My serious study of poetry began with the ghazal in 2001. For about two years I used this art form to practice and hone my craft—To establish a beachhead on the shores of poetic proficiency. Though my “ghazal project” came to a close in the middle of 2003 with my 125th ghazal, I have since found myself returning to the form on occasion.
This list is by no means complete. I feel compelled to share only some of the better ghazals. Entries should be organized from the most recently written ghazal to the oldest.
This article defines the ghazal poetic form and discusses how writing them can reasonably be approached in English while identifying and discussing deviations common to original English ghazals.
the past (October 2022)
Inspired in large part by my own experience with processing the past, remembered and recondite. Here I weave imagery, metaphor, and thought into a personal and collective exploration of “the past.”
to rest (December 2012)
Inspired by the nagging notion that all things eventually come to rest, especially entities amid the eternal ebb and flow of being. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Default (May 2012)
Inspired by the loss of trust that occurs between friends when longstanding promises, implied or explicit, are broken in favor of personal convenience. I was cut pretty deep at the time I wrote this.
The Path (February 2012)
Inspired by the notion of a personal calling. Here I use imagery and metaphor to explore this phenomenon and the challenges inherent therein. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Reforming Words (August 2011)
Inspired by the power of language. Here I use a several metaphors to explore the force and shape of words within the landscape of history. This is a an overhaul of a ghazal by the same name listed further below.
Offerings (May 2011)
Inspired by the many offerings of heart and mind that serious poets give to the world and the sacrifices they often make in doing so. This is a complete rewrite of “Offering” (not pluralized), listed further below.
Ghazal to the Ghazal (May 2011)
Inspired by the ghazal form itself. Here I attempt pay it tribute by using imagery and metaphor to allude to its history, evolution and influences. This is actually a complete rewrite of “English Ghazal,” listed further below.
moods (May 2007)
Inspired by a woman I once dated. She had deep brown eyes that seemed to peer down into the soul. Here I use words loosely hyponymous to the color brown in place of the ghazal’s traditional rhyme scheme.
spires (February 2007)
Inspired by metaphors that explore the development of an intimate relationship using imagery from coastal redwood forests along with some interconnected science—A true ghazal in the sense of its content.
Stardrift (June 2005)
Inspired by the life and works of Mahmud Kianush, Iranian poet and critic who expatriated to the United Kingdom for the second half of his life. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
My Love (May 2003)
Inspired by the same person who inspired “Vapors” just below. This is the last ghazal I wrote that tried to adhere to every classical restriction of the form. All ghazals after this takes liberties of one sort or another.
Vapors (May 2003)
Inspired by a woman I was once involved with. This ghazal uses sensual imagery and metaphor without crossing into erotica—a hallmark of the Indo-Iranian ghazal. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Conflicts (April 2003)
Inspired by trains of thought similar to those that inspired “Emaciation” and “Blast” just below. In most cases, I believe it should be possible to avoid widespread death and destruction when solving problems.
Emaciation (April 2003)
Inspired by reflections on America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. It has always seemed to me that the main motive behind these invasions boiled down to consumption and greed.
Blast (March 2003)
Inspired by the destruction and terror wrought by America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq. Nothing about this course of action or the reasons used to justify it ever seemed or felt right to me.
Phrases (March 2003)
Inspired by karma and the endless cycle of coming and going—and other things. After this, I decided I didn’t care for a total disconnectedness between couplets, so I went back to binding couplets to a tighter theme.
Dancelight (March 2003)
Inspired by the memory of an old flame from my early 20s. We had long since moved on by the time I wrote this, but I wanted to honor the positive impact she had on my life and on my development as a person.
Occurrences (February 2003)
Inspired by the evanescent nature of selfhood and being. This is an area of contemplation I have reflected on as far back as I can recall. Here a few insights are depicted using imagery from the natural world.
Openings (February 2003)
Inspired by the role empty space plays in setting every scene and circumstance. As with “Transfigurations” below, this ghazal experiments heavily with using the form’s structure to unify disparate scenes and images.
Transfigurations (February 2003)
Inspired by the contrast of silence with the noise of one’s circumstances. Here each sher—or couplet—presents a unique reflection, and these disparate images are unified by the form itself to create a whole.
Havoc (February 2003)
Inspired by reflections on the nature of dukkha, or karmic suffering. It was an important insight for me to realize that the chain of causation is not one to one, one to many, or even many to one. It’s much more abstract than this.
Release (December 2002)
Inspired by reflections on the nature of psychospiritual understanding. There was a time when I really sought after “answers” to some of the big questions. Today I just try to put myself in the path of new insights.
Unusual Host (December 2002)
Inspired by the whimsical eccentricities of a friend who has doubled as a mentor over the years. We met at a poetry workshop in 2001, at which I read “Mauve Desert Rose.” He liked the poem and invited me to tea.
Fettered (October 2002)
Inspired by what are probably unanswerable questions pertaining to existence and being. Such questions have plagued my thoughts since childhood. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Tillage (September 2002)
Inspired by reflections on my lifelong relationship with “god.” My understanding of what this word points to has changed a lot over the years, which in turn has influenced how I interact with this entity.
Destiny (August 2002)
Inspired by reflections on the notion that everything in existence has a purpose and a calling. This gets into some abstract, metaphysical concepts that really can only be expressed through the ambiguity of poetry.
Emanation (August 2002)
Inspired by contemplations on the nature of transmigration and the way this could influence memory. For me, the concept of transmigration has served to address many questions I have pondered since early childhood.
Dilution ( August 2002)
Inspired by metaphors brought to mind as I processed the passing of a dear friend and mentor, the same one mentioned below under “Evanescence.” This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Thoroughfare (August 2002)
Inspired by The Shambhala Guide to Taoism by Eva Wong. While this doesn’t attempt to be a “Taoist” poem, it does explore several insights and thought processes brought about by reading this book.
Evanescence ( July 2002)
Inspired by reflections on the life and death of a dear friend and mentor. Her name was Yvonne Sligh. We met over dinner as I was dating her daughter, then developed a friendship after her daughter friend-zoned me.
Reft (July 2002)
Inspired by the effects of family alcoholism on a child’s developing behaviors and psyche. Much of the content is derived from personal experience, as both of my parents were incredibly abusive alcoholics.
Displacement (July 2002)
Inspired by reflections on the life and death of a dear friend and mentor. This is the same woman who inspired “Evanescence,” linked to a couple entries above. She really had a positive impact on my life.
Paradox (July 2002)
Inspired by childhood traumas and a life spent living with the effects of post traumatic stress. This involved alcoholic parents who were physically, psychologically, and emotionally abusive.
Acorn (July 2002)
Inspired by the psychospiritual connection I have with the California black oak, which has played an important role in my personal development. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Offering (June 2002)
Inspired by the sense of having a purpose in life and an offering to leave behind. For me this purpose involves the life-long study of the art of poetry, and the offering is any half-decent poems I manage to create.
Path (June 2002)
Inspired by the notion that destiny is a product of both choice and karma. To my mind, it’s not a path that’s preordained, but one that’s strongly influenced by karmic forces, which we must choose to follow—or not.
Blasphemy (June 2002)
Inspired by the idea that fundamentalist notions of sacrilege are in themselves sacrilegious. Actions in the name of religion resulting in death and destruction blaspheme the very same god they supposedly stand for.
anchored (April 2002)
Inspired by the notion that humanity must go to the stars to escape extinction. Though at this point it seems this will never happen and our extinction is all but assured. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Whispers (April 2002)
Inspired by humanity’s animistic relationship with the earth and the stars beyond. Much of the imagery is drawn from time spent in prayer over the years in remote locations, often at or near the top of a mountain.
Left Barren (April 2002)
Inspired by the horror of the clear cut and humanity’s ongoing deforestation of the earth. The sheer shortsightedness of our species with regard to conservation and sustainable development simply boggles the mind.
Sleep (April 2002)
Inspired by the notion that death may be much like a dreamless sleep, from which we eventually awaken. I don’t pretend to understand such things, but I do find it useful to my own process to explore them in my writing.
Noise (March 2002)
Inspired by the meaningless, yet often destructive banter of the talking heads in politics. At the time I wrote this, I had never voted because I felt the exercise to be futile. But today I do. We must at least try to be heard.
English Ghazal (March 2002)
Inspired by the ghazal poetic form itself and some insights gained from working within its bounds. I learned a great deal working with this form, so I wanted to try to give something back by writing this tribute.
Rarity (March 2002)
Inspired by an unusually beautiful woman whom I appreciated only from a distance. She came in with the late night crowd a couple of times at a Denny’s I used to frequent. Seems she made quite an impression on me.
Yukon Tributary (March 2002)
Inspired by time spent canoeing and camping along the Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City in Northeast Canada. I’ve paddled her waters twice—both times solo—once at 18 and again 9 years later.
Empty Voyage (February 2002)
Inspired by what was once my fear of being and going through life alone. It wasn’t until I was in my mid 30s that I began to cultivate real emotional self reliance. Today these words feel almost alien to me.
Reforming Words (February 2002)
Inspired by the power language has to foster the evolution of culture and intellect. The subject of language has been a lifelong source of interest for me. Here I attempt to pay homage to the spirit of language.
Living Waters (January 2002)
Inspired by the splendor and beauty of the ocean and her waves. Growing up along the California coastline has made the ocean an integral, essential part of my spirit. Here I attempt to honor that connection.
These Aged Pines (December 2001)
Inspired by the old growth redwoods of Montgomery Woods in Northern California. This was written within a year or two of my first discovering this magical place. I have frequented these woods ever since.
Etchings (December 2001)
Inspired by the shadows deciduous trees cast at different times of the year. I was thinking especially of the California black oak and wild cherry. This poem may now only be found in my book, an inkling hope.
Moonset (December 2001)
Inspired by the eternal beauty of the moon in all her phases. This ghazal draws much of its imagery from a winter moonset I witnessed from Hwy 101 about midway between Willits and Ukiah in California.
Narcolepsy (December 2001)
Inspired by a life spent dealing with the effects of narcolepsy. This nightmarish condition is something I’ve struggled with for as far back as I can remember. As a result, all of life feels more like a dream to me than anything “real.”
Road (November 2001)
Inspired by time spent wandering the open highways of America as a runaway teen. I ran away from a lifetime of abuse and neglect at 15, and I never looked back. The road became a companion of sorts.
Guidance (November 2001)
Inspired by the 12-step notion of seeking out god’s will for us and asking for the power to carry out that will. This hearkens back to a time when I had a more religious mindset.
