this body of mine

 

“this body of mine”

i love this body of mine
just look at what it can do
even the gray hairs sprouting from my chin
how can i not be in wondrous amazement, in awe

this body can
walk, listen and see
heal itself and breathe for me
it is a most marvelous machine
my home and temple while here on Earth

observation and reason tells me
that this journey of living
within condensed stardust will end
that this sweet body of mine 
will wear out and dissolve

and when that time comes
may my heart be grateful and full of thanks
to this steadfast friend of mine

all the adventures we have had,
of growing together through love and pain,
wisdom and persisting folly

- now, to all the purveyors of views
that tell me: my body is too short, too fat, too old,
too this, too that  - i smile,
and without wishing ill to anyone,
twirl and continue to love this body dearly

“when the time comes”

 

sparks of sound

 

“infusing our moods”

right now music is being made
all over the world

notes of orchestras playing
in the acoustics of high ceilinged halls

melodies of lone instruments
floating through wide open spaces

impromptu tunes of bands
in village squares

rhythms that move our souls
transporting us, infusing our moods

to sing along, toe tapping, hip swaying, ecstatic dance 
or quiet contemplation - we like a good buzz, a fizzy intoxication

what power they hold
these sparks of sound

“a good buzz”

 

orient

 

“location, location . . . ”

seven directions
are my good friends

Greetings to the East 
and Salutations to the West

Aloha to the South 
and my Good Wishes to the North 

Up and Down - How do you do?
Within - I welcome you!

to orient
the island of peace

the ripples of light
from the basket of wonder

the gems and joys to be found along the way

“in flux”

 

in the meantime

 

“the path is there”

we all suffer from ignorance 
we all are in need of more skillful ways 

in the meantime what is the antidote
for all our countless follies?

make a home in the heart of forgiveness
and learn to love - more

open, spacious, all enveloping
the path is there, faithfully

and the more it is walked
the easier it becomes
for all

“spacious”

 

innumerable

 

“messages”


on blue wings the peanut eaters arrive
we have a date, each early morning
on the front step of our home
where we exchange tokens of food for messages
in their language, which i am still trying to puzzle out

friendships come in innumerable flavors
growing with each meeting and greeting
as our worlds entwine

“morning meetings”

 

reclaim

 

“homecoming”

covered by sky and stars
cradled by earth
nights spent outside
of the usual shelter of solid walls


nights when i have temporarily 
traded comfort for being closer to nature 
linger long in my mind


strange how what used to be so natural 
is now so removed 


do i dare to reclaim this freedom
and gather the ancient vitamin 
that comes with the witnessing of the night?

“to reclaim the night”

 

gentle

 

“soft focus”

it still astounds me
what gentle attention can do
. . . how it can bring much well being 

letting my mind walk slowly
through my body from head to toe

greeting my eyes, ears, arms, hands, fingers, heart . . . 
saying: “hello eyes. please relax and be at ease”
“hello ears. please relax and be at ease”
“hello shoulders . . . 

slowly, like on a garden path,
walking through the community of my body
i feel tensions ease and deep calm spread within

it seems that together, mind and body,
we create a small miracle 
of greater well being

beautiful what gentle attention can do

“attention”

 

a thing of beauty

 

“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”

 

sister irritation

 

“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”

 

morning greetings

 

“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

 

“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

 

“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”

 

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