Prepare The Ground Poem by Steven Federle

'When man is grounded in authentic truth and love, the roots of desire themselves wither, brokenness is at an end, and truth is found in the wholeness and simplicity of Nirvana: perfect awareness and perfect compassion.' Thomas Merton, Zen and the Birds of Appetite


Prepare the ground.

Begin with new earth
and mix my baser soil
with falling rain.

Find illicit weeds
and by their roots extract
vain desire.

Raise higher
your righteous flame

and make ready the land
for summer's living
grain.