​Poetry & prose

Combining contemplative poetry with photographs or paintings to bring head and heart together to reflect on life and love
  • Basics
  • Advanced
  • Renunciant works
  • Early works
  • Photo Poetry
<
>

The Big Picture

"so precious is life
yet most precious its natural passing
like the ripe fruit that drops
not life denying but death defying
as the spirit is flying"

A poem accompanied with watercolor and pencil art.

Open

Unfolding Dharma

"and it will come to pass that all of us,
having been so screwed up,
now, having passed the test
will come to rest
calmly on the window of Dhamma."

A poem accompanied with art.

Open

Aspirations

"following the star....
never mind the funky pop star
who is boring the next morning"

A short poem accompanied with drawings.

Open

A Few Favourites

A handful of selected poems. Accompanied by artwork and photography.

Open

The Planes of Existence

A short comic on the nature of existence and its different planes.

Open

The Trilogy on the Three Refuges

Bringing Heaven Forever Down to Earth

On refuge in the Buddha

Part one of the trilogy on the three refuges.
​
Open - to find audio, video and pdf book
​​

A Meaning Eternal

On refuge in the Dhamma.


Part two of the trilogy on the three refuges.

​Open

Listen to audio version

The Plough of the Mortal God

On refuge in the Sangha

Part three of the trilogy on the three refuges.


Read pdf version

​Watch video version 

The writing is on the wall

​marked in charcoal by the itinerant soul daubed in a dash in chalky white ash 
Open

Devoted to Luang Por

A collection of poetry written for Luang Por Sumedho throughout the years. Accompanied by artwork.

Open

A Keyhole in the Sky

"Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder who you are...
Like a keyhole in the sky
To the key of wisdom's eye"

A collection of poetry with artwork

Open

Salvation

"The angels loved the sky
They loved to fly
But the Lord sent the fish
To tease them, swish, swish"

A poem in three parts accompanied with art

Open

Freedom

On the beauty and bliss of letting go of attachment to the body.

Open

The light of the heart

"The heavenly harp
Greets the meat
Even as it is lifted off its feet
For heaven was not so far"
​
A collection of "text only" poems.

Open

Another Dimension

"There is a light
That is not a light
Like day entering into the night"

A collection of poetry accompanied by photography.

Open

Trilogy of Renunciant Poetry - celebrating the joys of the monastic life

The First Sermon

"The monk entered
Sure footed, centred
Senses composed
Yet never closed"

Part one of the trilogy

Open PDF
​
Listen to audio version

Reflective Glory

"Dear friend,
If you love life and fear death, listen to me now. Try to suspend your doubt. The bones of the Arahants turned to crystals after their death. They are showing us that they have found the deathless"

Part two of the trilogy

Open

In the Face of Death

"Poor Roddy was dying,
forlorn and sluggish
Amongst the rubbish
Full of questions
he was desperate to know
How to let go"

Part three of the trilogy

Open

Other renunciant works

Defence Mechanisms

"Then one day it seemed as though a light had switched on inside (and things curiously began to glide)"

A poem accompanied with photography and artwork.

Open

Love's own executioner

"Eats the eater
What a terrible creature"

A short artistic poem

Open

Caring

"Sometimes when I hurry
I still feel that tightness begin to sing
In the throat of worry"

Collected early poetry.
Accompanied with drawings.

Open

Playmates

"Drawn by doves
With patience"

A small collection of early poetry.
Accompanied with drawings.

Open

The First Eye

"Why does simple stillness,
The sunset of the reclining eye,
Come only after such a long hard climb in the sky.
For it asks for no reasons why.
Perhaps it just takes time
For time itself to fly"

A collection of early poetry. Accompanied with art.

Open
​This folder contains spontaneous poems written as reflections on photographs.

Meditation in the Barn

"built from heart wood
before the war
​to shelter and store"
Open

The Day the Frost Offered Flowers

"For touching the earth
the spirit finds
​its true worth"
Open

Standing Still

"Simply coming and going..."
Open

Merging in the Deathless

"cool blue drops
and waves to the sky
calling purity
​from on high"
Open

The humble heart-house

"There are wise windows in the door..."
Open

Time will tell

"Time will tell

​​can we listen?"
Open

Snapshot Dhamma

"Welcome
To the wonderful world
Of the completely ordinary
Where everything is falling apart
Except the heart"

A photographic poetry collection in nine parts.

View Volume: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9

Sunrise over the Sea

"crimson waters
reflect
what shores await?"

​Open

Beyond the Inspiration

"​finds the inner path
beneath the feet
​just like everybody else"

Open

Prismatic photo poetry

"​He embraced the entire space
And the robot offices
Lost the pointless race."

A collection of eight pieces.

Open