Autumn's Cold

by Po Chu-i

English version by James M. Cryer
Original Language Chinese

here's my snowy crown
          time's tinted decrepitude
there's the frost in the courtyard
          autumn's glittery breath
now I'm sick and just watching my wife
          pick cure-alls
then I'm frozen waiting for the maid
          to comb my hair
without the body
          what use fame?
worldly things
          I've put aside
tranquilly
          I delve my heart
determined now
          to learn from Empty Boats!

-- from A Drifting Boat: Chinese Zen Poetry, Edited by J. P. Seaton / Edited by Dennis Maloney

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Recommended Books: Po Chu-i

The Poetry of Zen: (Shambhala Library) A Drifting Boat: Chinese Zen Poetry The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy



Autumn's Cold