“winter dreaming”
she comes on crystal quiet feet
in the middle of the night
her presence wakes the whole house
the white princess is visiting
embraced and embracing
we stand together in wonder
while our joy fizzes through the air
“greeting her arrival”
“almost forgotten”
on my shelf there sits a book
called “encyclopedia of the gods”
and in it alphabetized, like a phonebook,
are listed the gods
from A-Z, thousand of them
some celebrities in my culture and time
some almost forgotten
. . . and i imagine how they have been
living in our human hearts and minds and actions
. . . which leads me to ponder the power of mind
that can attach value, ridicule, or hold sacred anything,
not just the gods
. . . so it would seem,
that i can choose my views and values, even my gods
and i am in awe of this gift
choice
- free from my conformity and laziness
it is a thing of beauty
so i counsel myself to use this gift
for more than the choosing of favorite flavors of ice-cream and sitcoms
to get to know it, buoyantly,
and in the process maybe even surprise the gods of old habits
“the gods of old habits”
“pearl in the making”
Sister Irritation
She has a way of coming unannounced
Leaving me her generous gifts
How i used to dread these visits for the long
Hours of discontent, hurt and confusion that followed
Now, her visits still cause wobble
Yet also the appreciation that her gifts
Are pearls in the making
So i ready myself to receive
these seeds of irritation
Welcoming them with openness
Embracing them with not minding
Surrounding them with forgiveness and love
And layer upon layer
Together we grow
A luminous pearl
“pearl mandala - her generous gifts”
“dancing devi”
let us call on
this sweet intoxication,
the angel of dance - and
whirl joy all over the land
feel your greater fluid self
movement rising through the soul
rhythm in wind, waves and blood
music everywhere inviting us
to join in and be joined
by the devi of the dance
“whirling joy all over the land”
“morning greetings”
The Mystery continues, as i open my eyes
And return from the dreamworld
Awaiting me is a brand new day
Never have i been here before
I meet you for the first time, again
We both have been changed by the tides of life
So i listen to you, fresh
For you come to me as a storyteller
From your beautiful worlds
“from your beautiful worlds”
“upside down”
ideas, like flocks of colored birds
perch in the branches of my mind
. . . and after decades of idea-having,
i wonder: what’s going on there?
surely i don’t rule the movements of these idea birds,
i can’t will them to be absent from my mind,
nor manifest a truly original thought
so i find myself trying out another view:
people don’t have ideas,
ideas have people
turning my world upside down
“in wonderment”
“into the wonder”
below our feet the molten core of Mother Earth
all around above us the sheltering shield of the van Allen belts
while oceans ripple with the breath of the tides
and colors blush and pulse across the land
on fin, wing and hoof curved patterns are written
as timeless migrations continue all over the globe
and countless sparks of life blink on and off
on this dot of space, in this protected womb of life,
within spheres of wonder, i take my next breath
“spheres within spheres”
“return of the light”
return of the light
returning to stillness
to gentleness
to peace within
to the freshness of this moment
to the bounty of life
to the wonder
returning home
to be companion to
the Mystery
“returning home”
“walk the tightrope”
sweet . . . unending . . . seeking
for new tastes, new sights, new touch
sweet . . . unending . . . seeking
for the comforts of the known, familiar, old slippers of heart and mind
bouncing between these two gravitational pulls,
chasing new and old makes up much of our story life
happy fools walk the tightrope between these two
and don’t get claimed by either too easily.
“new and old stories”
“humming”
life is so much more than politics, religion, science, our current understandings and cultural conformities.
life is vast
reaching, all the way
from the small, to the tiny, to the 'barely there' matters of charged particles
to the huge, unimaginably large expanses of space surrounding
our sweet home planet.
it connects the aspen trees to the stars,
the baboons to the kingdom of mushrooms
and we, you and me, are part of it
we are included
in this vast living web of life.
it pulses through us,
connecting us
to all there is, was and will ever be
we are part of the Great Harmonies
connected to the humming
. . . humming . . .
listen
it is eager to be with us.
“included”
“now you see it”
we walk a fine line
between chaos and order
unaware - surprised
when certainty crumbles - to
reveal new realities
“in the blink of an eye”
we, who are spirit tethered to body,
and are daily confronted with the inescapable joys
and pains of human existence,
can choose to be peace-makers.
we can choose to make peace with our bodies,
and the limitations that arise from sickness and aging
we can choose to make peace with the waves of emotions,
that at times can thrash us like wild storms
we can choose to make peace with the constant flow of thoughts,
that can persuade us into contradictory aims
we can choose to make peace with history,
from our own unique story, to the story of our global sister and brotherhood
we can choose to make peace with our teachers,
including our family, our friends and loved ones and our so called enemies
it sounds so simple and impossible at the same time, doesn’t it?
yet,
peace has a chance
when we begin to see our tantrums, our internal and external wars,
as luxuries we can no longer afford
when we stop pointing our finger, at the problems “out there”
and begin, with tenderness and grit, to express peace more than our self-righteousness.
. . . and if we choose to be a companion to peace, maybe add a splash of play to the mix
peace plays itself out
on the canvas of my life
requiring restraint
and infinite tenderness
- peace ends and begins within
“softening”
good medicine for
the past, present and future
is smooth forgiveness
soft and fair - it melts our pain
to be able to go on
“forgiveness”
“the giving and receiving of forgiveness”
“gratitude tanka”
the body, my friend,
and life all around - nurtured
by cycles supreme
what can my only response
and prayer be, but: thank you!
“giving thanks”
“the tale begins ….”
goddess of fire
what is your story?
tell us of touching with warmth
and light this planet -
radiant and life giving
we bathe in your ancient glow.
“goddess of fire”
“together”
Love, how wonderful
to delight in each other!
Still we are blessed with
time - receiving the gift of
life - thankful for the moment.
“overspill”
“up and up”
autumn sky above
this vast blue sheltering dome
home to every breath
a constant, fresh - give and take
may i be as welcoming
“12 answers to the wheel of change”
today i am still
in a sphere of sound - listen
to the ebb and flow
a world of freedom opens
it has been there - where was i?
what Love, would you like
to be like in ten years time?
at the crossroad now
masters we have always been
of the weeds we grow within
stay tuned
with weekly free musings
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