the bell
note to self

first it tolled my heart
thrummed my frame
called me to quiet—

shuffling sandals and
rustle of robes as monks
settle on seiza benches

facing the wall
a sustained silent sit
sound vibrates inside

my sense of me
meddlesome mind
gonging monastery bell

This photo is from the Barnstorming Blog, which I’ve followed for fifteen years.
Thank you, Emily Gibson. https://barnstorming.blog/

2022 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.