Artifacts (2003)

Remnants of our past lie
Beneath consciousness

When solstice and equinox pass,
They reveal themselves in

A manner that shifting dunes
Present ancient ruins

Stasis beneath sand,
Away from light, air and

Heaven’s attention
Preserve the integrity of souvenirs

Like the unchanged nature of water
Locked in glaciers

Glow (2005)

There is something awkward in her smile
Yet the shimmer on her lips
Can't be avoided like
Light can't divorce shadow

When she says "yes" to a query
My heart can't help to rethink the question
It is the timbre of her "y" that seduces
She looks up and left when pondering

And in that minute flicker of a gaze
Universal matter that sees her expression
Is rearranged into filaments of light
Forming an undeniable mandala

the balcony at 14D Cong Ly Street

The Balcony At 14D Cong Ly Street
Originally uploaded by equusignis.

at my childhood home. when i was a child, i'd play on this balcony. i even remember setting a train set on it once. it used to look out over the sideyard lawn where i played. in that garden yard, i once saw a snake coiled on a branch, i was fascinated.

on this balcony at certain times of the moon cycle, i would help my great grandma put out trays of candles in offering to deities. they were little red candles. i would sit inside and come out to check them frequently to make sure the breeze didn't blow them out. i would relight them.

in front of my eyes, my mind's eyes when i looked at this balcony again years later the candles were still there sitting in a perfect grid, held to the tin tray by melted butts and stuck down.

i remember the moon on those nights, or was that another memory?

Siesta In Sanctuary – 22 June 2005

siesta in sanctuary
Originally uploaded by equusignis.

I was sorting through a couple thousand images of my trip last year in Vietnam and came across this one of Ivy taking a quick nap.

It was taken after a long lunch at a Buddhist temple with some friends who were hosting us when we arrived in Saigon. We all took catnaps before heading back to the airport to fly up to Hue for a big event the next day.

Seeing this image brought a sense of calm, a respite from all that surrounds us, all the noise, all the traffic and all the craziness of the outside world...