when the rain finally arrived
it sounded like bricks
falling on a tin roof.

(drought 2007)

........


irrational
wild
woolly -
language.

........


atom
mainly empty space.
human body
mainly empty space.
cauliflower
mainly empty space.
Forbidden City
mainly empty space.
Mount Rushmore
mainly empty space.
Pacific Ocean
mainly empty space.
Universe
mainly empty space.

put manure into wheel barrow
roll into garden
fertilize plants
wait two months
pick vegetables
cook in skillet
share with friends -
fill empty space.

(ji bo, 2009)

.........


to put life
on back burner -
big mistake!

........

does speed of light
shift gears?
for answer:
ask grasshopper.

(ji bo, 2009)

..........

painting house
easy;
choosing color
hard.

.........


to stop time:

bury clock
in hole
2.5 feet deep.
fill hole with dirt.
place old shoe atop mound.

blow into palm
three times;
leave immediately -

forget about it.

(ji bo, 2008)

....

watch cowboy movie:
outlaws
Indians
saloon
sheriff
gun fight -
bang bang!

cowboys look like actors
town looks like Hollywood
Indians look like Chinese.

to make good Western:
shoot movie in one day,
free whiskey for actors and horses,
use real bullets.

(ji bo, 2009)

............

to live in jungle
make friends
with bugs.

...........

drive through Mojave Desert
2 million wildflowers
1 million butterflies.
car goes 80 miles per hour
butterflies go 1 mile per hour.
splat!

turn on wipers
turn 100 butterflies into souffle.

turn off car
watch sun drop behind mountain
horned moon floats on waves of sand
1 million butterflies sleep
dream of 2 million wildflowers.

(ji bo, 2009)

...........

the past just called
to say -
hello.

....

study Tao Te Ching
study Diamond Sutra
study Bhagavad Gita
study Lost Parables of Jesus
study Analects of Confucius
study Farmer's Almanac
study Huckleberry Finn
study Oxford English Dictionary
study Tales of Nasrudin
study 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

look through window
see tree
bird
grass
frog
snail
moss
mushroom
spiral nebula
dark matter
infinity.

close book
walk outside.

(ji bo, 2009)

....

even zen masters
get
the blues.

....

fame -
having your poems
read a thousand years
from now.

....

full moon
eclipsed
my shadow.

....

NASA
announces new discovery
in distant galaxy:
"This week only
BIG discount
at Andromeda Wal-Mart.

Hurry - while supplies last!"

(ji bo, 2009)

....

one day
will
never come.

....

in effort to get healthy
switch to fruit and nuts,
gain 5 pounds.
in effort to reduce weight
switch to twigs and leaves,
lose all energy.
in effort to gain energy
switch to hamburger,
have heart attack.
in effort to cure heart attack
switch to low fat diet,
destroy flavor.
in effort to improve taste
switch to immediate present -
jump in skillet,
dance with molecules.

(ji bo, 2009)

....

rain drips from eves,
each drop
a life ended.

(T. J., 2009)

....

moon is eaten
by sun
sun is eaten
by cloud
cloud is eaten
by earth -

autumn arrives,
mountains ignite
for no reason.

....

go to dentist
open wide
pray to Buddha
"no cavity, no cavity."

x-ray has clear eyes
says, "tooth 28 has hole."

look at dentist,
say, "thank God for Novocaine!"
listen as drill becomes one
with tooth;
look through window
watch children on playground

drive home
road of impermanence;
Novocaine escapes tooth
travels into brain;
universe vanishes.


(ji bo, 2009)

...........


three thirty nine
tick-tock tick-tock
monkey reaches for clock
thinking about banana.

butterfly enters picture
alights on monkey's finger
says, "form is empty, empty is form."
monkey forgets banana,
eats butterfly.

story almost finished.

Animal Control enters picture
grabs monkey in net.
back in cage at zoo
monkey has big enlightenment:
banana not as tasty
as butterfly.

(ji bo, 2009)

...........


ant rings doorbell
says, "your house in wrong place,
ancient ant burial ground here!"
government scientist appears
conducts 2 year study,
says, "ant necropolis a National Treasure,
must build museum!"
neighborhood becomes tourist mecca,
souvenirs sell like hot cakes.
people love ant cemetery
to death.

ants become sad,
leave for greener grass
on other side of hill.

(ji bo, 2009)

.............

pine tree
violet waterfall -
wisteria.

....

in 8 million years:

no more human beings, no more motorcycles
no more soap operas, no more food stamps
no more fluoride tooth paste, no more income taxes
no more psychiatrists, no more defense budget
no more exhaust pipes, no more salvation.

in 8 minutes:

"We interrupt this program for a word from outer space.
Commander of space ship hovering above New York City
sends greetings from Xenon 5. In one hour we will fill ship
with all remaining oil on planet Earth.
Have a nice day!"

(ji bo, 2009)

....

the Dalai Lama
preaches compassion,
even to his bodyguards.

....

when in Paris, visit Eiffel Tower
when in Rome, visit Pope
when in London, visit Queen
when in Tokyo, visit $40 hamburger
when in Las Vegas, visit slot machine
when in Liverpool, visit Beatles
when in Bangkok, visit sex parlor
when in Los Angeles, visit game show
when in bed, visit dreams
when in dream, visit subconscious
when in subconscious, visit Sigmund Freud
when tired of travel - congratulations!

(ji bo, 2009)
....

clouds
step aside -
full moon.

....

hands of clock
don't know
what time it is.

....

in a bowl, mix together:
100 million words
400,000 studies
a library full of ideas.

add:
1 tablespoon philosophy
1 teaspoon astrology
2 cups mythology
pinch of dogma
3 grains wishful thinking
dram of voodoo
1 drop of guilt.

stir ingredients until thick.
pour into deep dish,
bake for 1,000 years
in medium hot oven.

baste often with latest theory.
remove from oven
when kitchen is smoky,
and devoid of oxygen.

refrigerate in University
until planet earth is visited
by intelligent beings
from outer space.

in meantime:

plant garden
listen to birds
dance with clouds
see with eyes
clap with hands
drink with friends
soak in tub
sleep like baby
repeat as needed.

(ji bo, 2009)

....

the Great Way
is this -
eat
or
be eaten.

....

call of wild
turkey
shatters forest.

....

thock
thock!
woodpecker.

...

squirrel steals
wrong fruit
from garden -
habanero!

...

when approaching old age
good to have shoes with strong tread,
clean ears,
don't hide whiskey in closet
or forget location of dentures.
remember doctor's phone number,
extra batteries for remote control,
don't talk to roaches or play with ants,
important to keep knees working
in order to dance with pretty women.
don't worry about neighbors,
unplug clock,
walk in woods,
let go of past.
wake up in morning
say "hello!"

(ji bo, 2009)

...