Temple Grounds
Bryan McCarvey takes you inside a Japanese monastery and leaves you—where?—somewhere larger than where you thought you were. The silences are palpable, the writing is crisp and exploratory, the many photographs are paired with poems to stunning effect.
A collection of meditative short poems well beyond the token or atmospheric.
Excerpt
I am this valley: caw caw caw caw
a root: a thousand miles long
spider, if I set you down on a different blade
can you find your way home?
six iridescent insect legs
tap furiously on my chest
the sun burns a hole in my face
my flesh is alive with flames
deshi: "I've come to get a koan."
roshi: "first you must get a raincoat."
the mountain's about 3 miles off
let me know when you get there