At the beginning of zazen, when all is still,
the sound of the valley stream is loud and clear.
When we pace slowly after meditation,
to ease leg  pains and drowsiness,
the sound of the stream seems to be less audible.
When zazen is completed, the sound cannot be heard at all.
Why should this be?

by Shundo Aoyama,
Zen Seeds - Reflections of a Female Priest

IV

Owl, the reader,
was lost in his book
as Coyoté quietly approached.

Coyoté sat behind the creosote bush, waiting.
Owl muttered quietly, then flipped a pebble over the stream.

Coyoté watched from behind the creosote bush.
Owl read more, then peered into the stream,
and muttered.

Coyoté sat behind the creosote bush, waiting.
Owl muttered, "Time! What is time?"

Coyoté waited behind the creosote bush, watching.
Owl peered across the stream, and muttered, "What is sound!?!"

Coyoté watched from behind the creosote bush.
Tossed a pebble in the stream, "kerplunk."

Owl jumped, paused, stared.
Coyoté scrunched behind the creosote bush, watching.

Then he said, "Nuts!"
Loud.

Owl muttered.
Turned.
Stared.

Coyoté said, "Kersplat."
Then darted away
as Owl flew
into a rage.

Coyoté just said, "Nuts!"
And kept running.
Not hearing anything.