John McCarthy

aṣṭa I.Clear skies sinkinto still water—a calm mind.No ripples exist;You can seezenith to core, all lifein-between, flying and swimming,in harmony, indistinguishable. II.Spontaneous actsin the right circumstance,aware of cause and effect,will move you through lifelike a bird through air,above everything that looks up. III.Choose words as ifthey were boomerangs,made of scorpion talesor rose petals. IV.Karma is always dustingfor fingerprints. Fruitbearing seeds should bethe only evidence of your life. V.Work to feed your roots;do not dig them upto sell what keeps youconnected to harmony. VI.All work is transient;help everyone you canleave footprints in the sand.Breathe onto a window;index finger paintall the names of loveuntil your breath fades. VII.Put material vicesinto a chest. Attacha rope to your ankleand the chest. Kickthe chest over a cliff.If your mind is right,the rope will breakand you will not bepulled over. VIII.Seven orbs in a rowcreate a mirror.Focus on the reflection;learn from the silenceof the beating heart. Winter Meditation gandhabbas play the firmamentsnow sounds the alarma state of saṃvegaheart beats harderask again yourselffill in the blankswarmth is always freeto a sappuriso in vivekawhen ice breaks apartthe river chatters its teethcold pulverized dreams— but the man who orbits his mindwith steady closed eyesnever freezes and never worries about melting John McCarthy is the Assistant Editor at Quiddity International Literary Journal and Public-Radio Program. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Conium Review, Popshot Magazine (UK), and Ghost Ocean Magazine (Wave Series), among others. He can be contacted at jjmccarthy90@gmail.com.