Holy Imagination Retreat
-Lake Coeur d’Alene, for Brother Joe Kilikivece

In the morning, Qigong practice;
we bend like willow, shoot
imaginary arrows. And later,
prayers of a different kind:
chants in a circle, Buddhist
words we don’t know -
metta, karuna, mudita, upekha –
though we trust this priest.
He holds the circle,
here in his hooded garb
(sweatshirt, not robe).
He teaches us darshan and shares
a joke about Inspector Clouseau.

It must be hard
being a mendicant
(so many things to pray
for, so much to heal!).
But here, in this circle,
he makes it look easy –
one step at a time,
one drum beat,
one violin,
carrying our voices
out across the water,
out across the waters of the world.


Gayle Kaune

Note: This chant is from the Buddhist tradition, Pali language. Metta stands for loving kindness; karuna, compassion; mudita is sympathetic joy and upekha is equanimity.