At the Monastery

Teaching Haiku/Brush/Sketch

at Zen Mountain Monastery this past weekend,

I encourage my students to step through

the doubt and hesitation and get something

down in the sketchbook.

At the end of the workshop

I walk up the wooded path to the cemetery

to visit my friend Richard Barsky.

It's been twelve years since he died.

I stand in front of the vertical grave marker,

looking down at the capstone that covers his ashes.

I hear Richard's voice inside me,

"Go ahead. Do it." 

I open my sketchbook - and get something down . . .