MAHAYANA CATHOLIC by Mark J. Mitchell

Each morning
I sit
stone still
on a pillow
and recite
the Sutra on
Loving Kindness,
then breathe.
 
Afternoons
I sit
stick stiff
on my cushion
and intone
the Heart
of Understanding
and breathe.
 
At night
I lie
worm curled
hiding from fears
and demons
and retreat
to my old mantra:
Hail Mary,
full of grace...
then sleep.


Mark J. Mitchell has worked in hospital kitchens, fast food, retail wine and spirits, conventions, tourism, and warehouses.
He has also been a working poet for almost 50 years. An award-winning poet, he is the author of five full-length poetry collections, and six chapbooks. His latest collection is Something To Be from Pski’s Porch Publishing. He is very fond of baseball, Louis Aragon, Miles Davis, Kafka, Dante, and his wife, activist and documentarian Joan Juster. He lives in San Francisco, where he once made his marginal living pointing out pretty things. Now, he is seeking work once again.
he can be found reading his poetry here: https://www.youtube.com/@markj.mitchell4351.
 
A meager online presence can be found at https://www.facebook.com/MarkJMitchellwriter/.
A primitive web site now exists: https://www.mark-j-mitchell.square.site/.
He sometimes tweets @Mark J Mitchell_Writer.