In the stewed rhubarb flesh of the bay’s earliest fog, the water birds are undetermined. Birth and death. Nothing is attached for long. George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has been included in such publications as the Hazmat Review, Moria Poetry Journal, Chronogram Journal, Ampersand Literary Review, The Angle at St. John Fisher College, and 3:16 Journal. George’s blogs, essays and […]
Author: Teahouse
A Prayer for All Who Are Sick
Yakushi the Medicine Buddha by Enku, 17th Century My friend Sister Petra is a Christian nun who also practices Zen Buddhism with our sangha. A few months ago she told me, “During the pandemic, I’ve been praying for everybody who’s sick, in body, mind, or spirit.” I was moved by this, and it has continued […]
On Academic Learning and Teaching Buddhism
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged here! One of the downsides of entering the regular work of scheduling, editing, and news-writing over at Buddhistdoor Global has been a decline in free time to simply observe the world and muse in a way worthy of blogging. . . Oh, and I had a kid. And […]
The Chickadees
do not land in my palm because they trust me. I am a phantom they barely notice. They sense my body heat, the blood coaxed through my thin veins like tree sap, and they hear my vibrations, the way Beethoven coped with going deaf, stopping long enough to bathe their tawny-colored tongues with seed, crushed seashells of safflower and thistle, […]
Creation
Long after therules of magica lush smoke of pipe tobaccorises from thedried leaves prayers cast inthe blackand oily birth light George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has been included in such publications as the Hazmat Review, Moria Poetry Journal, Chronogram Journal, Ampersand Literary Review, The Angle at St. John Fisher College, and 3:16 Journal. George’s blogs, essays […]
A New Moon Intention
The way soft white wheat burns to death in the sun, orhow dried cherry skins unfurlwhen sucked by the coolmint of spring rain, I wish for youto bloom and let go, a faint whiffof sea air flapping on the clothesline George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has been included in such […]
Collectibles
at least he rememberedthe salt-sprayed breezeon their patio in Red Bankthe patio with the pistachio greenumbrella, talking about the sailboatsand sipping raspberry-peach iced teawondering out loud… how a sunsetcould look so much like candle waxmelting on the floor of an old attica few drops of citrus oil was all it took George Cassidy Payne is […]
The Sturgeon
The mechanics of suffering is not so daunting to understandit hurts for a while-gums and bellies pierced byan unseen passion… and then it is donethe savory-sweet, cherry cough syrup scentof death dries and disappears, leavingonly impressions in the ample depth of sand George Cassidy Payne is a poet from Rochester, NY. His work has been included […]