a warm February
today is cooler than it has been
there is
a breeze,
it rattles my windows
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Friday, February 9, 2024
Observation, February 9th, 2024, Friday
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Observation - October 8th, 2023, Sunday
the sun is shing
leaves are falling
there is a chill in the air
it is cold in the apartment,
though the windows are
closed
I have not yet
lit the furnace
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Observation - July 8th, 2023, Saturday
It is quiet… there is the soft sound of air moving through a fan, and the quiet hum of its motor…turning.
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Observation - February 8th, 2023, Wednesday
Observation
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Observation - January 8th, 2023, Sunday
Observation
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Observation - January 7th, 2023, Saturday
Observation
Cold, the furnace went out
Eighteen degrees outside in the
city
The
morning sun is pale in a silver sky
My fingers are stiff…not from
typing
Noise from the space-heater covers
everything
Pushing
cold air through hot coils…
Electricity
The water kettle boils
A
sharp whistle piercing the room
The promise of something warm to
hold
Sipping
hot coffee in the gloom
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Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Monday, November 7, 2022
November 7th, 2022, Monday
Observation
The news talkers are talking
Piqued with foreboding
The anticipation of disaster…tomorrow
The reality of today
Worry is present suffering
A down payment on tomorrow’s doom
The sky is light blue
The street is quiet outside my window
The squirrel in the maple
Preparing for winter
The long sleep with spring to come
#haibun
#observation
#poetry
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
November 6th, 2022, Sunday
Observation
The November sun is bright at 8:00 am
The crooked finger of bare trees…clawing
Shadows scratching at the window blinds
Daylight savings today, with a hint of winter
The scent of cold things, late-autumn leaves
Drying in the stiff-breeze
The sound of water boiling in the kettle
Calling me to coffee and the taste of chocolate
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Saturday, March 6, 2021
Observation - March 6th, 2021, Saturday
The sky is powder blue
The sun, unnaturally bright
A silver disk of light
Melting the few remaining patches of dirty snow
There is a buzz in the air
And birdsong
The feeling of spring, and joy
At its early return.
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Saturday, February 6, 2021
Observation - February 6th, 2021, Saturday
It is cold outside, but the sun is shining
The sky is striped, blue and white
I can feel the cold coming, seeping through the windows
The sun’s light through wavey glass
Snow clings to the limbs of my tree
Each flake a tiny prism from which the sun light leaps
And there is hope, today in America…there is hope
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Saturday, December 5, 2020
Observation - December 5th, 2020, Saturday
The floorboards are creaking above me
A reminder that I do not really live alone
Kitty is curled up in a ball on the couch
I hear the deep rumble of engine outside
Small branches swaying in the light breeze
Dark slender finger, against the pale sky
There is laughter somewhere down the block
People are walking outside, riding bikes
There is no snow on the ground, no ice
It is warm for Minneapolis in December
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Observation - November 5th, 2020, Tuesday
Coffee on the terrace of the penthouse
Morning on 49th Street, Radio City
Rockefeller Plaza, a few hundred feet away
Columns of concrete, glass and steel push up into the powder blue sky
Green-copper spires reflected in mirrors one thousand feet tall
Their soft patina wavering in the sunlight
A curious pigeon comes to greet me
The sounds of the city are pressing
A steady drone of HVAC permeates the atmosphere
Sirens wail and saws whine, over the drone of engines
As the arhythmic clang of steel on steel fills the air with hollow
waves
While all around me hammers fall
The city hums with a ghostly bustle
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Monday, October 5, 2020
Observation - October 5th, 2020, Monday
The air is warm this morning
Unseasonably warm for October
My windows are open
And Kitty is talking about rabbits
In the quiet morning
Beneath the cool blue sky
The sun still below the horizon
As Venus fades quickly in the light
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Observation - August 5th, 2020, Wednesday
The scent of
garlic and curry the apartment
I made a pot
of lentils
For the
first time in weeks the air conditioner is silent
The windows
are open for a cross breeze
A dappled
light comes in through the east windows
Filtered through
the green leaves
Kitty is
complaining about the taste of medicine in her food
The dry and
dusty chondroitin that helps her with her joints
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Sunday, July 5, 2020
Observation - July 5th, 2020, Saturday
It is late
in the afternoon
In the condo
all the shades are drawn down
The unwelcome
sun is beating
Hard on the
bricks and brownstone
The air conditioner
fills the empty space
Cool air and
ambient noise
Kitty is curled
up and sleeping
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Friday, June 5, 2020
Observation - June 5th, 2020, Friday
The city is
green
It is summer
and it is quiet—right now, at 4:00 pm
If I think
about it
I can recall
the sounds of gunfire
That woke me
up in the middle of the night
The quiet lays
on Minneapolis like a green veil
The city is
restive
The demand
for justice is simmering, now
Seven days
ago, we were at a roiling-boil
I can smell
the ashes lingering—still
The chemical
scent of unnatural fire
Scratching
in my throat
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Observation - May 5th, 2020, Tuesday
It is a
bright morning
There is a
plane flying overhead, though the city is quiet
There is a
robin chirping in the tree outside my window
My lady is
working at loom, weaving on a hoop
Kitty is
begging for butter
Seventy thousand
Americans will have died
From complications
due to COVID-19
By the end
of today
The news is
increasingly grim
There are
politicians telling us to prepare
Be ready to
lose more
Americans
must be ready to sacrifice
Like they
did in World War II
This time we
march into the jaws of a faceless beast
To feed an economy,
that is hungry for our lives
As valuable
as kibble, scattered on the floor
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Observation - April 5th, 2020, Sunday
The house
smells of peppers
And garlic
and onions
The rising
sun lights up the sky
Soft blue,
almost white
The street
is quiet, quieter than usual
So quiet I
can hear the gears turning
In the empty
bus that rolls by
The birds
have noticed the change
The fox and
the coyote too
There are fewer
people to contend with
Fewer cars
and people walking
Fewer things
to fear
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Observation - March 5th, 2020, Thursday
It is 5:27
in the morning
Kitty is
yowling for attention
She is
unhappy with the food in her dish
She wants
something different
Something
fresh
She doesn’t want
the supplement I give her
To strengthen
her joints, and her back legs
She is
seventeen and getting arthritic
She wants to
play
She cannot
jump anymore
She does not
like to play string
While laying
on the floor
I lift her
to the window
So she can
watch the dark street
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Observation - February 5th, 2020, Wednesday
It is chilly
outside, but not cold for February
The sun is
shining through a cloud filled sky
Pale patches
of blue speak of an early spring
Kitty is
sleeping by the window as I write
I am listening
to the news, it is a sad day
Donald Trump
is to be acquitted of his crimes
America has
become a lawless place, maybe
It always
was a place of deep divisions
Where the
laws are applied differently
On behalf of
the rich and against the poor
Maybe
nothing has changed at all, America
Is just
naked now, reveling in all its flaws
Siddhartha Ulysses Gateaux, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 1st, 1969) to French/American parents. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Historian, Philosopher and Theologian and Poet, educated in the Benedictine tradition, master of Buddhism in the Zen-Sufi tradition, Buddha at Large, Co-Founder of the Zen Syndicate Intergalactic, Neighborhood Buddha and the People's History Project, teaching history of religion and providing spiritual direction.
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