When Life Makes Me Mute

My silence has arisen from great difficulties and great joy. These extremes can overwhelm me and I am left with the comfort and certain knowledge of impermanence--this will change. My faith has been confirmed and I am speaking again. I'm sitting in the quiet middle of a number of hurricanes. My dharma teacher says, "sitting is not the same as doing nothing" but it has felt that way and feels that way. But like bamboo, I often do most of my growing before it is apparent.

Bamboo Woman

underneath all this time
you thought
i was dead
and
i did too

we were both wrong
growing is what i was doing
in darkness
growing

we are both suprised
when i punch though to
greet
the
sun