Poem from Eightfold: Disappearance

A. Hannah Spadafora

Jul 22, 2025

1 min read

Updated: May 4

Disappearance

0:24

Disappearance:

We are all nocturnal birds

Drinking rainwater

Like poetry

Spilling onto the pages

Of our favorite books

And flittering about

Like a throbbing heart

Contemplating existence

Finding rhythm in quiet

Dancing between shadows

Vanishing into darkness

Or becoming it

Eightfold: Zen Poetry for Blindly Clasping Beings - Poetry book by A. H. Spadafora, out now

Eightfold: Zen Poetry for Blindly Clasping Beings is a collection of sixty poems that reflect the author’s continual conversation with secular Buddhist thought on human nature, the struggles of existence, and the self-made and human-crafted challenges of modern life. These poems center on a layperson’s striving to find presence in the world, offering contemporary perspectives on Buddhist philosophy, Zen meditation, and traditional stories, koans, and teachings.

Now available as e-book, audiobook, and paperback at zen-chaos.net.

Various formats (including hardcover) also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Apple Books, Lulu, and Kobo.

A. H. Spadafora is an author, freelancer, animal lover, and booknerd who lives in the Atlanta area with underused degrees and borrowed cats. She is currently working on multiple manuscripts and juggling gig work while seeking out the right full-time opportunity. Writing has remained the one constant throughout her life—a passion that has shaped her journey alongside the search for survival, purpose, and the chance to do good in the world. Published works include her debut poetry collection, Moments of Peace (2013) and her latest work, Eightfold. She is also the founder of Zen Chaos Writing, offering freelance services, books, and merchandise.