The Clinical Thinking of Bion and the Art of the Zen Garden (Ryoan-ji)

Freckles*

“Her freckles are the stones

of Ryoanji's rock garden.

Some say they stand for

the spirit islands; their moss,

mist rising from the ocean

of chipped granite raked

round them. Still others have said

tiger cubs crossing

the sea, being the title,

should be the final reading.

But interpreters'

eyes see only fourteen stones

regardless of how

they look at the sacred garden.

Metaphysical conceit

shields their sight so

the fifteenth stone stays hidden.

Only after giving up

on grasping it all

did I find the final one,

beneath her left breast”.

“When we observe some of the marvellous

statues which grace our medieval cathedrals

we don't know the sculptors who created them:

they remain anonymous.”