Category Archives: Bamboo Leaves

POEMS

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Universal Octopus

Poems are diamonds,everywhereembedded in living rock. You see themyou dig them outyou polish them. (Sometimes you don’t see them.) Polish them too much,they break into fragments,blow away,a handful of dust. (Each mote of which is a diamond.) .

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Bamboo Leaves, dust, fragments, living rock, poems, polish | Leave a comment

DYING RACES OF MANKIND

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Universal Octopus

When the rich see the very poorthey know it is timeto buy their valuables.Cheaply. This ancient peoplewere driven out of Tibetby the Tibetans,out of China by the Chineseand out of Burmaby the Burmese. Ah Kah people are very poorand cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Ah Kay people, ancestors, animists, bamboo, Bamboo Leaves, Brahmin Swing, Burma, Burmese, China, Chinese, Christian, headresses, Israelites, missionaries, pharmaceutical drugs, philosphies, poor, races of mankind, rich, self-knowledge, shining souls, silver jewellery, spirits, Tibet, tribal knowledge | Leave a comment

BUDDHA’S SUNLIT CHAMBER

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Universal Octopus

In Buddha’s sunlit laboratory(or Dhamma chamber),experiments by laboratory assistants(or monks)demonstratethat if you shine the lightof investigationon form, feeling, perception,thoughts and consciousnessand apply continuous mindfulnessat the very centreof the rising and fallingof these phenomena,all things are seento be without a permanent … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Buddha, Centre, consciousness, dhamma, feeling, form, Gautama, investigation, light, monks, peace, suffering, thoughts, Visakha Puja, vision | Leave a comment

TIGER CAVE TEMPLE

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Universal Octopus

By the Temple Gatemacaques lie in wait.They squabble and fight,like chickens, for the bananasoffered by northern Europeans.They snatchbags and camerasand are happy to scratchand bitethe hands that feed them. An enormous limestone hillthree hundred metres hightowers above the temple. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Buddha, caves, dell, fig trees, forest, Guardian Deva, macaques, mountains, Snake Cave, temple, Thai, Tiger, Tiger Cave, Ven Chamnean | Leave a comment

MEO

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Universal Octopus

He has dirty feet;“Washing is dangerouswash much, sicken and die.”He wears a short black jacketand floppy black trousers.A large silver lock hangs round his neck.She has a blue jacketand a tightly pleated kiltof hemp and cottonwith heavily embroideredand weighted black … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Bamboo Leaves, bribes, British, Burma, cash crops, Chinese, cotton, hemp, hill tribes, Jungle, maize, missionaries, opium, poor, smiles, tax, Thai, tourists, trees | Leave a comment

MIDSUMMER DREAM

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Universal Octopus

I dreamed of Paradise Garden;sunlight sliding downfrom an infinite skythrough cedar trees to emerald lawns;oriental poppies six feet high,Indian butterflies gliding bythrough multilayered shades of blue.Olympian Apollo’s statueholds a fountain in his hands,which swirls and mists, sparkles and cools,cascading down … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Bamboo Leaves, dream, eagles, fountain, free!, Indian butterflies, midsummer, oriental poppies, Paradise Garden, prison, silver sands, solitude, song birds, sunlight, world | Leave a comment

ECONOMIC CRISIS

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Universal Octopus

BE SMILE DENTIST advertises down onSoi Anuman Rajadhon.Next door Anglo East Surety Brokerinsures diamonds and gemstones.Having struggled with the world’s economic crisis,faced with a shortage of government bailout schemes,Anglo East has decided on a fundamental solutionand invited ninety-nine monks to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged bailout schemes, Bamboo Leaves, broker, Buddha, chanting, demons, dentist, dhamma, diamonds, Economic Crisis, exorcised, government, merit, monks, new robes, offerings, precepts, sangha, temples, Thailand | Leave a comment

THE CIRCLE LINE

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Universal Octopus

Round and round the Circle Linein endless pursuit of me and mine. Familiar scenes go hurtling past,each new vision much like the last;grief and suffering, hate and paincoming round and round again. Where are the stops where the doors slide … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Bamboo Leaves, Circle Line, decision time, escape?, Exit, grief and suffering, me, mine, new vision, respite, stations, stop, view | Leave a comment

GETTING INTO HOT WATER

Posted on May 16, 2020 by Universal Octopus

The forest is dense and undisturbed,the trees high and overshading,the birdsong harsh and shrill,the giant cicadas persistentlike throbbing brass. Paths have been clearedand wooden bridges laidover a latticework of hot yellow streams.These infiltrate the vegetationand send up clouds of steam. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bamboo Leaves | Tagged Bamboo Leaves, birdsong, butterflies, cicadas, forest, heat, jacuzzi, minerals, steam, trees, waterfalls, wooden bridges, yellow streams | Leave a comment

NEW RECRUITS REPORT TO THE GUARDROOM

Posted on April 18, 2020 by Universal Octopus

On Tuesday after a silenceof three months,suddenly,where the junglethrows evening shadows over the bougainvilleas,all the cicadas shouted out at once;stretching and releasing their tymbalslike the shimmering and vibratingof a thousand silver cymbals. No notices were posted on the trees.No announcements … Continue reading →