GOOD INTENTIONS
For Katie. Morning ritual you recommended,
together with 5 deep deep deep breaths,
watching the swallows high in the sky.

Once you believe in God’s help,
Absolutely everything has meaning.

In front of my altar:
“I need your help, Markitos
to remove your shortcomings
completely. You must breathe.

Don’t waste any energy
on thought. It solves nothing.
Just act wisely.

Each day is a miracle,
this cannot be denied.
I haven’t felt so jolly good
since the night before I died.

“Turn it over, Marcus
Turn it over,
my angels keep on telling me.
“Turn it over to God.

Namo Amida Butsu –
the most positive
statement I can make.
No sooner uttered than heard.

Focus on making things
easier for yourself –
they are hard enough.
Go for simple solutions.
Complete abandon is one.

The point is,
we are all much more
closely connected
than we realize.

You can’t imagine
what pleasure it gives me
to be in a room with you.
Take it further, if you wish –
to be in the world with you.

Water for the garden
as night descends.
Maria splashes around.

Namo Amida Butsu.
Find some peace and rest
in your Brontë soul.

Go to bed
with good humour,
hoping you’ll wake up
in the morning.

“Come to me for rest.
Five minutes’ meditation
never killed anyone.

Talk of the Unhindered Path!
My life today
was packed with miracles.

The fat friendly pigeon
perched on the box hedge
flapped off at my approach.

I had frequent moments
of spiritual unity
with Amida.

Beyond Acceptance is Realization.
First, we accept getting along with
two or three hours’ deep sleep
which take us to Mars and back.
People are sceptical, give advice
which, as alcoholics we pooh-pooh.
Then one day we finally admit to ourselves
that we feel much better without it.
We have drilled alternative sources of energy.

ONE SOLUTION
Go and live in a hut
on the mountainside
and recite Nembutsu round the clock.

ANOTHER
Live in God’s presence.
Feel yourself permeated
with warmth and goodness.

She sleeps for 10 hours,
I for 10 minutes.
We sometimes meet on the stairs.

First signs of daylight,
urge to take a Power Nap.
Snuggle under her quilt?

Try as I will to escape,
I always wake up
on the same planet.

I imagine ELS
bringing me a white mug
of water to my bedside
where I’m lying on my back
propping my eyelids open.

If ELS abandons me
like my Earth mother did,
I’ll fall through the ice.
That would NOT be nice.

Prayer
is the poor man’s way
of paying off
a Happiness instalment.

Half the cure
to any disease
is the patient’s
ATTITUDE to it.

Sit down in silence
and let God decide
what he has in store for you.

I promise
to pay attention, dear Lord
to the signals you give me.

Ten times a day
he saves me from saying
something utterly stupid.
My rhododendrons help him.

Let me put your love
into this day, and HEAR
what other people say.

Summer dawns
stretch out endlessly.
Our wives
never open their windows.