With eyes closed I am awakenedAnd see quite clearlyThat in this momentSomething shifted— I see the path I’d taken,The one I thought I’d longed for,no longer holds the Buddha’s footprints.Somewhere along the wayI’ve missed my mark—I’d gone astray. The question loomsLarge in my reflection:Do I go onOr retrace my stepsTo find my way? I sitContinue reading “Under A Buck’s Moon”
Category Archives: poem
Nine Attitudes
Sitting as the noise dims within and without I observe the clouds that remain Without portent of future storms I wait, not to hurry them along But with a child’s mind To see what will unfold Seated or in motion I trust without struggle, without strife That what is, is and welcome what will beContinue reading “Nine Attitudes”
The Funny Thing
The funny thing about the condition my condition is inis that I spend my days traveling through time—reliving the past,guffawing at the present,and casting and recasting, like a fly fishermanin those ridiculous waterproof overalls,into the rapids of the everchanging riverof the possibilities of my own future. To complicate things even further,the point of view—and theContinue reading “The Funny Thing”
In a Dream
by Daniel M. Rutberg My cartoon heart, with a zigzag crack,in a dream, still calls your name.The scroll that holds the doings of our fifty years,on spindly legs, walks aimlessly in circles and does the same. I nursed you when you fell ill—I’ve no one else to blame.I tried so hard to catch youwhen youContinue reading “In a Dream”
Morning Quartet
Before DawnThe silence of your absencegrows louder each dayThe process of aging relentlessThe pain of loss and the vagaries of beingLeave me wondering why First LightWithout rhyme or reason,I rise with creaks and groans,and ponder the evil intentof the author of the NY Times puzzle du jour,before sitting down to write,my life and times DaylightTheContinue reading “Morning Quartet”
Regrets
I’ve often said I don’t have any.Everything that came before has led me here—and this place, this moment,isn’t such a bad one. But if I’m honest…Looking back at the careless life I’ve led,at choices made in ignorance, haste, or hunger—if you held them up against the Noble Eightfold Path—Right Speech, Right Intention, and the like—you’dContinue reading “Regrets”
Gratitude – In Three Parts: A Prayer, A Practice, A People
Part One – Angels If I’m not being guided by angels, I don’t know what to tell youEverywhere I go, everywhere I turn,I am finding new souls to connect with,on a level that, for most folks,happens once in a lifetime.This is not a soliloquy,on the oddity of this experience,but a prayer of thanks,an ode toContinue reading “Gratitude – In Three Parts: A Prayer, A Practice, A People”
a simple question
Seven decades in, when asked to peer insideand ruminate about my beingwith the phrase Who am I?I peel away who I have been to others:“Pops” to the grandkids,“Oh Danny,” to my dear bride.Then proudly offer up the legacy of my profession— all aligned to Tikkun Olam—and gleefully describe the joys I’ve taken up in my dotage: capturingContinue reading “a simple question”
A Glimpse of Open Sky
As I perch on blocks upon the floor,the teacher speaks of the art of sitting—and the many masters who have shaped his form.He begins our journey inwardwith a gentle roll of the shoulders—up, back, and down—then slow movements of the head in every direction,aligning the torso before we settle.And then, we follow the breath. ThisContinue reading “A Glimpse of Open Sky”
Finding Solace
I am settling into this life alone,comfortable in the silence,finding solace… in the solitude. I do spend time in memories —of time spent with you,with you and the boys,with you and our families —your mom and dad,the Captain of the ship,and my mother and Santo,Uncle Al and Aunt Stella,gathered around the Seder table. The photographsContinue reading “Finding Solace”