If you find yourself in a Buddhist temple
You are not in a Buddhist temple.
Though you pray and chant for yourself
Night and day, you remain in Hell.
Living and dying, are the two not one
Happening at the same time?
A cobra lifts its head in your path.
Teach it to hiss, not bite. It is you.
Poem first appeared in “The Fires of Spring” by Rayn Roberts
Forest Monks
The Monk & The Cobra Parable
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Published by Rayn Roberts
Rayn Roberts, studied American and British Poetry under legendary professor and poet, Dr. Lee Gerlach and Dr. Elizabeth Walsh at the University of San Diego.
He continued his writing and has published in ...
Anthologies:
Illuminations, Expressions of the Personal Spiritual Experience (Celestial Arts an imprint of Ten Speed Pres, 2006).
The Book of Hope (Beyond Borders Press, 2002).
The World Healing Book (Beyond Borders Press, 2002).
San Diego Poetry Annual (Garden Oak Press, 2016 2017 2018)
Journals:
Between the Lines, Chronogram, City Works, Limestone Circle, Poetic Voices, Rattapallax, Rattle, Retort Magazine, San Diego Poetry Annual, Tamafyhr Mountain Poetry, The Pedestal Magazine, The Sow's Ear Poetry Review, Thunder Sandwich, Turbula, Void Magazine, The Seattle Star, Spindrift Magazine, Vagabond and others.
He has traveled and is used to interacting with diverse groups. He lived in or toured Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippine, Thailand, Hawaii, Spain,Mexico, Canada and the U.S.A. He performs or has performed on Radio KSER 90.7 Everett and at poetry venues in Seattle, Washington State and the United States including:
Green Lake Library (Featured)
Tsuga Fine Arts (Featured)
Ballard Library (Featured)
Barnes & Noble Woodinville (Featured)
Creekside Poetry Reading (Featured)
Phoenix Tea Reading (Featured)
Peninsula College Foothills Writers (Featured)
Bookworm Exchange Reading (Featured)
Zippy's Everett Reading (Featured)
Mobile Espresso Reading (Featured)
SoulFood Poetry Reading (Featured)
C and P Coffee Poetry (Featured)
The el Diablo Reading (Featured)
Lynnwood Library (Featured)
Mountlake Terrace Library (Featured)
PoetsWest (Featured)
Kanjin Yoga and Art Center (Featured)
Wedgwood Words, Poulsbo Library (Featured)
Bowery, New York City (Featured)
Rattapallax, New York City (Featured)
Brockton, MA. Reading (Featured)
Detroit, Il. Reading (Featured)
Philadelphia, PA. (Featured)
African American Writers Alliance, Columbia City Public Library, Seattle, WA
Richard Hugo House, Seattle, Wa.
Douglass-Truth Branch Seattle Public Library
His Poem, "The Beauty of Apples" was a Sow's Ear Review Poetry Contest Honorable Mention 1990.
In 2003, he toured the United States to read at various libraries, coffee houses, art centers and bars in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York City and Brockton, Massachusetts.
He has a new book coming out in 2018, "These Boys, These Men".
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
He began writing poetry at age 15 and has been teaching ESL for 20+ years in the United States and overseas. That experience helps him understand and work with Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Russians, Mexicans, the French, the British, Ukrainians and Asians. To summarize, he is a talented teaching professional and poet committed to instilling an appreciation for Poetry and English Literature in students and lovers of the arts.
http://www.kser.org/content/poets-west.
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