge

crescent lunge

not to attack but to leap
forward into life
with joyous abandon
with the heart open
to the possibility
that happiness may be
our true purpose

17 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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