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Poem: The Last Remaining Cup

Published in May 1990

After the Earthquake

Sleepless in the forest,
the night after the earth trembled,
I stare up at the stars
and think, "How merciful their indifference,
now when all our little houses have collapsed."

All over my altar the smell of spilt wine,
the sacramental mead labelled with Chagall's blue beast,
benevolent and mad,
bearing flowers for the groom and bride.

After the earthquake
I give the last remaining cup
to our long embittered neighbors
in the ruins of their home.

While I sweep up a broken mirror,
stand in line at the Salvation Army,
pick a purple wildflower for my reconstructed altar,
this rough beast returns again and again insistent,
repulsive and unbearably kind.

Having passed from some dark place
through a slit in the earth may I make a home
for the one who has destroyed my home.

GATE GATE
PARAGATE
PARASAMGATE
BODHI SVAHA

Michael Ortiz Hill
Santa Cruz, California

Michael and his daughter lost their home in Santa Cruz, California, in the October 1989 earthquake.

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The Mindfulness Bell is a journal of the art of mindful living in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. It offers inspiration and resources for those practicing mindfulness in daily life and a connection to a community of people who aspire to live life deeply and in harmony with all beings. Subscriptions to The Mindfulness Bell support the work of Thich Nhat Hanh and the worldwide Sangha, as we offer methods for healing and transformation.