Gratitude in the darkness

A friend (thanks Annee!) recently reminded me of the following poem by the former U. S. Poet Laureate, ecology activist and Zen student W. S. Merwin, published in 1988.  In these difficult times, even when things don't go our way, our practice teaches us how amazing it is simply to be alive.  From that view, a bow of thanks may be enough to remind us of what is truly important.



Thanks

Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
standing by the windows looking out
in our directions

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you

over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you

with the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is

From Migration: New & Selected Poems (Copper Canyon Press, 2005). Copyright © 1988 by W. S. Merwin.

Coming and Going Sesshin Talks

Steve Wallace, Sensei (who will receive transmission and become a sensei later tonight!) has posted all of the audio recordings from our 2018 Coming and Going sesshin online at: https://www.boundlesswayzen.org/sesshin/audio/. More talks will be added each day as our practice together unfolds.

Please come join us at the BWZ Temple in Worcester between now and January 22nd if you can.  You are welcome to come for an hour or two, or to register as a resident for any number of days during our three week period of intensive group practice.  Even if you can't join us physically you can still hear all the talks and discussions online.  The inspiration for this year's talks comes from our newly published fourth edition of the Boundless Way Zen Liturgy Book.