"Conquering the World" (1-25-2021), was an essay exam while dreaming, I wrote "To conquer the world, one needs weapons to beat the enemy", then realized Buddha saying "It's easier to conquer 10,000 armies than to conquer oneself." Conquer our ego and live in calmness & peace.

    "Flaming Leaf from Ash Tree" (1-27-2021), was inspired by a flaming leaf from an ash tree in my courtyard. Realized that baseball bats are made from ash trees. Since Hank Aaron just died, paid homage to him breaking Babe Ruth 714 career homers that lasted for 39 years.

    "Tour of WisdomPortal" (2-3-2021)— Imagination, Inspiration, Insights, Illumination— these are gifts to the world at my web site WisdomPortal, to share the wisdom sages imparted to me.

    "Dream of Albert Schweitzer" (2-8-2021)— dream of Albert Schweitzer coming to my classroom to help teaching a Health class to inattentive and noisy high school students.

    "Opossum" (2-13-2021)— saw a drunken opossum staggering across the street at night,
and recalled an opossum digging up egg yolks Mom buried under her rose bushes.

    "Pizza Pro Juggling Dough" (2-20-2021)— My friend Steve Gould sent me a video of a Pizza Pro
tossing dough like child's play. I rounded up 14 images in writing this poem of astounding athletic feats like yogic masters with skill in action.

    "Yin-Yang Leaf" (2-21-2021)— found an ash leaf half dark & half light, brown and bright yellow
side by side; reminded me of yin & yang— dark & light, night & day, female & male, soft & hard, valley & mountain, cold & hot— not choosing either one but the Tao of balance.

    "Soul on Mars" (2-23-2021)— Watching Preseverance Rover's landing video (2-18-2021), I spot the Platonic Lambda Λ— "Soul of the Universe" on Mars.

    "The Sweet Smile" (3-3-2021)— The smile of a 4-year-old girl on her Dad's shoulder greeting me
"Good morning!" triggers the "Smile of Reims", Mona Lisa, Audrey Hepburn, Mahakasyapa's
smile at Buddha's "Flower Sermon", and Paola's smile at end of Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita".

    "8th Birthday Poem" (3-5-2021)— for my grandniece Lilly's 8th birthday, wrote about octagon,
octopus, 8-ball in pool, 8-strings on mandolin, 8 electrons in Oxygen, & Buddha's 8-Fold Path.

    "Skully" (3-13-2021)— Sidewalk game in NYC, shooting bottlecaps from 1 to 9; Found
bottlecaps of Coca Cola, Pepsi, White Rock, Canada Dry, Budweiser, and Heineken Beer.

    "Don't Know Mind" (3-14-2021)— Three cartoons of "Mutts" comics (March 8, 9, 11, 2021) on
"Don't Know Mind" inspired by Zen Master Seung Sahn teaching "Everyone's Know-mind is
different. Everyone's Don't Know-mind is the same." Keep Don't Know Mind to be enlightened.

    "Canva: My Story" (3-20-2021)— Hundreds of templates in Canva's "Your Story"— Chose 8 to
tell "My Story"— Spring Is Here!: Red robin singing, buttercups blooming, spring forward to joy.

    "Collecting Charms" (3-21-2021)— Tiny 1950's trinkets from vending machines we collected as
kids; Scarest was a light bulb glowing in the dark; At weekly giveaways, Susan whispered to me
to stay far back in the grass and threw it to me; 64 years later, I realized she loved me.

    "Spinoza" (3-22-2021)— When reading Spinoza's Ethics (1677) at Columbia,
his last line on the wise and ignorant man had me sobbing in tears—
"But all things noble are as difficult as they are rare."

    "COVID-19" (3-23-2021)— While waiting for my second COVID-19 vaccination (3-21-2021),
thought about the positive in the letters Contemplation, Omnipresence, Visionary, Inner,
Discovery, 19 for Metonic Cycle and 19x19 squares in the game Go.

    "Where's My Mom?" (3-29-2021)— Ducklings following a dog, baby chick riding a kitten
looking for mother hen; and is told "I'm looking for mother cat. Looks like we're both lost."

    "Meditations on 44: Send the Rose to You" (4-4-2021) Notes— for my niece Elisa's 44th birthday,
wrote this poem based on writer's words in verse 44, sonnet 44, chapter 44, line 44, or page 44.

    "White Bunny for Easter" (4-4-2021)— baby rabbit can't find its mother & rests on sleeping fox,
another hugs a deer for comfort; Deer is safe, but when fox wakes up, you may be his dinner.

    "Renewal" (4-7-2021)— Real Importance of Easter begins with RE-, and a Palo Alto boy yelled out "RECYCLE!". Renewal: Remember, recall rebirth, rejuvenate, return refreshing rest, receive revelation— resurrection, rejoice!

    "White Rabbit" (4-11-2021)— Lewis Carroll's White Rabbit leading Alice down the rabbit hole to
wonderland. Jules Verne sending White Rabbit to the Moon to pound the Elixir of Immortality.

    "Joseph Haydn" (4-15-2021)— KDFC's "Ultimate List of Top Classical Music" shows listeners
polled 250 favorites, but Haydn was left out— the "Father of Symphonies & String Quartets".

   "Giant Rabbit at Giants Game" (4-24-2021)— Flemish Giant Rabbit is 4 ft 2 inches long; Will this
Giant Rabbit help SF Giants win games as Rally Squirrel helped Cardinals win the World Series?

    "Carl Hubbell" (4-25-2021)— In 1934 All-Stars Game, Carl struck out 5 Hall-of-Fame sluggers
in a row with his screwball— Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, Joe Cronin.

    "Most Valuable" (5-2-2021)— In dream of exam on "Most Valuable", cited the most expensive
baseball card, stamp, coin, painting, sculpture, porcelain, real estate; but a sage smiles at all these
trinkets, and says the most valuable is peace.

    "What Is Value?" (5-5-2021)— Dalai Lama's five virtues— Forgiveness, Patience, Tolerance,
Compassion, Self-Discipline; Einstein's last interview, he advised a Harvard student—
"Try not to become a man of sucesss, but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered
successful who gets more than what he puts in, but a man of value gives more than he receives."

    "Happy 21st Anniversary" (5-8-2021)— Cathy Abrams met me at Foothill College Computer
Lab on May 8, 2000; It was V-E Day, Truman's birthday, and her Dad's birthday; we celebrate
this date each year; Sent Verse 21 of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching: "The Master keeps her mind always
at one with the Tao, that's what gives her radiance."

    "Happy Mother's Day" (5-9-2021)— Was the designer of DNA a woman?— coding for mothers
to care for their young; "Red and Rover" is one of 7 comic strips with the theme of Mother's Day.

    "Curry's Falling-Down Shot" (5-21-2021)— Love Curry's practice, practice, practice. Inside the tongue of Curry's shoes, a quote from Philippians 4:13— "I can do all things."

    "Boston Blackie" (5-22-2021)— "Enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend, Boston Blackie"— favorite detective I've watched on TV in the 1950s.

    "Tauchman's Sensational Catch" (6-1-2021)— Albert Pujols' blast looks like a walk-off homer, but Tauchman leaps with glove over the wall and makes a sensational catch!; Giants rally
in the 10th inning to beat the Dodgers 8-5 for their best win of the year.

    "14th Birthday Poem" (6-3-2021)— for grandniece Sophia's 14th birthday, wrote on 14 lines in
a sonnet; Feb. 14 is Valentine; July 14th is Bastille Day; Beethoven's Sonata 14 is the "Moonlight";
14 yellow petals in Goldeneye flower; 14 Enigma Variations by Sir Edward Elgar; Baseball uniform #14 worn by Ernie Banks, Jim Bunning, and Gil Hodges; 14 Stations of the Cross, 6th is a mystical tale— Face of Jesus appeared on Veronica's Veil.

    "Balloon Tilting at Armadillo Willy's" (6-6-2021)— I stop my imaginary rantings, but am giggling inside with the Armadillo balloon bouncing and soaring with no end in sight.

    "Gust of Wind: D.T.Suzuki" (6-9-2021)— Scholars elbowing each other whispering "the old man's asleep". Suddenly a gust of wind from the window— papers flying off the table, except Suzuki's, his fist kept them still as wind blew in— Paul Brunton defines yoga as skill in action.

    "And He Did It Again!" (6-11-2021)— Tauchman leaps and robs Juan Soto's homer as he did
Albert Pujols a few weeks ago; San Francisco Giants beat Washington Nationals 1-0.

    "Memories of Hu Shih" (6-12-2021)— Hu Shih loved Cornell, and Ithaca appeared often in his dreams— my seven years there were happiest of my life— I thank Hu Shih for his kind blessings.

    "Audrey Hepburn with Balloon" (6-14-2021)— Photo of Audrey Hepburn holding balloons in
"Funny Face" film (1957) reminds me of French movie "Red Balloon" (1956) where boy is carried aloft by balloons; I imagine the same scenario for Audrey, soaring up to the sky.

    "Dad's Friends on Postage Stamps" (6-20-2021)— On Father's Day, recall Dad's friends on
postage stamps— Cardinal Paul Yu-Pin, scholar Hu Shih, General George Catlin Marshall.

    "Big Blunder by Little Chicken" (6-22-2021) — Baby sitter "Little Chicken" exchanged $10 Mom gave her to buy milk & cookies, & she traded them for gold pieces that were U.S. Lincoln pennies.

    "Slow Down" (6-23-2021)— Mali C19 stamp (1963) of "Crowned Crane on Tortoise" inspired
this dialogue of crane with tortoise on their trip to the lake.

    "Family Tree" (6-25-2021)— Tao, Te, Yuin, Kuang, Hsiang— "The Tao of Virtue Grant the Light of Bliss"; My great grandfather wrote this wonderful poem for our family tree's middle name.

    "80th Birthday Celebration" (6-25-2021)— Wrote what Goethe, Hokusai, Henry Moore, Pablo Casals, Buckminster Fuller, and Paul Brunton accomplished at age 80.

    "Meditations on 70" (8-5-2021) Notes— Written for my friend Cathy's 70th birthday. Poem composed using writer's words appearing in verse 70, sonnet 70, chapter 70, line 70, or page 70.
"Up, up, my feathers!— barefoot with joy." is from Edna St. Vincent Millay's Sonnet 70 (1941).

    "What Is This Monkey Thinking?" (8-18-2021)— Photo from Pinterest on "Monkey Thinking"
(7-31-2021) inspired this poem. "The Thinker" of Rodin (1880) & Papua New Guines Garden (1994) have similar pose. This Monkey wants to play the Monkey King, leap across the globe
in a single bound, & clone thousands of him to fight enemies as the Super-Hero.

    "Chicago Baseball Poem" (8-20-2021)— Poem that stumped the class— "He pierced the banks, / served a sauer fox / in the field / by the park." It's a baseball poem on Chicago Cubs playing Chicago White Sox. "Billy Pierce struck out Ernie Banks; Hank Sauer lined out to Nellie Fox at Wrigley Field & Comiskey Park." Owner of Pizza Chicago wrote it & will treat the class with his pizzas.

    "Alliterations Attract Attention" (8-27-2021)— Writers wrap words / Singers sing songs— / Adam ate apple / Beauty brings bliss

    "Alliterations Attract Attention II" (8-27-2021)— Golden gate glory / Hero honors harmony / Illumine inner insights / Jack Jill journeys

    "Alliterations Attract Attention III" (8-28-2021)— Water wishing wells /
Xenophon xoxo xylophone / Yoga yields youthfulness / Zip zap Zip-a-dee-doo-dah

    "Alliterations Attract Attention IV" (9-2-2021)— Orange orangutan offers /
Pure peaceful prayers / Quixote quickly quenches / Rudolf Red-Nose Reindeer

    "Alliterations Attract Attention V" (9-6-2021)— Charlie Chan craved / Donald Duck's drink— / Alice asleep awakens / Bumble bee buzzing

    "Family Poem" (9-9-2021)— Wen, Chang, Hua, Kuo, Chia— "Literary Essays Glorify Country
Home". The 5-word poem before "Tao Te Yuin Kuang Hsiang": "Tao of Virtue Grants Light of Bliss"

    Family Poem 2 (9-10-2021)— Composed 5-word poem— "Yung, Lè, K'ang, P'ing, An"— "Eternal Joyful Healthy Tranquil Peace" will bless five more generations to enjoy fruitful wonderful lives.

    "Zeus Juice" (9-20-2021)— Premium energy drink— Menthol, eucalyptus, peppermint, jasmine tea, spinach & kale extracts, kiwi, lemon and lime, carbonated water, bubbles of oxygen, secret "x" ingredient; A drink of another kind catalyzing the mind— The Odyssey's Chapter VIII in Scheria.

    "A-Z Animals Zoo" (9-25-2021)— Aardvark, Bears, Cat, Dog, Elephant, Fox, Giraffe,
Hummingbird, Impala, Jellyfish, Koala, Lion, Monkey, Narwhal, Orangutan, Panda

    "A-Z Animals Zoo 2" (9-26-2021)— Albatross, Butterfly, Camels, Deer, Eagle, Falcon, Gorilla

    "A-Z Animals Zoo 3" (10-7-2021)— Alligator, Beaver, Cheetah, Donkey, Emu, Flamingo

    "A-Z Animals Zoo 4" (10-17-2021)— Armadillo, Buffalo, Chimpanzee, Duck, Elk, Frog, Goat

    "A-Z Favorite Films" (10-28-2021)— Alexander Nevsky, Beauty & the Beast, Children of Paradise

    "A-Z Favorite Films 2" (10-29-2021)— An Affair to Remember, Blood of a Poet, Casablanca

    "Yellow: A Celebration" (10-31-2021) 5 flowers, 6 vegetables & fruits, 3 yellow birds

    "Posey's Perfect Number" (11-5-2021)— He wore #28, second perfect number, caught
Matt Cain's perfect game— pitcher & catcher hugging in celebration!

    "A-Z Favorite Films 3" (11-8-2021)— American in Paris, Blue Angel, Citizen Kane

    "Cicada Art on Sidewalk" (11-11-2021)— Under my favorite Eucalyptus Tree / on Montebello Ave in Mountain View, / is a cicada image on the sidewalk / painted by winds of Mother Nature.

    "My Favorite Bookstores" (11-17-2021)— 15 bookstores listed with books bought at the stores.

    "Cargo Shipment" (11-20-2021)— Billy asks in Family Circus Cartoon (11-16-2021)— "Why is something sent by ship called cargo, but when it's sent by car it's a shipment?"

    "Where Is Pinocchio's Mom?" (11-22-2021)— Hilary Price's "Rhyme with Orange" cartoon
(11-21-2021) of Pinocchio saying "I never met my Mom. All Dad says is that she was as strong as an oak" inspired this poem.

    "Homage to Robert Bly" (11-25-2021)— Bly died on Nov. 21, 2021 at age 94. This poem honors him as my poetry mentor, and fond memories of classes he taught.

    "Snow White" (12-12-2021)— This poem was written 12-27-1978 in Boston. Added two more
lines— "Seven chakras along the spine / Rainbow colors simply divine".

                                                            Peter Y. Chou
                                                            Mountain View, December 17, 2020