Joel Ephraims lives on the South-East Coast of NSW. He studies creative writing, philosophy, and literature at the University of Wollongong. In 2011 he won the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize and in 2013 his chapbook of poetry, Through The Forest was published as part of Australian Poetry and Express Media’s New Voices Series.  

Vipassana Frog Pond after Meditation and Dawn

   Dragonflies synch in misted dawn air
around  mutated fingers of a dried dog turd white ash
   tree; through the hyperbola your tea cup
spoon-end makes with the unseeablely starlight lipped sun.
   Pond new birthed as a biologist stirred mid-dream,
usual as his motions vacuuming up fondue fountain crumbs.
   Lilies lie green Pac-men recovering nonchalantly
from heavy drinking with mouths still open for ghosts.
   Ripple of rain’s pear explosions programmed
by Blue Mountain weather intermittent in petroleum
   tinctured water where larvae by gradations form.
All ghosts long eaten their eyes hover in room at bottom
   unseen by orange fish mothers amongst their eggs.
Frogs reincarnated Pali teachers sing final chorus chants
   echoing morning pond before Nirvana incognito;
Pac-men  power pellet nourished drift over digesting sankharas.
   On wooden tree walk rail your elbow crooked
player’s hand splayed toward  clock and hushed breakfast hall…
   Anicca Anicca Anicca…

 

 
Breakfast in the Hall of Shadows

blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue

blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue

attentions tune to metamorphosis of steams

mists movements of underworld personalities

lugubrious gods unravelling vista hides

raisins rice grains floating volcanic islets

mirage filmed tongues oasis held spoons

curling yogurts water machine clarity

sighing form behind green mesh glides

melody of beasts burning in nestled forests

blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue

blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue