New Hamlet, Spring

By Emily Gerger

photo by Paul Davis
Here when a soft breeze blows 
     tulips dance before Buddha
     as if Mother Earth herself 
     was waving hello

Here the full moon lights my path
     to rest and to rise
     each footstep in tune
     with the chanting of frogs

Here I drink my tea slowly
     sage, mint, verbena
     and hear a bell three times
     in my toes and in my soul 

Here encircled in bamboo
     my taste buds smile 
     and my heart is filled  
     with raindrop tears 

In   Out        In   Out

Here I sit on a purple pillow
     discovering seeds I carry 
     from before my time 

In   Out        In   Out

Here I have arrived 

Here I am home

Dedicated to Thay,

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By Emily Gerger

photo by Paul Davis
Here when a soft breeze blows 
     tulips dance before Buddha
     as if Mother Earth herself 
     was waving hello

Here the full moon lights my path
     to rest and to rise
     each footstep in tune
     with the chanting of frogs

Here I drink my tea slowly
     sage, mint, verbena
     and hear a bell three times
     in my toes and in my soul 

Here encircled in bamboo
     my taste buds smile 
     and my heart is filled  
     with raindrop tears 

In   Out        In   Out

Here I sit on a purple pillow
     discovering seeds I carry 
     from before my time 

In   Out        In   Out

Here I have arrived 

Here I am home

Dedicated to Thay, the sisters of New Hamlet, and Plum Village Sangha

Emily is a graduate student living in Freiburg, Germany. This poem was inspired by the Spring Retreat at Plum Village in 2018.

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What is Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh January 15, 2020

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