_____
object
when a mind observes an object stays an object
a rescued baby quail named popcorn
an object can depart disappearing slowly
nurse reports: mom weighs 81 pounds
phenomena changes some objects will decay
her cracked fingernails turn light yellow
buddhist volumes in pali gather dust in hall
nothing at all wrong with an object
observe
feeling comes into contact observe all thoughts that arise
fear of something unpleasant cascade of unpleasantness
a fall on the face a twist of the wrist
a person breathing collapsed on the ground
observe sensations unfold inside the body right now
some pleasant or otherwise warm water in the claw tub
cascade of feelings honey on the tongue
pleasant or neutral a thought to observe
______
breathe
they are sensitive to sounds they hear some breathing
coughing worry about their meditation
nothing wrong with sound itself can block focus
loud sounds can be objects siren thunder gong
close their eyes then open notice shoulder lint
listen to tick of watches white noise heartbeat rain
mind concentrates on sound switches to object
sound no longer bothers them more time to breathe
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Maw Shein Win's most recent full-length poetry collection is Percussing the Thinking Jar (Omnidawn, 2024) which was shortlisted for the 2025 Northern California Book Award in Poetry. Her previous full-length collection Storage Unit for the Spirit House (Omnidawn, 2020) was longlisted for the PEN America 2021 Open Book Award, shortlisted for the Golden Poppy Award for Poetry, and nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Poetry. She is the inaugural poet laureate of El Cerrito, CA, the recipient of the 2026 AWP George Garrett Award for Outstanding Community Service in Literature, the 2025 Berkeley Poetry Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2025 Nomadic/SF Foundation Literary Award for Non-fiction. She teaches or has taught in the MFA Programs at the University of San Francisco, Dominican University, and Saint Mary’s College of California.