Sukhema as Larry Butler was born in USA , been living in Glasgow since 1981;  he teaches  tai-chi in healthcare settings and leads expressive writing groups at the Maggie Cancer Care Centre;  recent publications include Butterfly Bones (Two Ravens), and Han Shan Everywhere (Survivors’ Press). Larry edits pamphlets and books for PlaySpace Publications including: Living Our Dying,Living Our Dying Autumn Voices, and Bringing Mindfulness to liFe and he recently became a grandpa and a knitter (plain & purl). After practicing and studying meditation and Buddhism for over 50 years, he was ordained as “Sukhema” which means “he who is very peaceful and at ease”. He leads retreats in Dhanakosa.

Here is Larry’s entry in the Scottish Poets Library

Here is a video of Larry reciting some his poems with musical accompaniment from Ratnadevi and Thom Harlow

sample poem from Butterfly Bones

that sounds like the beginning of a poem

At dinner tonight I almost bit my tongue
but I stopped myself just before I did it.

Then I proudly said to everyone (there were
twenty of us at table):

I almost bit my tongue but I stopped
myself just before I did it.

Then you said:

that sounds like the beginning of a poem.
a poem    a poem

So I said it again louder:

I almost bit my tongue but I stopped
myself just before I did it.

Everyone laughed so later I wrote: at dinner
tonight I almost bit my tongue but I stopped
myself just before I did it.