Smoldering
mist of memory
creeps in
the wintry land
for the lost soul
hidden beneath
the silent earth,
digging until
the knuckles bleed
and the crystals of
grief suspended in
the halting
sunlight
*

This is written in remembrance of a missing woman in our community.  Her children and many friends loved her.  She was a respected businesswoman also.  It’s been over a year since her disappearance.  The winter weather has hampered the search effort.  Spring is here.  Wish them the best for their search effort.

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Byung A. Fallgren.wordpress.com.)

In the quiet corner
every sound seem amplified,
the whispers of the juniper branches,
cries of the peacocks beyond the pasture,
see more than a normal eye can see,
among the alfalfa lies an injured doe, frightened
Owl perceives, crystallizes the insight into a wisdom,

amused when a couple of robins dared to build their nest
at his heel, horrified when a female owl flew over one night,
checked him out, noticed his falseness and
gobbled up the poor hatchlings instead

He shudders, knowing he would be like her, had he been
able to breath–a vice of life–although a part of him wishes
to be her mate, perfection isn’t meant to be

Owl woodpecker-watcher and the beholder merge in
one spirit for the stilly moment in the absence of pain,
anxiety, desire but peaceful presence, find
the momentary nirvana-like

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Byung A. Fallgren.wordpress.com.)

(Muse of the day)

Of all the emotions, anger is the most

destructive one we know, yet we ignore it

or assume we can manage it

Looking back, I realize how the things would have turned

out better had it not been for the anger

Regret, another villain that follows it, destroying the mind

Now that I’m older, I pause to think:

Like the poppy drops in the tea, a heat of anger

intoxicate us, making us blind and presumptuous,

quick to blame, even become violent, withering self-esteem

as the budding leaves in April snow storm

The damage done is often difficult to be reversed, if not at all

To subdue the rage, imitate a turtle’s cool disposition,

and we grow somehow wiser and

more lighthearted

*

To my friend Alison, I know you don’t need it but I share my thought with you anyway.
Have a great day!

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Byungafallgren.wordpress.com.)

Have you seen a blue jay cry of a messenger?
The stroller has, when a child is bullied
on his way home walk from school,
when a man is browbeaten by an authority

They call her a mindless bird, the stroller
calls her a blue messenger of the day

She performs her best repertoire
ever so softly as echoes of a Buddhist monk’s
moctack in early morning meditation
Her song soothes the bruised heart
while the hand reaches for the child
Her song a healing astringent
A smile on the sullen face rivived

Her cry awakes the lazy afternoon with a doubt,
what’s in our official repertory?

*Moctack is a Korean name for the small, wooden ball a Buddhist monk strokes while chanting mantra in early morning meditation.

(by Byung A. Fallgren. Byungafallgren.wordpress.com.)

We build a house to dwell in,
unconcerned in the silent whispers
of it as to what we are, reveals
our economic status, as our bodies
are home for our soul, our conduct
reflects our dispositions and intellect
A house even emanates moods, cheery,
gloomy, lovely, regal, humble and so on
We don’t judge a person by the house
as we don’t by a person’s appearance, for
in the shack could live a great resident
as inside an ugly person thrives a decency,
redolent as the lilac perfume in June, yet
we are troubled by the prejudice,
the wayward child within,
sneaky and ubiquitous

(by Byung A. Fallgren. Byungafallgren.wordpress.com.)

With the graduation day draw

closer, her mind is full of thoughts

Go to a college, find a job and marry?

Marry and have a baby first?

‘When’s the better time to marry, Mom?’

‘When you find a true love.’

 

This eroded sandstone is located by the backcountry road I sometimes drive on.  I named it One-eyed Willy.  (No offense.)  As much as he is one of those sandstones in any country side, his story is sort of banal.  So I ignored him.  Then yesterday he shouted at me to interview him before he disappears.  Hum, interview with sandstone?  Sound crazy.  But I said yes.  After he’s gone, I’ll remember him by it.  So here is our brief conversation:

Me:  “Tell me about yourself and your observation on humanity so far.”

One-eyed Willy:  “I thought you would ask that.  So here is my um…poetry, if you will.”

Me:  “How romantic.”

Willy:  “I long for my hay days of
being the part of this beautiful hill
where the octopuses used to dance by
while school of little fish hid in the weeds
where the buffalo and wolves once roamed
Lost and remained quality of me
is no longer my concern but
what happened to the lad
who’s car rolled down the slope
while texting and drove one night
I’ll be gone, never understanding
lunatic human behavior”

Me:  “The lad recovered from the head injury, got married and has a little boy now.”

Willy: “Liar, your sad face tells me you are lying. And what’s that strange sign over there?”

Me: “He didn’t make it.”

Willy:  “Never text and drive or talk on the phone while driving.”

Me:  “Thanks for the reminder.”

At last we are there
let the glory bloom,
embrace the arduous days
yet to come, let the youthful
reverie and ardor reach for higher,
the force of ingenuity, spring of our culture

Exhaustion may consume our body,
yet we bless the equal opportunity,
cherishing all the hassle and effort
Eventually we’ll head to the ocean,
leaving our legacy behind
If we were to be reborn,
we would do so
just as we were?

*

I am optimistic.  Sometimes I am pessimistic also.  I wouldn’t say I have a bipolar
disorder though.  I believe this is common as we live in a society where we can communicate with anyone in the world in seconds.  We can collect too much information in a heartbeat, which can be a contributing factor of anxiety also.  If the condition, however, gets severe that’s when I should be mindful.  But I am lucid.  Enough to edit my writings. : )

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Byungafallgren.wordpress.com.)

At last we are there,
the arduous days still
running in our veins
While the greed crave for more,
some of us choose modesty
Youthful reverie and heat subdued,
our subconscious mind even desire
to go back to the simplicity when
the yearning sparks the humble existence

We writhe in exhaustion, yet
bless the equal opportunity
Eventually we head to the ocean,
doubting the worth of all the hassle,
denounce our vanity, the albatross
around our neck, yet wishful
to be of a phoenix of wisdom

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Byungafallgren.wordpress.com.)