Contents

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Author’s Preface............................................................................ 1

Prologue: A Journey Begins

A Thousand Steps........................................................................... 7
Forgetfulness of Things Present................................................ 17
Zengine of Ingenuity................................................................... 21
Nirvana or Bust........................................................................... 27
Po-etic Past & Present................................................................. 30

The Book of Po

Water
Nirvana. .............................................................................................38
The Sea................................................................................................45
Water Wisdom...................................................................................47
Sailing. ...............................................................................................49
Ocean Storm. ....................................................................................51
Morning Meditation........................................................................52
Bahama Nirvana. ..............................................................................53
Saltwater Reverie............................................................................57
Lagoon Sunrise..................................................................................59
Tribute. ..............................................................................................60
Snorkeling Spirituality...................................................................63

Zen

Mourning Meditation. ....................................................................67

Core Koan..........................................................................................69

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Zen Hello. .........................................................................................71

Zendo Dawn......................................................................................73
Philosophy I.......................................................................................74
Philosophy II. ....................................................................................77
Zen I....................................................................................................86
Zen II...................................................................................................87
Zen III.................................................................................................88
Zen Love.............................................................................................89
Night Light........................................................................................92
Ego. .....................................................................................................93
Earth Insight.....................................................................................94
Worth Insight. ..................................................................................96
Rothko A Gogo. ...............................................................................98
White Mist.......................................................................................103

Life & Death

Life (Elizabethan Version)......................................................... 120

Life (Victorian Version)............................................................. 121
Life (Modern Version)................................................................ 122
Life (Zen Version)....................................................................... 123
Coma.................................................................................................124
Time...................................................................................................130
Recovery..........................................................................................134
Contemporary Conundrum...................................................... 146
Suicide. .............................................................................................153
Death................................................................................................155
Sickness. ...........................................................................................156
Atonement.......................................................................................162
Alone................................................................................................165

Love & Happiness

Love...................................................................................................169
Happiness I. ......................................................................................170
Happiness II......................................................................................171

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Unhappy Hour.................................................................................172
Lover’s Lament................................................................................174
Lovers’ Dance I................................................................................175
Lovers’ Dance II. .............................................................................185
Summer Night Nirvana..................................................................188
Anger................................................................................................191
Non-Anger. .....................................................................................196
Henry................................................................................................200

Fun & Games

Bodysurfing.....................................................................................206
Halloween.......................................................................................208
Travel...............................................................................................210
Colors. .............................................................................................212
Numbers............................................................................................214
Spring Laughter. .............................................................................217
New England Nirvana...................................................................221
Fishing. .............................................................................................223
Middle Age.......................................................................................227
Twister. ............................................................................................229

Seasons

Spring................................................................................................233
Summer. ............................................................................................234
Fall....................................................................................................237
Winter..............................................................................................241

One Hand Slapping

Cats...................................................................................................244
Modern Poetry................................................................................246
Wind. ................................................................................................247
Warriors...........................................................................................249
Corgi Nirvana.................................................................................257

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Last Po
Writer’s Wisdom. ............................................................................261
Survivor’s Sagacity.........................................................................264
Uroboros..........................................................................................266

Bricolage

Rumble in the Jumble

Brain Drain................................................................................ 272
First, We Teach All the Lawyers.............................................. 273
A TBI Patient A Day Keeps The Doctors In Hay...................... 279
Dry Finance................................................................................ 284
Ann Carlson’s Eulogy............................................................... 289

About The Po

Simple Blings.............................................................................. 295

Less is Amour.............................................................................. 298
Ancestor Wordship.................................................................... 299
Poan Study................................................................................. 305
Rules are Maids Unbroken....................................................... 307
Po-ssibilities............................................................................... 309

Endnotes

Brain-Damaged Memoirist’s Note............................................ 313

Acknowledgements.................................................................... 315
Suggestions for Further Reading............................................. 318
Resources................................................................................... 323
About the Author...................................................................... 326
Colophon.................................................................................... 327

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