Creative Writing

2 beings laughing

hungry bear


pulled salmon


out of running water


up into the air


where eye to eye


they could each stare


into the other,


both gave a shudder


then erupted in laughter


MDC

Ithaca, NY

12 October 2017

Adolescent Grape

Once I turned myself into a grape


while taking a difficult test


in eighth grade, during a deadline,


I sat at my wooden desk


trying to finish challenging paperwork


yet, part of me did not believe


that this scene was the whole reality.


I imagined that I was also a grape


hanging from a vine deliciously


enjoying blue sky and sunshine


rather than being a mere adolescent human


worrying about successful grades



Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

2 May 2019

ancestral tree

in the sweet bosom of spirit

may gentle wisdom come to me

and soothe the worried voices

that have gathered around this scene

as heaven opens a little window

allowing inner eyes to see

there are many loving beings

offering to breathe

indeed, there is truth in the notion

that there grows a great ancestral tree

where saints and angels linger

forever until all of us are free


MDC

Ithaca, NY

09 February 2014

Am I a Holy Hypocrite?

When I was quite young, it seems that I adopted a self-identity of being a Very Good Person. Surely, that choice is an understandable one, even if it never was truly integrated with my actual personality, which is partly quite Good but also marked by jealousies, hatred, anger, judgments, etc. Thus, a split was sown in my psyche. Nevertheless, much of that division went underground in my awareness, so much so that to this day I am highly influenced by these unconscious contradictions. Recently, a good friend gently remarked that I act as if I were a holy person, but that in actuality I am unable to live up to this ideal image of myself. At the time, I was not fully capable of ingesting his comments; yet, I am now beginning to see the truth of his mild criticism. I want to believe that I am GOOD, that I am close to GOD, but I am not so adept at also seeing to what extent Negative thoughts and feelings cancel out the reality of my pleasant Holy Man Status. Yikes! Maybe the only one I have been faking out is little old Mikey Cooper...


Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

16 May 2020

belong

me tree

blunted stunted

yet strong

losing leaves

growing songs

believe believe

some wrongs

won’t last

so long


me tree

at dawn

chanting free

you belong

you belong


- dedicated to H.G. Cooper



MDC

Ithaca, NY

28 July 2017

birds words

blue heron fishing

at our local falls

stood on one leg

and smiled almost absurdly

at me crouched by an ancient

naturally eroded wall

and that glorious bird

spoke a few words

about spearing fish

which sounded something like this:


Spear It

Spear It

Spirit

and i heard it

with my heart



MDC

Ithaca, NY

09 February 2018

bravely vulnerable

Recently In one of my several Men's Groups, 1 of the men told us that when he initially met the woman to whom he has been married for numerous years there were problems with their sexual intercourse in that his penis went flaccid while inside her vagina, whereas he had rarely experienced that problem previously, but eventually all became intact again in their commingling, which I thought was an extremely valuable story for which I expressed to him "How kind of you to share that with us, " and he quietly nodded acknowledgement of what he had just courageously and generously done by imparting some of his tender truth.


MDC

Ithaca, NY

04 October 2018

breathe

waiting for toyota

auto service this morning

i relax and breathe


my brakes are rusting

like most everything in life

maintenance is key


MDC

Ithaca, NY

08 May 2013


brushing snow

i was brushing snow

off of my vehicle

when a man approached

and wished me

a safe drive home

Then he followed a path

to where his car was parked

while i laughed

Did he remember me ?

I did remember him,

even as i also

wished him

a safe drive.

He had hurt me

and my brother-in-law some years before

when he hired us to help his business

on a commission basis

then when we were succeeding

with no adequate heads up

he fired us

to spare himself from paying

our rightful ongoing residuals

For a while I had clung to hating him

but thankfully that fury has faded

and the peace of pure falling snow has sated

my heart’s desire even in an imperfect state

of human relations


MDC

Ithaca, NY

27 January 2015

butterflies

B used to come every month or 2 to have a healing session with me. That was a gratifying source of support for me and my practice. Then I chose to generously invite B to accompany me to a weekend workshop with a local healer/teacher. I knew that I was risking the loss of B's commitment as a client, and, indeed, that is sort of what happened because there, at the afore-mentioned workshop, was a woman who was training at a regional massage school, and she invited B to do a series of 10 massage/reiki sessions for only $10. each. B chose to pursue that path, and I have not seen him since as a client of my shamanic/reiki healing work. It hurt my feelings. I am now in recovery.


How can I keep love in my heart when pain and resentment also reside there ? I will continue trying to be aligned with high holy intentions. Realistically, it will take whatever time it needs to heal. Butterflies increasingly are coming to bathe my aura in their gentle energies, and I wish to send some of that to B and to many others in this world....


MDC Ithaca, NY 5 October 2018

carcass

on the backstreets of a dream

taking place in Caracas

i stumbled and i was humbled

sinking slowly

into the stinking bones

of an ancient human carcass

it could have been me

Indeed, it could have been me

meeting again with

my own prior incarnation

shaking hands with the metatarsals of a man

who once was me in another millennium

carcass to carcass on the backstreets of Caracas

dust to dust

our egos get busted


MDC

Ithaca, NY

08 July 2015

Cataract Surgery

This morning I had my left eye operated-on


and I think it was successful


as I am now entering a new poem in the computer


without too much viewing difficulty.


What a modern blessing


to have corrected my myopia that has been with me for such a long time!


Does this mean I will be different than before?


Let's explore what is seen, how to interpret each moment


while holding hands with all kinds of beings, including invisible ones


when I am looking at life's waking dreams





Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

May 29, 2019

the coin of life

has a flipside

waving interdependence

with emptiness

neither reification

nor nihilism exclusively

is the authentic middle way

in which dependent arising happens

due to causes + conditions

thus giving the witnessing observer

some freedom to choose

new positions for thinking,

acting and feeling that life

has great meaning, even though

annoying, demeaning events may strike some painful blows

the coin of life has a flipside

with abundant goodness to bestow


MDC

Ithaca, NY

05 July 2015 + 05 June 2015

Colon Photos

Today I found a folder with photos of my rectal regions.


After glancing at these yellowish images I quickly filed them


in a medical folder for future reference and/or recycling.


There were instructions from the doctor's office, most of which I respected,


such as not going back to work on the same day or using farm equipment.


However, I neglected the injunction to avoid alcohol, as I did drink some red wine


with dinner at my Mens Group Meeting, and I felt pretty mellow


as we discussed death, travels in Turkey, Mother Mary, and magical mushrooms.


It's all good, thankfully, and I did Medicine Buddha practice this morning:


May all sentient beings be free from polyps and all forms of suffering.





Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

May 9, 2019

Confession

I went to confession


following morning mass


and there the confessor


gave my brain a blast


when he whispered fast into my ear


that some congregants here


have been acting rather queer.


Now I don't know what percent to believe


as it seems every day there's something new to grieve


but didn't Jesus dwell with whores and thieves


connecting with all who tried to truly perceive?


Mother Mary, please, come help us find


a way to be quiet inside our troubled anxious minds.


Maybe then I can learn to confess to You


I want to be a better Christian, a better Jew


Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

September 12, 2019

depart not this heart

Happy Father’s Day Dad

I hope you are happy wherever it is you are today

May many blessings always gently come your way

Thanks for being with me whenever I remember to pray

Things are mostly good

I got a new job

My debts are getting lower

I no longer feel like a miserable slob

Yoga practice continues to help sustain me with a body + mind growing strong

and feeling brighter with love in my heart song

i am so thankful for 2 children whose beauty gives off sparks

life is interesting + yet death does not seem so far

Everyday has a gift to be witnessed

Especially because you are present

despite evidence suggesting you did depart


MDC

Ithaca, NY

15 June 2014

development

my supervisor is bigger

physically than me

he lifts weights

and throws his weight

around, sometimes seems

to bully me + others

I wish i could more easily

shrug that off

but I don’t enjoy

being looked down on,

even if ultimately

such treatment may be

helpful for my ego development


MDC

Ithaca, NY

16 July 2015

easter 2008

welcome

jesus

sun of love

thanks

for hope

when hearts are glum

you rose from blood

a rose of light

we now are believers

of life after life


MDC

Ithaca, NY

23 March 2008

facing the disabled

i wanted to help


developmentally disabled


people by getting employed


by an agency specialized


in this very line of service,


however, i did apply


but was not hired,


so i sem-retired that idea


and began lovingly knowing


my own broken self



MDC

Ithaca, NY

07 August 2017

Falling Snow Contemplation

in a blizzard I will go


determinedly to shovel thick white snow


scoop by scoop moving slow


so as not to have this small heart explode


I will mindfully bless Mother Nature


and those who strive to protect her creatures


like holocaust survivors and Palestinian children


so many vulnerable beings and imperfect nations


as I shovel immensely beautiful crystal droppings


there is much to contemplate while clearing crossings


on a quiet street while wondering if crows are sleeping


Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY USA

20 January 2019

favoritism ?

Yesterday late afternoon I went to a svaroopa yoga class, as I often have done on Thursdays during the past several years. Lately, though, I have attended with less frequency. Am I partially going less often to avoid encounters with some relatively newer participants who seem somewhat standoffish with me ? Am I making up this sense of conflict expressed in the prior sentence ? Is there some basis for me to feel that there was/is resentment held against me by one or more of the other students because The Teacher showed some favoritism toward me, especially since this Teacher and I were exchanging healing sessions with one another before yoga class on numerous occasions ?


The time has come for me to practice a form of yoga that engages my higher awareness on an ongoing basis. Breathing in Good Energy and expelling Good Intentions, using the Deep Ocean Breath is a remedy for favoritism, inferiority, and other assorted negative states. Let the real yoga class be activated !


Oh, when I quietly reflect further it occurs to me that perhaps it's also me who has been unconsciously acting superior as a way of covering-up old fear.....


MDC Ithaca, NY October 12, 2018

feeble

it’s weird watching myself + wondering if my brain is deteriorating. 2 nites ago i stayed at a hotel very close to La Guardia Airport + this morning while unpacking my small knapsack i realized that i probably left my iphone charger plugged into the lamp on the table in that hotel room.

How could i have overlooked it when it was in that very spot on the morning when i was departing that i left a room tip in that very same location so i surely saw the white cord + charger yet i somehow did not see it. What’s happening? I feel bewildered!

and even after calling today to the hotel’s Room Maintenance Department and getting confirmation that they found it + will mail it back to me I feel very sad, very feeble and yet, i know this might be a good thing witnessing my ego disintegrating but it is profoundly painful being a personality whose wirings coming undone.


MDC

Ithaca, NY

19 September 2014

forward

things are what they are

and people are who they are

so why resist what is?

i can accept what exists

with no need to resist,

rather find a good path

find a good laugh

as i carry on

following a healthy way forward

true to my own nature

my own loving nature


MDC

Ithaca, NY

22 July 2015

free clinic

Prior to yesterday, I had never before visited our local Ithaca Free Clinic. What an awesome place! Though not physically very big, this space is filled with great energy, where numerous practitioners offer their talented services to a community eager to attain greater levels of well-being.


I went there to volunteer as a Reiki Therapist. Ravi, the man who taught me the basic reiki techniques, is a regular participant there. He also has joined this organization's board of directors. Ravi had invited me to collaborate with him. Together we would give some treatments.


Our first patient was a woman who used to be a man. After some initial discussion of symptoms, history, and intentions, the client rested on a massage table, while I held energy points near the feet and Ravi worked on the upper part of this person's body. Eventually, Ravi and I switched positions, while focusing on grounding the patient in a healthy state of empowerment.


Later, we worked with a lady who used to live in Europe. Now she is unemployed, unable to afford most services. Thankfully, Ravi and I were able to relieve this person of some back pains and anxiety. She left the room smiling.


I felt grateful. My own commitment to the healing arts had been strengthened. A sense of having received important gifts filled my heart.


Michael D. Cooper Ithaca, New York USA 30 November 2018

good drugs

at the drugstore off triphammer

i like being waited on

by the pretty young

woman with light

ebony skin

who takes her time

with me + wants to be

friendly and helpful

bagging my toilet paper, smiling

offering conversation

what a talent --

just being human

what good medicine

to receive anywhere,

especially a drugstore


MDC

Ithaca, NY

17 April 2015

grandfather love

1 of the greatest privileges

is meeting a Sage

and going on a fun 2nd date

but now saying good nite --

see you tomorrow --

i love you -- to a grandchild --

and hearing that sweet little

voice repeating it back ---

really takes the cake


MDC

Woburn, MA

22 February 2018

Granddaughter

You are my teacher

my boss

and my preacher

I can't say enough

how we love you so much

feeling very blessed

leaning from You

--dedicated to Liana


Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

05 September 2019

haiku: fry panic

haiku: fry panic


afraid of dying


i cry out, Christ, save me please


my guts are frying


MDC

Ithaca, NY

11 August 2013

hair cut

This morning at 9:05 I walked into my local big box salon


for a haircut, but Heather told me, " We're not open"


even though their advertised opening time is 9.


She also asked her colleague to "lock the door"


which struck me like being mildly scalped


since I assumed that I knew Heather from the past


when she treated me well as a customer. Previously,


she had even offered to trim my overgrown eyebrow,


which made me feel really well cared-for. Now I was being denied


being able to enter her door....What a shock !?!


Disappointed, I left, but later I returned....and Thankfully,


Heather apologized and explained that she had been under pressure


to count yesterday's cash, which prevented her from being able to let clients in.


I was able to relax....a new experience of getting a haircut was able to begin





Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

May 24, 2019

health club jacuzzi

in the hot tub

a lady with black tattoos

seemed to refuse

to look at me

At first I felt confused

and demeaned

Yet, I allowed the hot water streams

to soothe those thoughts from screaming

as my eyes closed and sweeter feelings opened

it became evident

that her heart may be broken

and there was no need

for words to be spoken.


MDC

Ithaca, NY

19 October 2014

helmet of light #2

at nite

on my head

may i wear

this helmet of light

when disturbing dreams

awaken my slumber

+ fill me with fright ?

Protection from evil

and alignment

with righteous might

is the reason i inquire

may i wear on my head

this helmet of light

This very night

I will put on

a Helmet of Light


MDC

Ithaca, NY

14 February 2014

hero

one who does not shrug

from tough tasks

but prepares

as best as possible

to front them

boldly

even cheerfully

hugging adversity

until the sweetness

surfaces

for the hero

to enjoy + share !


MDC

NYC

13 July 2015

humbling song

humble me Lord


humble me Lord


cut my ego


with your sword


i poured precious semen


into my own seductive demons


believing 1000 selfish reasons


justifying grandiosity’s allure


humble me Lord


humble me Lord


cut my ego


with your sword


MDC

Ithaca, NY

27 November 2018

in the room

when i first walked inside

it smelled like perfumed insecticide

but i did not have much time

to try deciding if i should

comply to reside there for 1 nite


but i did check for bedbugs

and i found none

however, the nite’s sleep

was not so peaceful

in fact, i felt much fear

about life and the future

my confidence was low

and grieving was in my soul;


yet i started praying for mercy

and the room began to grow

a little lighter

i felt more encouraged

to be a fighter for love

and for hope in this world

i meditated

and yearned for this room

to be a den of mercy


MDC

San Francisco

26 June 2015

jacob’s example

by using furry animal hair

to trick a nearly-blind old father, isaac,

jacob’s mother and he colluded

to deceive jacob’s brother, essau,

and daffy daddy out of inheritance riches


later, biblical jacob, himself, after wandering

would be duped by the authoritarian father

of four unwed juicy daughters

and jacob would have to hard labor

for many years as a toiling care-taker

in order to win rachel as his wife

but leah mischievously promiscuously

took the other sister’s rightful place

during their first dark night-time

love-making rondez-vous traipse

and guess who got screwed again?

our friend, jacob, was then sentenced

to another seven years of servitude

just so he could eventually get nude

and be betrothed to pretty rachel


it’s mostly all in the bible

but that trickster spirit

is not easily traced

until the beast is in your face

like it was for mr. jacob


MDC

Ithaca, NY

30 April 2009

jesus

you are

my favorite

rabbi friend

just and kind

the best blend

of adi shankara

and punk band Nirvana

let’s march together

in this year’s Ithaca Parade


MDC

Ithaca, NY

29 May 2015

literacy

there are, i suppose,

forms of literacy

that i don’t even know about yet

though i consider, usually,

myself to be highly literate

i may be ignorant

in those areas i don’t even imagine


MDC

Ithaca, NY

21 July 2015

little hand

i am tired

of looking over bank statements

credit card bills

utilities, etc.

but mostly my energy

goes down when i don’t

listen well to the gentle

being that dwells

quietly within

trying to tell me


“please put those bills

somewhere else now

come hold my little hand “


MDC

Ithaca, NY

31 May 2008

little muffin

at 17 weeks

of pregnancy

our daughter

is showing

a sweet tummy bump

and my wife and I

affectionately refer

to the unborn being as

little muffin

who already is melting our hearts


MDC

Ithaca, NY

09 March 2015

Loving Courage Spirit

Diving into the pond I discovered there was in there a snapping turtle wanting to bite my toe. I felt fear and a resistance to allowing turtle to snap my feet. Yet, I chose to relax and allow this process to unfold. A bunch of snapping turtles appeared. They chose to bite many different body parts of mine. It was painful. Strangely, though, a part of my mind focused on experiencing this encounter as a type of spa treatment. I was being consumed by turtles. Along with dread I felt growing acceptance. Then a big black amorphous energy in the pond was felt by my senses and psyche. It was an enormously powerful force which surrounded me and all the turtles. We were ingested. This dark power removed itself from the pond, and I perceived the form of a huge gorilla-like entity. A calm came over me. I felt safe. I felt saved. Gorilla had a large Mother Drum. In a clearing near the pond, this big being began beating beautiful sounds on Mother Drum, and that continued for a quite a while.


Eventually, in the dusk, I sensed the presence of other creatures creating a circle around us and around the pond. They were deer, dancing deer, all free from fear, jumping and circling this world with Love and Courage.


MDC Ithaca, NY October 10, 2018

Michael D. Cooper Bio

MDC attended public schools in his birthplace, Troy, NY. He went on to graduate from Colgate University where he studied English and other humanities courses. A year later MDC moved to Brazil and there he helped open and manage the office of a major US publishing company.


While residing in Sao Paulo, MDC married Helena. Together, they have raised 2 children, Flora and Daniel. Helena and Michael have been enjoying living in downtown Ithaca, fairly close to a beautiful waterfall.


In his spare time, MDC is taking some lessons in yoga + zydeco dancing. After more than 30 years in the library supply business, MDC is still stretching + shaking.


MDC

Ithaca, NY

29 May 2014


meeting the sage, Paul Brunton

when i met P.B.

together in silence we

sat then exchanged thoughts


he called me earnest

and mentioned ramana’s death

as a part of life


MDC

near Sansepolcro near Tuscany, Italy

30 June 2013

monk in the sauna

he was standing there on cedar planks

with a blue towel around his shanks

a tall young man built solid

short dark hair, no slacks, no wallet

a teacher now at Namgyal,

our local monastery, his name is Choepal

and he recounted a story

about how at age 20

he escaped Tibet from Chinese armies

for one month walking all the way

until up and over Kailash Mountain in India

Choepal came singing praises to the Buddhas

I am Free


MDC

Ithaca, NY

17 January 2015

moses

your ascent up sinai

could not have been easy

wearing worn-out sandals

and doing without sunglasses

nor carrying granola bars in your pockets - -

was it faith in god that nourished you

encouraged you to get up the mountain

rather than resting at boot camp below

with adoring ladies warm in the desert

quite willing to lick your toes?

no golden calf will ever know

all that you left behind in search of home

it’s ok to moan - -

your name is moses

it’s ok to groan - -

look how much you’ve grown

amidst nights dark and cold

on this upward winding road

seeking to receive a tablet of stone

sun of sinai

your name is moses


MDC

8 september 01

ithaca, ny

mud

a lotus grows in the mud

a lotus grows in the mud

a lotus grows in the mud

dear friends

our life is not a dud !


MDC

Ithaca, NY

08 July 2015

? my mediocre existence

60 years old

semi-retired

i can sleep

almost as much as i want

but often i choose

to arise before 5


sometimes i feel compelled

to return to the workforce

part or full time

however, i prefer leisure

and playing with rhyme


maybe i will discover

a worthy second act

like starting a new business

or developing a craft

yet it may not matter much

what i end-up doing

as long as my heart is open

with a wish to help others

who are challenged with coping


MDC

Ithaca, NY

12 December 2017

New Friend (Zebra Stream # 2)

In the Lower World I feel again the presence of Zebra, but this is not quite your typical striped animal often portrayed in pictures of that gentle animal from Africa. No, this creature also has the horn of a Unicorn, accompanied by special powers to see in the dark and navigate difficult places and offer protective capacities. I want to learn more, but the time has arrived for me to return to my regular realm. Nevertheless, some extra enthusiasm has been sparked in my bosom. A new friend has appeared !


MDC Ithaca, NY October 10, 2018

nourishing

i’d like to be

a tarot card reader

or become a bird feeder

nourishing souls + feathers

maybe they are similar

not overly dependent

on being super computer literate


MDC

Ithaca, NY

16 August 2015

positiva via negativa

neti neti

i am not

the thanksgiving turkey

nor the one

who politely refuses

to eat flesh

of fowl creatures


i am not the middle-aged

graying baby of this family

who laughs hysterically

for reasons nobody comprehends


maybe i am

he who does not

go for long walks

on country club roads

in fields and woods

where he feared

he would be killed

for being a jew child

all those years ago

even now as was so then

not he nor other men

are what they appear to be


naive imposters

all of us

and yet that is not us either


more like deer

appearing in green creek beds

sipping waters


my tongue longs to taste

a place like that


call it soul


or don’t say anything at all


MDC

Troy, NY

23 November 2007

pooling around

i see today

my daughter has a blue

rubber pool in her living room

where she may soon

give birth to our grandchild

and i want to get in already

to play with the baby


MDC

Burlington, MA

21 August 2015

pretense

Dear Plotinus


Thanks for saving my life


from full descent


into rotting decadence


you helped awaken in me


Goodness


Sweet Teacher


may i let go of


petty old pretense



MDC

Ithaca, NY

03 January 2016

Rabino Jesus Cristo

Thank you, today, for

connecting with me.

I felt uplifted by

your own beautiful

resurrected light-filled

self. Blessed By

You I do give Thanks.


Tears streaked my cheeks.

How i did experience

cleansing. Giving myself

over to you, such

surrender of ego is

possible with Thy Grace.


That was my experience

today at the end of

Sivananda Yoga class

given by Melinda, this

Sunday afternoon.


MDC

Ithaca, NY

09 February 2014


rainy fair

i ate french fried taters

with 2 ladies i met

at Stewart Park yesterday

during a huge downpour

when we scurried for shelter


we were hoping to hear

live reggae music

but lightning interfered

instead my wife came

and picked-us all up

then the 3 ladies

went to happy hour

at a trendy gay bar

while i took a nap

i bet you weren’t

expecting this ending


MDC

Ithaca, NY

21 June 2008


Route 13

here i am

parked in the rain

outside mano’s diner

less than 24 hours before

my daughter’s wedding day

i’m feeling joy + a bit of pain

and that’s okay, that’s okay


fifty-plus came fast

it’s no longer working

to pretend i’m a lad

when every mile shows

there’s a little less gas

to fuel this rusting tank

this metaphorical emotional-physical tank


so help me please

all you ancestor spirits

flying above these trees

won’t you send some blessings

down to Route 13?


here i am parked in the rain

outside mano’s diner

slightly going insane

and that’s okay, that’s okay


a good man is waiting

to marry my lovely daughter

and i give my praise, throughout the cosmos,

yes, we give great praise!


MDC

Ithaca, NY

07 September 2008



ready

we will awaken

immediately

to our true nature

who knows when ?

let’s get ready !


MDC

Ithaca, NY

26 December 2014

release

the guy next to me in the steamy

wet sauna said he had garter snakes slithering around

his home’s stone steps, and the tenant living downstairs

there was spooked. When he was a kid he would have just

chopped their heads-off but now he wants to capture the

reptiles and take them far away enough that they can be released back

into forest. My admiration for this man grew upon hearing his attitude.


You never know when or what Buddha Nature

might do, even as the dude with an open

heart sitting right next to you

in the sauna

reveals a beautiful

view of working

with a snakey

situation


MDC

Ithaca, NY

03 August 2014

returning home

after a week away

i came home


my wife picked-me-up

at the airport

we embraced


again at home we hugged

and we kissed


sitting together on the sofa

listening to Maria Callas

our kissing became warmer


i feel good

returning home

sharing this abode


MDC

Ithaca, NY

02 November 2014


sagging barn

here where chickens gathered

and hay that had been gathered

was piled high as the roof

barn birds now fly aloof

possibly not aware

that this sagging structure

will be coming down

and sold for scrap, these thick rough cut timbers

made from sap

from old noble trees

maybe they will be sent to condo rebuilders

in NY city

as history continues to unfold,

like a sagging barn story

holding misery and glory

while another sun sets

in van etten


MDC

Ithaca, NY

06 August 2015

security system job

in the first day’s training

for small business security protection

we learned that a basic package

includes one motion detector,

2 door sensors, a key pad,

and 1 panel with a battery


every system is either hard-wired

or relies on wireless radio frequencies


that was a good start


after 6 months i chose to depart


now i have more time

for writing poetry

with or without rhymes

using all 7 chakras

feeling protected

by many energies sublime

this is the security system

i choose to devote myself to



MDC

Ithaca, NY

10 October 2017

senior moment

my friend, who caretakes

at a local senior facility,

told me about an 83

year old man - Fran -

with mild dementia

who died this past week.

Fran had a lady friend, Sally,

who lives in a small apartment

separate from Fran’s unit.

My pal would do his nightly

rounds of inspecting

staircases and hallways,

and often he would find

this elderly couple sitting

fondly together in a sofa

near the elevator. They

were prone to kiss and

fondle. Now Fran is dead.

What will become of Sally.

Stay-tuned, maybe there

will appear new poems of

passion and perhaps those

will reveal the new improved

interpretation of this phrase,

Senior Moment!

I Pray for That



MDC

Ithaca, NY

28 December 2017

Shame of the Higher Self and What About Eros?

My Pathwork Studies Group has been reviewing Pathwork Lecture # 66,

SHAME OF THE HIGHER SELF. Apparently, signs of this shame are characterized by reluctance to ask for assistance, unwillingness to openly pray in the presence of others(especially those who may not be favorable of such activity), etc. I can observe in myself these tendencies. Creative writing is important to me, but I tend to censor which of my pieces I share, depending on my perception of the audience. For example, if those listening to me read my work happened to be more bohemian, I would feel more relaxed about reading lines that may have some socially controversial or slightly erotic content. However, if my listeners were perceived by me to be a more conservative group, then I would be somewhat fearful to recite those same lines that I more readily might share with the bohemian crowd. That seems somewhat inauthentic, though it also may be a prudent decision. I am trying to save myself from criticism. I am ashamed to reveal the whole of myself, and that probably relates to SHAME OF THE HIGHER SELF because If I am hiding my childish and lower self parts, isn't that a form of disrespect for all of me, including The Higher Self?



Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

17 July 2020

sitting calm as rock

look at this title, okay

so take the first letter of each word


why would scar relate to stone

or to equilibrium?


does peace live

inside the groove

one discovers

when deeply entering a wound


what about consciousness

of a rock,

why not?


hasn’t the mineral kingdom

held up pretty darn well

under tons of pressure?


i feel summer ending

last week was full moon

it all ends so soon

even this rock

the weight of scars

breathing here

gazing far

star after star

crying for love

is not so hard


MDC

Ithaca, NY

01 October 2007

sitting in the office of Wink’s Body Shop

sitting in the office of Wink’s Body Shop while Todd Winkeback is trying to figure out why the sound system is not working in my vehicle, the one that this shop just repaired after a recent collision with a deer. I don’t understand why the shop, when billing me for the work, did not inform me of this sound system problem. Todd, after I told him of the problem, communicated to me that one of the employees had mentioned the problem to him. Apparently they already spent an hour trying to figure-it-out. So now I am waiting around while they fart around in my car. It is annoying but what good does annoyance do for me ? I might as well drop any irritation and relax into sitting here. Maybe this is a great opportunity to quietly be with my True Self !


MDC

Ithaca, NY

27 December 2013


snake ‘n me

i wrestled with a snake

when it wrapped itself

tightly around my waist

then i made great efforts

by bending over to a space

where placing the cobra’s tail

almost inside my esophagus

i chompered down with strong teeth

ingesting pieces of snake meat

i, too, turned into a reptile

unwilling to passively be futile,

like a dead man arising from a sarcophagus,

i kicked the ground with both feet

diving into a somersault completely

we both flew in the air

where tall tree branches grabbed us

and covered our bodies with thick pine sap

until we both chose to retreat

going our separate ways respectfully

neither willing to admit defeat



MDC

Ithaca, NY

08 October 2017

spinning

my life has been

a rodeo

riding bulls

falling down

eating dirt

losing my shirt

but mostly i get back up

like an old young buck

i keep trying my luck

even when others

tell me life sucks

mostly i get back up

riding bulls

each day my heart more full

in a rodeo spinning

my life has been


MDC

Ithaca, NY

18 March 2015


Spring a Ling . .... hear Them Sing!

Awesome A had a very good day


Meditation got his bodies Awake


Then he gathered weeds with a rake


Quite a fine man


He likes to be B’hai


All cool with me

We were buds since I started

Attending Troy High


Cropseyville ain’t just a small hill

Sacred still

We watched many a moon get Filled


My oh my, how the years go by

Blessed by The Lord, Deep Accord


4/23/2022

Michael Cooper



stammers

“i think too much”

i told her

and she asked

“What about?”

but i could not think

of an adequate answer

so only stammers

came out of my mouth

“You’re too skinny”

she responded

and i shouted out

“Yes, because i think too much --

all those calories

get burnt in my mouth!”


MDC

Ithaca, NY

12 April 2015


story

sometimes i notice myself

being caught up in the script

of a poor movie, playing

parts in a shallow drama

that is boring and negative

I want to participate

in a better script

an uplifting, authentic

story of LOVING


MDC

Ithaca, NY

05 January 2015

Tara let me go with you

Tara let me go with you

Tara let me go with you

Tara let me go with you

If I don’t I am afraid

I will fall into deep doo-doo


Addicted to painful things

Not easily comprehended

That make me want to cling

I pray for meaning

I pray for healing

Mostly Tara I pray for you


Tara let me go with you (3x)

Tara let me go with you

Tara let me go with you

If I don’t I am afraid

I will fall into deep doo-doo


MDC

Ithaca, NY

17 July 2015

Teacher Truth

Mississippi John Hurt said

“Jesus will you come by here”

and now i sing too

that gloriously humble tune

to start my day anew

because otherwise

i’d be cooking in a stew

of worries and self-doubt

rather than seeking a Teacher

to show me the way of Truth


You are my cross

and You are my truce


“Jesus will you come by here”


MDC

Ithaca, NY

12 December 2008

Thank You, Sir!

Thank You, Sir!


A fat wad of cash is lying on the ground outside of the Asian restaurant door from which I have exited to go to my car to grab a sweatshirt on this very warm October day, so unusually warm that the restaurant's air conditioning is blasting a bit too intensely for my bare arms. I grab the hot cash, put it in my shirt pocket, go to my vehicle, return to the table inside the restaurant, and ask my buddy if he dropped that money by accident when he was entering a little while ago. He says NO. Then I approach 3 people who are sitting at another table. They had entered the place right around the same time my friend and I were approaching here for our dinner. It appears that they are a middle-aged Chinese couple with a pretty daughter in a striped dress. YES, they happily inform me, that money is theirs, so I give it to one of them, and they all gratefully address me with gusto several times, "Thank You, Sir " !


How many times have I been blessed with unexpected gifts, including money ? It feels like a relief, this handing over of the wad. That evening I eat my slightly spicy Buddha Delight dish with extra pleasure.


MDC Ithaca, NY 11 October 2018

The Wife

Last night, my wife, Helena and I saw the film, THE WIFE, based on a book. This film struck a nerve. Unexpectedly I felt extremely triggered by it. An unconscious foggy conflicted state came upon me, and I feel that it refers to an unstated underlying condition of old abusiveness that gets/got covered over with layers of other dramas. In my psyche there was confusion, alarm, shock, etc. Only with time did I realize that the female protagonist, Joan(played by Glenn Close)must have suffered rape and/or other awful early life pain. This was not depicted in the movie, but eventually clearly seen by my Heart.

MDC

Ithaca, NY

October 8, 2018

toughing it out

when Professor Andy Rembert

gave me a C on my first

paper for Introductory Philosophy in college

it was a shock to my perfection expectations

and i did not know how to react other

than despondency, self-loathing,

hatred of the teacher, etc.

How sad that i did not

realize the possibility

of reaching-out for help.

There must have been resources for doing so,

but I was unaware,

thought I had to tough it out,

make it on my own


MDC

Ithaca, NY

14 January 2015


Trillium Irony

Trillium were spotted along the wooded banks near where we walked this morning in a state park called Upper Buttermilk. 3 men. We strode quietly.

Did the flowers know we were there, and were they observing us 3 fellows with spectacles?

I thought I overheard one trillium say to another smaller one, "those are humans, almost extinct..."



Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

May 18, 2010

unconditional

my friend, Brian, and I

walked to Gimme Coffee

shop on Cayuga Street.

We sat in late morning sun

sipping Honduran brew

and discussing the chakras.

A lady walked-by with a

flower made out of toilet paper,

a pretty white rose. She

pointed-out the creator, a

young guy near-by, vending

his work. Brian bought one.

We laughed most of the way back,

rapping about the first chakra,

buttocks, and unconditional love


MDC

Ithaca, NY

03 October 2014

walk beside me

walk beside me buddy

on our way to agway today

as i roll this lawn pushmower

for a tune-up

and sharpening of blade


walk beside me thru gentle rain

thru puddles, sun, and shade

having a pal like you

is a treasure i never want to trade


on the trip back

let’s stop for coffee

relax + chat with friends

we’ve done the circuit

of our spring ritual

after months of cold

we are, gratefully, feeling well


thanks for keeping company

walking across town

and back home again

i hope we can do this act forever

if we ever get to heaven

after this old mower’s dead


MDC

Ithaca, NY

April 2013

what is

as if i could change

my mother’s painful childhood,

losing her father so young,

i can’t try doing that any more

only be with what is

there is only now

this winter morning

here in chicago

feeling well rested

and waiting for the lotus

in my heart to flower

forth with consciousness of joy


MDC

Chicago

01 February 2015

when i inquired

when i inquired

where to put my attention

my teacher said --

no, my teacher sort of yelled

“At the end of your nose”


MDC

Ithaca, NY

19 September 2013


White Tara

You have 7 eyes, including one in each foot,


and it feels very good to be seen by You


Dear Goddess when your mantra weaves subtly


in my brain, heart, and boney knees


I believe that You prolong life, help remove disease


but that is not primarily why I bow to your brow.


I believe that your blessings will eventually show me how


even a weakling can be strengthened within a lowly place,


allowing us to tearfully witness your graceful face




Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

May 27, 2019

Winter Sunrise

drove behind 2 portapotty trucks


talking to God giving thanks for my luck


by East Shore Drive now a fine winter sunrise


opening these eyes, feeling able to happily glide


as eagles fly, Yes, eagles fly in a blue pink sky


with Mighty Magic Medicine Guides....


I had asked for a sign and here it is at a perfect time


Bless The Divine shining in a winter sunrise!


Michael D. Cooper

Ithaca, NY

30 January 2020

yoga class

today i wanted to go

to a 7AM yoga class

but my car engine

would only click

so i had to rethink

my morning plans and try

not to be too annoyed

which might just be the

realest vinyasa flow

lesson yet


MDC

Ithaca, NY

23 January 2015

yoga class in killington, vt

Today I took a yoga class with a gentleman in his seventies, Jimmy, who founded 40 years ago a hiking spa in The Green Mountains of Vermont. Jimmy's yoga class emphasis was consistently that of relaxing the spine. It was great! First we sat with crossed legs, doing small and big circles at the junction of lower spine and buttocks. Then we rocked back and forth, engaging a place in the spine that is at a point higher-up than the prior exercises. Next we moved the rib cage from left to right, followed by neck-head circles and associated movements. After that we lay on our backs and used a band to hold the right leg in the air above, to the right, and to the left. Next, we did the same process with the left leg. We did some other stretches while lying on our backs. Then we did cat/cow, stretching backwards our extended right leg while breathing-in. We did that 3 or 4 times with each leg. Also, we did some ankle circles, clockwise and counter-clockwise, from that position. As was done in the very beginning, at the end of class we rested in Shivasana pose. What a relaxed place we had arrived at by the time we got back up on our feet...


I had been experiencing these last days some discomfort in lower back, hips, and legs. That discomfort, following class, did not totally go away; however, my body felt much better, and my mind was in a happier place. I feel confidence that a regular spinal care approach can genuinely lead to greater well-being.



Michael D. Cooper

Killington, VT

June 22, 2019

Zebra Stream

I return to the big stream near my childhood home off Route 2 in Troy, NY. There, by the water, an old trove of memories comes back to me. I enter the water which is fairly deep with currents and an undertow, which I allow to take me down under deeper and deeper as my consciousness shifts to altered realities. Is it near here that I sense the presence of Zebra? Yes, and then we go deeper in an exploration of The Lower World.


MDC Ithaca, NY October 7, 2018