Poem from Eightfold: Meeting

A. Hannah Spadafora
Feb 22
2 min read

Updated: May 4

Meeting

1:07

Meeting

We meet each other

Wearing coats of practical invisibility

To the souls beyond our shells—

Mere glimpses

Of that collection of aggregates

That forge our personhood

Blind to who we are

And who we might be

We grow to see the other

To both share

And find

Discontinuity

To love

Until we find the edges

Of our borders

To learn

Where crossover

And impassivity

Exist

To experience

The connections

That foster closing distances

Between ourselves

And the limits to our linkages

Burrowing gulfs

Between our beings

Or refining who we are

Against what we are not

The true difficulty

Of achieving

Neutrality

Equanimity

Pushed against the way

Our heart skips a beat

And our fists clench

And our nostrils flare

And our eyebrows raise

And our immediate gut reactions

Of fondness or distaste

Eager interest or disidentification

Desire or aversion

Blaze

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/zcw-bookstore plus additional formats 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.