Wednesday

Blood Moon Doha

COLUMN: Poetry Space

curated by the Shambhala Times Poetry Space Editorial Board
led by Jeff Fink

While we’re finishing up a forthcoming piece of reader submissions, here’s an unusual entry.  

Last fall, we hosted a Level 2 Shambhala training here in Salt Lake led by Shelley Pierce of Seattle.  

Given the prompt of “Community,” the eleven participants and five staff gave birth to following Doha on the evening of the blood moon eclipse. The accompanying photo was taken later the same night on a ridge in the Wasatch Mountains.

— Yours in the Great eastern Sun,  

Jeff

Community

so the community of warriors has given birth

leaping into the pool of life

as the red full moon rises

our roots reach down and meet each other

as we joyfully break bread

we swim in the sea of mud

in the pool the warriors should not grasp

after the reflection of the moon

the leaves float on the surface

and the red moon makes them appear

as if they were roses

the pool’s depth is unknown

peace and awareness embodied in this moment.

the stillness that comes with that peace

quiets the mind

so that we may

take a shower if the struggle

makes us dirty

the sword of the samurai has come down

the moon bleeds the red blood

of the warrior

a single heart