Saturday, May 17, 2025

Abhidhamma w/ Bhikkhu Bodhi (video)

(Tergar) Back to the Roots: Mapping the Mind through Abhidharma with Bhikkhu Bodhi

Tibetan Yongey Rinpoche (Tergar)
Students of the Dharma, tomorrow (Saturday, May 17th, 2025) instead of Bhikkhu Bodhi's regular class on the AN, the venerable American Theravada Buddhist scholar-monk will be giving an online lecture on the Abhidhamma ("Higher Doctrine") through another Buddhist organization, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche's Tergar:
Anthology (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
All regular students are welcome to join this program, which will run from 10:00 am to 11:30 am (ET). Find more details and a registration form here: Tergar Events

Note two options on the registration form: (A) If no translation from English to another language is needed, register to view the lecture through YouTube. (B) If translation into another language is needed, register to view the lecture through Zoom.

With metta, BAUS via Wisdom Quarterly

"Many, fearful of annihilation [extinction] at death, construct belief systems that ascribe to their individual selves, their souls, the prospect of eternal life. A few yearn for a path to liberation but do not know where to find one. It was precisely to offer such a path that the Buddha has appeared in our midst."
- Bhikkhu Bodhi

Details
Ven. Buddhaghosa, the great Buddhist scholar-monk, compiling Theravada Abhidhamma texts
.
Manual of Abhidhamma (Bodhi)
Seeking a deeper understanding of your own mind — a map to greater well-being? Join us for a special online webinar with Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, a renowned Buddhist scholar and teacher of Buddhist philosophy, as he unravels the profound wisdom of the Abhidharma.

Often referred to as “Buddhist psychology,” the Abhidhamma [the “Dhamma in Ultimate Terms" or “Higher Doctrine”] offers a detailed map of consciousness, illuminating the intricate workings of our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.

In this event, Bhikkhu Bodhi will guide us through the “topography” of consciousness and core principles of the Abhidharma, exploring how this ancient system of analysis can provide valuable insights into the causes of suffering and the path to innate well-being.

By systematically exploring the inner landscape of mind, we can clarify which mental states lead to suffering, which cultivate happiness and well-being at present and in the future, and which ultimately lead to full inner freedom (enlightenment, awakening, bodhi).

This is a unique opportunity to learn from a renowned master teacher and deepen your understanding of these essential teachings.

Why attend?
Wow, so my emotions actually make sense.
Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi is a respected Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator renowned for his clear and insightful teachings on Abhidharma, the system of Buddhist psychology. Bhikkhu Bodhi's teachings emphasize the importance of understanding the mind by systematically guiding us to recognize confusion and discover the reality that leads to profound self-understanding and lasting well-being.

What will we learn?
But consciousness is too big to understand! - Successful meditators understand it.
.
In this program, participants will get an overview of the Abhidharma's teachings and learn the classifications of consciousness how to cultivate beneficial mental states

What is included in this program?
Included in this LIVE teaching by Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi is a presentation followed by a Q&A session, during which participants may ask what pertinent questions they like.

Cost?
This webinar is free of charge, so no payment is required.
Bhikkhu Bodhi
American Bhikkhu Bodhi
Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American-born Buddhist monk from New York City. After completing his PhD in philosophy at Claremont in Los Angeles. He then traveled to Theravada Buddhist Sri Lanka, where he received full ordination in 1973, under the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thera. From 1984 to 2002, he served as editor for the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, where he lived for ten years with the senior German Buddhist monk Ven. Nyanaponika Mahathera at the Forest Hermitage. He currently lives and teaches at Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS.org) in Carmel, New York. More

Burma's Shwedagon Pagoda (full doc)


Shwedagon Pagoda: 2,500 years of Burma’s Buddhist legacy | full documentary
(SLICE Full Doc) According to legend, Shwedagon Pagoda was built 2,500 years ago at the top of the Burmese capital Rangoon (Yangon), and its aura still protects the former capital city today. The stupa (reliquary burial mound), which contains eight strands of the Buddha's hair, is the most symbolic and sacred site in the country, 90% of the population of which is Theravada Buddhist.


Its architecture is made up of circles and squares (a mandala), which in Buddhist cosmology represents heavenly planes and earth respectively and is further evidence of how sacred it is. The pagoda's vibrant atmosphere is created by the 20,000 gold plates that cover the building and the precious stones that adorn it. Workers and volunteers spend every day at the site continually restoring it and keeping the stupa beautiful. They do this in expectation that their dedication will cultivate good karma (merit) for their future rebirths. #freedocumentary #shwedagonpagoda #myanmar #burma
Documentary: Wonders of Men EP1: Myanmar, The Shwedagon Pagoda (2018). Directed by: Véronique Legendre and Alexis Barbier-Bouvet. Production: ZED & ARTE #documentary #freedocumentary #wondersofmen #shwedagonpagoda #myanmar #monument #yangon #buddhism
  • SLICE Full Doc, Nov. 25, 2024; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Friday, May 16, 2025

The Cosmic Buddha Cave? (Ancient Aliens)


Underground alien connections: Esoteric encounters | Ancient Aliens

There's nothing under us but dark dirt
(HISTORY) May 15, 2025:  Enlightenment by spelunking? Welcome to the Hollow Earth civilization of Agartha (the original Mexican Atzlan or European Atlantis?) Is that you, Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva (Kokūzō Bosatsu)? Shingon (Esoeric) Buddhism is closely related to Vedic Hinduism.

Shingon (真言宗, Shingon-shū, "True Word/Mantra School") is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called Tōmitsu (東密 literally, "Esoteric [Buddhism] of Tō-ji") [1].

The word shingon is the Japanese reading of the Chinese word 真言 (zhēnyán) [2], which is the translation of the Sanskrit word mantra, which means something like "thought instrument" (Japanese "true words" or om'yomi).

The Zhēnyán lineage was founded in China (circa 7th–8th centuries) by Indian vajrācāryas ("esoteric teachers") like Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra. 

These esoteric teachings would later flourish in Japan under the auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai (空海, 774–835), who traveled to Tang China and received these esoteric transmissions from a Chinese master named Huiguo (746–805).

Kūkai established his tradition at Mount Kōya (in Wakayama Prefecture), which remains the central pilgrimage center of Shingon Buddhism. More

Check out these otherworldly (inner earth) discoveries and more in this Ancient Aliens compilation:
  • 1. Forbidden Caves 0:00
  • 2. Underground Aliens 5:45
  • 3. Forbidden Caves 2 12:05
  • 4. Underground Aliens 2
Our Earth is hollow? - Shush, it's a secret!
Watch full episodes and stay up to date on all favorite shows on The HISTORY Channel website at history.com/schedule.

Subscribe for more from Ancient Aliens and other great The HISTORY Channel shows: http://histv.co/SubscribeHistoryYT. Find out more about the show and watch full episodes on website: histv.co/AncientAliens.

Check out exclusive The HISTORY Channel content: History Newsletter - https://histv.co/newsletter Website - https://histv.co/History Facebook - https://histv.co/Facebook Instagram - / history TikTok - / history

ABOUT: "Ancient Aliens" explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years.

ABOUT: HISTORY® is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, premium documentaries, and scripted event programming.
  • #AncientAliens, History Channel, May 15, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit Shingon

Monks behaving badly: Phuket, Thailand


Monks arrested, drunken Chalong shooting, Phuket beach vendors tossed || Thailand News
(The Phuket News) Premiered May 16, 2025: PHUKET [pronounced POOH-khet, not FOOK-k...] XTRA brought to you by @PVC Phuket Hosted by: JP Mestanza || #Phuket #PhuketNews #Thailand

Two years ago in Thailand
Embezzlement isn't new in bad Bangkok, half cremated corpse dumped

(The Thaiger) July 1, 2022: A head monk is accused of embezzling 95 million baht (~40 baht to the US dollar) and dumping half-cremated corpses into the river, Thailand’s major banks crash on pay day, and Thai fighter jets respond to MIGs from Burma (Myanmar). Sponsor: 5-star marine: 5starmarinephuket.com#Thailandnightlife #Bangkok #ThailandNews
  • 00:00 Intro
  • 00:32 Monk accused of embezzling 95m
  • 02:37 Banking apps crashed
  • 04:19 Burmese jet flies in Thailand
  • 06:09 Thai PM against drug
  • 07:13 Thai COVID update
Subscribe: bit.ly/2Ch3iJp. Check out JP Mestanza’s channel: bit.ly/2XIxRUQ. SPONSOR: PSD Windows and Doors: bit.ly/2O0ngQy

ABOUT: The Phuket News TV is the video arm of The Phuket News, an English-language newspaper in Phuket, part of the Class Act Media family. Phuket Xtra is a daily news show covering Phuket Island and the latest news from Thailand. This show intends to cover the everyday aspects of life in Southern Thailand and the rest of the Theravada Buddhist Kingdom of Thailand. Stay classy! (VIDEO) Phuket News TV: https://www.thephuketnews.com/tv/ (NEWSPAPER) The Phuket News: http://th.thephuketnews.com/ (RADIO) Live 89.5: https://www.thephuketnews.com/radio/

ABOUT: Founded in 2009, Class Act Media is Southern Thailand's most comprehensive media company, incorporating newspapers and magazines (English, Russian, and Thai), radio, TV, numerous websites, and an online ticketing service. Class Act Media prides itself on its ability to deliver high quality media services to residents and tourists in Phuket and all across Southern Thailand. It sincerely believes in accountability towards its clients and ensuring that each member of its team subscribes to its motto: "The client is always right." Read more at ThePhuketNews.com
  • Eds. Wisdom Quarterly

Science of focus: Mindfulness rewires brain


Unlocking the Power of the Present Moment
Meditation is natural progress
Imagine pausing in the middle of chaos and suddenly feeling a wave of calm wash over mind and body. That’s the surprising reality many people experience when they embrace mindfulness (Buddhist sati).

In a world that never seems to slow down, mindfulness offers a rare and precious gift: the ability to be completely present.

It’s not a fleeting fad or a mystical ritual. Instead, it is a simple yet profound [formerly Buddhist] practice that science now shows can literally reshape our brains and boost our chances for success.

The idea that focusing on our breath or paying attention to our surroundings in the moment could change our brain may sound unbelievable, but the evidence is mounting: Mindfulness is not just about feeling better; it’s about training our mind for resilience and greatness. More

Thai Buddhist Temple Tour, LA (5/17)


Azusa Thai Buddhist Temple Tour
What used to be rural became suburban: DIMC
Explore the Los Angeles County City of Azusa's history through the historic MacNeil House. Visit the Thai temple and meditation center preserving its cultural heritage.

The Buddhist temple is called the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center (USA), and the tour is:
  • Saturday, May 17, 3:00-4:00 pm (PDT)
  • Dhammakaya Int'l Meditation Center
  • 865 E. Monrovia Place
  • Azusa, Los Angeles, California 91702
  • By donation.
This exists in Los Angeles, in the United States?
ABOUT
: The Azusa Thai Temple Tour lasts one hour. Dhammakaya is a Thai Theravada Buddhist temple and meditation center in Azusa, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Come immerse in the serene atmosphere of this retreat from the city and explore the preserved 20th century architecture of Old Azusa, back when the city used to be a citrus grove.

The meditation center sits on the property of The MacNeil House, a beautiful historic landmark built in 1932 by Louise Slauson MacNeil, the daughter of Azusa Founder Jonathan Sayre Slauson.

Dhammakaya meditation is a special technique near the navel

Dhammakaya main hall, Azusa, SGV, LA
From this home, Slauson operated the Azusa Foothill Ranch, a citrus farm that was a key regional orange producer from 1910-1946. The building is designed in the Italian Renaissance style with ornate upper roof balustrades.

Quoins on the edge of the building’s adjacent wings mimic stone building techniques that were used in ancient Rome. The multi-paned grille windows in the middle of the mansion are designed in the Colonial Revival style popular in 1932.

In 1947, the Jesuit Order of the Society of Jesus took ownership of the estate and established the Manresa Retreat center on the grounds.

Since 1997, the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center has been honored to play a role in preserving this cultural and historical landmark of Azusa, California.


Secular Peace Point Meditation at DIMC
During the tour, participants will have the opportunity to learn about Dhammakaya's meditation technique, which promotes inner peace and tranquility. Get to experience its relaxing benefits in a short meditation session.

Friendly guides will share fascinating insights into Thai culture and Theravada Buddhism, providing a unique cultural experience.

Stroll through the peaceful gardens and enjoy the tranquil ambiance.

Schedule
  • 3:00 pm - Introduction to the history of the Center
  • 3:15 pm - Walking tour of the historical MacNeil House building
  • 3:25 pm - Visit the main meditation hall, rose garden, retreat grounds
  • 3:40 pm - Short meditation session in the MacNeil House Library
  • 3:50 pm - Refreshments in the dining hall
  • 4:00 pm - Departure to return again soon
Questions? Contact DIMC at (626) 334-2160. For more information, check out website at dimc.info. For secular meditation classes, visit Peace Point Meditation. More: Eventbrite

Treasure trove beneath 1,300-y-o Buddha

 
The Buddha reclining into final nirvana (Unsplash/Sam Szuchan)
.
Digging crew surprised to find ‘treasure trove’ beneath 1,300-year-old reclining Buddha statue in Thailand
พระพุทธไสยาสวัดพระเชตุพน (Wat Pho)
The discovery of treasure troves always makes for interesting stories. One such incident comes from Thailand, where workers found a massive collection of gold, silver, and bronze while digging a drainage system, states Popular Mechanics.

The workers were digging four feet below the famous reclining Buddha statue in the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram Temple complex in Northeastern Thailand when they came across the mind-blowing collection.
  • Wat Pho, Bangkok's giant reclining Buddha
The community was stunned that the Buddha statue they had been venerating for years was lying on such a valuable treasure. 

The crew spotted the treasure inside a container. In total, the collection had 33 ancient ornaments, made from gold, silver, and bronze, according to Thailand’s Fine Arts Department. There were several kinds of jewelry pieces inside the container, ranging from rings, earrings, to hoops.

Researchers believe that the ornaments were 1,300 years old, based on their designs. The style of the found jewelry was very similar to what was popular in the Dvaravati period, which lasted from the 6th to the 11th century in Thailand.

Researchers think that the collection could be offerings to the Buddha Shakyamuni, as the temple was massively popular during the Dvaravati period, according to Interesting Engineering.

The work on the jewelry pieces is clearly indicative of the exceptional artistic talent within the community back then. Similar collections have been spotted in places like Phu Khao Thong in Ranong Province and Tha Chana in Surat Thani.

This implies that in the past, there was an extensive network of cultural exchange throughout the Southeast Asian country. More
  • Somdatta Maity, Front Page Detectives via MSN.com, May 16, 2025; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Our beautiful new Black American Pope


Is Pope Leo XIV really Black?
(NYTN) May 16, 2025: Is the new pope Black? Some folks are even saying he’s Louisiana Creole. We’re unpacking where that idea came from, what it really means, and why it struck such a nerve. [Is this Peter the Roman, given that he's part Italian?]

No, never, unless he's a Creole who passes.
Come join me on a new docu-series that explores identity, racial tensions in the South during the 20th century, and the unique experiences of those who historically called Louisiana home. My name is Danielle Romero, and all my life I have romanticized Louisiana. Growing up in New York, it represented a place where I could step back the sepia-toned life of my great grandmother, Lola Perot, who died before I was born. Now, it was time to go back to Louisiana -- although I had no idea what the truth would be or what questions to ask -- who was Lola really? Who were we?
► Melungeon + Redbones: • The Melungeon families of an Appalach... ► 👕 NYTN Merch: nytonashville.com ▶Download the first section FREE of my "Be a Good Ancestor" course here: https://nytonashville.com/shoplola/be...

FOLLOW: 📸 ► YouTube: @NYTN ► Facebook: findinglolafilm ► Website: nytonashville.com ► X: imfindinglola. OTHER VIDEO PLAYLISTS ► Melungeon + Redbones: • The Melungeon families of an Appalach... ► "Who Counts as..." Series in the US: • Is Meghan Markle Black or White? ► Mexicans • My Family's HIDDEN Louisiana Creole H... ► Enslaved Ancestor stories • My enslaved ancestor sued for his fre... ► My family story of white passing: • My Creole Family Passed for White

*Amazon links are affiliate links. If buy something through these links, we may earn affiliate commission. Thanks for supporting this project! #louisiana #ancestry #nytn #louisiana #ancestry #nytn #ancestry #pope #familyhistory #genealogy

✅SUPPORT NYTN CHANNEL ☕Send me a coffee: ko-fi.com/nytn13#linkModal patreon.com/NYTN
  • Crystal Quintero, Pfc. Sandoval, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Golden Temple: Shwedagon Pagoda, Burma


Bagan (Pagan) and Shwedagon Pagoda: The Cosmic Geometry of Burma’s Buddhist Temples | SLICE
(SLICE) Across the vast Asian continent, temples and sanctuaries stretch out in harmony with the land, their horizontal lines reflecting a deep connection to nature and the living world.

At their core lies an intricate sacred geometry inspired by the cosmos, the elements, and the human form — a fusion of spirituality and design that transcends time.

In Burma (Myanmar), this connection reaches its zenith. The Shwedagon Pagoda, gilded with nearly 60 tons of gold, rises as a beacon of faith (saddha, confidence in the Buddha) and devotion, shimmering under the sun.

Its spire points to the heavens (sagga), yet its base remains firmly rooted in the earth (Bhumi) — a symbol of the link between the divine and humanity.

Meanwhile, the plains of Bagan (formerly Pagan), with their breathtaking expanse of over 2,000 ancient temples, monuments, and stupas, showcase an unparalleled architectural legacy.

These temples, born of devotion and ambition, reflect a civilization’s desire to immortalize its beliefs in stone and art.

This profound bond between humanity and the cosmos, visible in Asia’s sacred structures, invites us to marvel not only at the beauty of these monuments but also at the resilience and creativity of the civilizations that built them.

From the serene plains of Bagan to the golden splendor of Shwedagon, these sacred spaces stand as timeless testaments to the spiritual quest for harmony with the universe.

Documentary: Sacred Spaces – Asian Temples: Humans, Nature, and Gods directed by Véronique Legendre. Production: ZED, ARTE FRANCE, CuriosityStream.

SLICE fully owns the rights to the use of the published content. Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action. SLICE wants to fill up curiosity! Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is a weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun and instructive. Be smart, have a slice! Subscribe now ► @slicedocumentary. Become a fan: @slicedocumentary. Follow: 👇 In French: slicefr. Facebook: slicedocs. Instagram: slicedocs. #documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary #myanmar #bagan #shwedagon #plains #buddism #buddha #gold #temple #pagoda #religion #asia #amazing #heritage #prayer #pray #nature #god #geometry #relics
  • SLICE in Burma, Dec. 12, 2024; Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Altadena Library's Poetry & Cookies (5/17)


Live poetry: 'Finnegan's Awake' (5/15)


WHAT HAPPENED?
It was a full house, a surprise given the early start midweek. Everyone seemed to be preparing for the big return of the post-Eaton Fire edition of the Altadena Poetry Review release and its big annual event "Poetry & Cookies" at the Altadena Library.
  • Altadena Poets Laureate: Poetry & Cookies
  • Saturday, May 17, 2025, 4:00–6:00 pm
  • Main Library, Main Floor
  • This annual event is hosted by new 2024-2026 Co-Poets Laureate Lester Graves Lennon and Sehba Sarwar. He is the poetry editor for Rosebud magazine and is the author of three poetry collections -- Lynchings: Postcards from America (2022), My Father Was a Poet (2013), and The Upward Curve of Earth and Heavens (2001) -- and has lived in Altadena with his family since 1992, whereas she is a novelist...
This is interesting stuff for curious readers
SPARC is an art gallery, and chairs were arranged in a circle for 25 guests, arriving and departing. The open mic signup invited all aspirants to share in a supportive atmosphere, interspersed with readings by the featured poets. Then Seven wowed the crowd in what sounded like Gaelic singing but was to the careful ear English in an Irish baroque, mixed with Irish humor, shamanism, and more comedy than such a serious writer would seem to be capable of. His poetry seemed to induce trance, transporting the audience to the Zen Center of Ireland. "Tim Finnegan lived on Watlin Street, a gentleman Irish but mighty odd, had a beautiful baroque so soft and sweet, to rise in the world he carried a hod." What's a hod? It is both a slang term for a back pocket tankard to get high and a device for carrying bricks up a ladder to "rise" in the world by getting lots of work done.

The Fairy
Jackie Chou, a poet of Japanese short form poetry
You appear in my memory
on a blue-cheese moon,
a blurry silhouette in the clouds,
whispering your whereabouts in the wind.

You turn your back to me,
ebony-haired,
your slim figure vanishing
into the grey fog of yesteryear.

You breathe ethereal air,
eat fruits from otherworldly soil,
and like a fairy
your wings flap eternally

above my outstretched hands.

Lothlorien Poetry: Jackie Chou
Jackie Chou, not to be outdone countered with very earthy and mundane pieces, drawing from everyday life and experience -- sex, love, dating, and the quirky things that make the workaday life interesting, at least when it's poeticized, immortalized in verse. Her short, straightforward pieces were a counterpoint to his rhythmic cadence as he did dense "sound magic" by including Pali and Sanskrit mantras with lots of literary references. This alternation created an atmosphere that caused nearly everyone present to read some of their poetry. Under his influence, even Jackie began to joke and get laughs. Refreshments were served, networking and socializing took place, and a good time was had by all.

Next month (Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 4:00 pm) features the great South Pasadena Poet Laureate Ron Koertge and at Seven's suggestion peace activist and poet Mandy Kahn.

Event details
Shall we wake him, or is he awake?
Wisdom Quarterly's
Native Latin Irish Dharma Editor Seven Dhar (who majored in English and psychology at UC Berkeley) is an award-winning poet, though apparently shy about it. He composed an epic poem about the Buddha's life distilled and condensed in a parallel telling of the story of Tim Finnegan by James Joyce in his stream-of-consciousness magnum opus Finnegans Wake. Seven's much more rhythmic version, titled "Finnegan's Awake," is written to sound Gaelic while in English. He will be performing it on Thursday, May 15, 2025, as one of two featured poets at the South Pasadena Arts Council SPARC Centre Gallery. Shssssh. It begins like this.

*Bauhaus sing a snippet of "Antonin Artaud"

Prelude
Get under my skin with your fix!

I will sing you a poem.
It's Irish but it's English.
And you won't understand because
You don't sing your language:

Thimble shot of whiskey for teething?
To a drop of the craythur I was born,
a thimble of fuisce, a mash of the corn,
unlike Bushmill's, a comforting 'board,
no room for the cups where the tankards are stored.

To a tuber's fine tincture, I was turned on,
a poteen, a potcheen, all mellow and brown.

A Liam, a Rhea, a Ryan, a Rip
around a cadaver a sway and a sip
A Pat, a Maria, a Michael, and a Mc
slosh the carcass in a rite Cath'lic rinse...

Bauhaus, "Antonin Artaud" from the album Burning From the Inside

Finnegan's Awake

Revolving Round, spin no more instead!
But we pose to our old friend:
Come, Finnegan, become again!

What is a wake? To raise The Dead?
Then shimmy toss my own two cents!
Shake the spirit, and rouse the breath:
Come Finnegan, become again!

Let's go get that guy to move, Sisters, for Dad.
Shirley, Shannon, and Shay ahem —
To pull thee from thy sorption then,
Pale in search of spirits in a pen,

Corked and screwed and waxed wick end
Bitter as the Grape, Guinness, or Grain.
I say, I sing, I say again:
Come, Finnegan, become again!

Right the sight that sees in stem
A mighty smite that scored the hand,
Overwrought the wringing strand:
Come, Finnegan, become again!

Murgatroyd’s rock’ at sea in ink
Presses on lads whom it hurts to think,
Liberates the tongue as good as drink:
Come, Finnegan, become Finnegan again!

Now Finn he was a faithful Ph’n,
Phineas with half a head,
Who blew the top to smith’ or rent:
Come, Finnegan, become Finnegan again!

Wan wolves who wander for crimson drink,
Wretch and writhe by ’bane beside a splint.
Hale men who haggle at Haddock hint
Then writhe and wretch to get a flint:

A Shropshire Lad, a filly wink,
Bard of Avon, cauldron ingredient,
A skinny fenny to feed the fink:
Come, Finnegan, become Finnegan again!

Liam, Rhea, Ryan, and Rip,
’Round the cadaver sway and sip!
Pat, Maria, Michael, and Mc,
Slosh the carcass in a rite Cath’lic rinse!

Shillelagh shake; shellac shenanigans;
Sheet and shout and shoot sharp shingles to shush 'em...

When I Smoked Pencils
Seven Dhar (Coiled Serpent)

It started at night
when I would write
ill until
my instrument would alight
and alight
and smoke —
brought it up to my mouth,
drew, inhaled, toked,
tickled by the taste of lead,
the unadulterated shhh',
No. 2,
unfiltered
short bus color-coated
sweet chicory cudgel
charred chopstick —
light, airy balsa,
cedar unscented
juniper amalgamated
particle pulp
the better the sharpening
the shaving
splintered shards
splaying
nervous impressions,
incisive vampire marks
stabbing, sucking
my areol’s,
my bronchioles,
the nipples
slicing through my chest —
an ecstasy of contractions,
a shiver of the esophagus
ill until I coughed
blackened flecks,
squiggles —
little corrections in red —
the last thing I wrote
when I smoked
pencils.

This poem was first published in the anthology Coiled Serpent: Poets Arising from the Cultural Quakes & Shifts of Los Angeles (conceived of by Los Angeles' first Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez and available at tiachucha.org)
Poet Jackie Chou

The Purloined Coffee
Jackie Chou (poetrysoup.com)
like a night fairy
you invaded
my side of the room
stealing my coffee
hot handed
like the money
with which it was procured
selling poetry
composed with heart
and sore fingers
holding ballpoint pen
put together 
the old fashioned way 
carrying the books
everywhere I go 
asking anyone interested
to buy a copy
now thanks to you
I have to purchase more
of this daily necessity
with what is left
in my wallet

Bad Poet
I have nothing to lose, by submitting.
My poems aren't perfect, I'm admitting.
The crime of bad rhymes, I'm committing.
A disease of word misuse, I'm transmitting.
I try to be hard-hitting, but my diction is unfitting.
There are times I feel like quitting,
Then a gem is born, after some diligent editing.
Ode to a Man in a Social Media Photo
He’s no Romeo, the man in the photo
There was a young man with the same name 
I think I met him twenty years ago 

He was no Mr. Popularity but an average Joe
He had steel rimmed glasses and a lanky frame 
He’s no Romeo, the man in the photo

I can’t control where my fingers go
Social media is a one-sided stalking game 
I think I met him twenty years ago 

Sometimes he was less a friend than a foe
Arguing about politics every time he came
He is no Romeo, the man in the photo 

Yet I can’t deny that I miss him so
Wondering what the eccentric man ever became
I think I met him twenty years ago 

All in all, he brought more laughter than woe 
Clowning with a spoon on his nose without shame
He’s no Romeo, the man in the photo
I think I met him twenty years ago
  • SPARC Centre Gallery (sopasartscouncil.org)
  • Thursday, May 15, 2025, 4:00-6:00 pm
  • 1000 Fremont Ave., Suite 120
  • South Pasadena
  • Aaron (SPARC Poetry in the Afternoon), Ashley Wells, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Dhr. Seven, Jackie Chou, Wisdom Quarterly