Swan Song

Do you know
what it is,
to have spiralled
into the deepest abyss,
to touch dark death
with your fingertips?

Do you know
how it feels,
to be swamped,
abandoned and alone,
in a quagmire
of dire helplessness?

Do you know
how it stings
when a shattered self sings,
when the ones you love
walk away numb,
while you cry for help in silence?

Do you know
that it is
not angst, but courage
to walk on razor's edge,
to hold death in your breath,
and walk away from it alive?

Do you know
how it feels
to redeem your life,
after bearing a cross,
to love and cherish each piece,
as you rebuild your life?

Do you know
that one day
you can speak of death
with a smile,
as you've been there
almost to the other side?

If you know
how it feels,
how it stings,
what it is,
then you know
dear friend,
what it means
to be alive!

Zen of Cricket

I am a ball
and so are you,
as we stand beside
each a different hue;
undisturbed,
I just AM
calm and poised,
without a plan;
but when you come
to touch or move me,
into the unknown
I roll on endlessly;
until I meet
a wall ahead,
that stops me
for a moment
and hits my bed;
I bounce back soon,
strong and alive
to rest on the ground
for but a while,
until something else
comes my way,
and takes me again
to another place;
battered, abandoned,
cradled and loved,
I am but a ball
in this game of life!

Ageless Love

beyond the clothes
all faded and frayed,
beyond the skin
wrinkled and stained,
beyond the eyes
jaded and lost,
beyond the bosom
sagging without,
beyond the bones
that hold flesh and blood,
beyond the frame
that teeters and falls,
beyond the mind
where thoughts run wild,
is a place that is clothed
in ageless love.

Freedom

with every step,
I leave behind
an old self, that's
no longer mine;
old feathers shed
not needed in flight,
anger and fear
no longer in sight;
this moment's alive
with a passion to love
a life that's well-lived
waits for the dove.

My Stars!

You’ve been there

to dream and celebrate

those precious “firsts” with me;

You’ve been there

to hold an umbrella

when storms passed over me;

You’ve been there

to give me a good life

when the going was not so easy;

You’ve been there

to cradle and nourish me

with your warm love and peace;

You’ve been there

to share my fears and tears

when my world was falling apart;

You’ve been there

to let me go away

to build my nest and follow my heart;

You’ve been there

to see our family take root,

to reach out to the stars;

You’ve been there

always and will always be,

my two-in-a-million parents – my STARS!

Gifts

Gifts
don't come
wrapped in
pretty packages,
tied up with string...
they come quietly
to stay...
to fill us with Grace -
the twinkling stars
that dot the night sky,
the smell of  fresh earth
in a forest wild,
the cool water that flows
in a running brook,
the radiant moon
that glows from a nook,
the smile that lights up
eyes that hold tears,
the hug that embraces
hopes and fears,
the space that makes room
for everyone to just BE -
are the abundant gifts
that we have already!

The Talking Stick

we take turns
to be talking sticks,
gathering, sharing,
infinite learnings,
of countless lifetimes,
passed on in silence,
from one to another;
transient beings
we touch each others'
spaces of thoughts
and dreams that dare
to set us free
and lay us bare,
on the earth
from where we came;
just another name
in this game -
in this endless
circle of life.

The Story of a Poem

a moment of insight
in the silence brews;
a thought, a feeling,
fresh as morning dew,
sits upon me
quiet and still,
until it is time
to share and fill -
and then it flows
like a river in flood;
or sometimes a trickle -
slow and steady inside,
to fill my cup first,
and then another's;
a brew of magic,
words alive, afire!

The Fire Test

I sit with myself
holding on
to what's left -
in the caldera,
as I take my test;
embers glow, in the
darkness around,
after anger and fear,
explode with
deafening sounds;
my stomach churns,
my insides give in;
I hold on to silence,
to numb the pain within;
I cast away the old
to break free
from the mould,
as one little tear
drops to cool -
my heaven!

An Offering

as I bow my head
to think of you,
my head covered
in your dark hue;
I have no words
to ask or pray;
the comfort of being
with you I crave;
for I am all yours
as you are mine,
my life - an offering
for you, sublime!
what more can I want
in this lifetime anew,
but to be a channel
for your love and joy!

Soul Song

The moving bow
cuts my soul,
as it draws and plucks
on the strings of my soul....

My heart sinks
into a hollow that grows;
tears drop silently
into a well that overflows....
 
Do I pick up the pieces
and put them together?
or do I lose myself
in the song of my river?

I sit with myself
in a silence that grows,
to trust in that
which feeds my soul...

The Trapeze Artist

I hang in there
without a care,
feeling a river
flowing within,
as I reach out
to make a move -
swing, fly or dance,
twist, turn or chance
to throw myself
into the emptiness
that looms...
I hang in there
without a care,
from an
invisible thread,
of love and trust
for all of life.

Kaleidoscope

I look through
the hollow inside,
a silent mirror
reflects outside;
the sun, the stars,
the trees, the skies;
a myriad colours,
patterns run wild,
moving, changing,
with every turn,
Life - a kaleidoscope
is what I learn.

Sometimes...

Sometimes I feel
I want to cry...
where no one can see,
no one can hear,
where I'm free
to disappear,
into the desolate
world of tears...

Sometimes I feel
I want to cry...
to fly away
and touch the sky,
where no one
can reach out
to take my hand,
or lead me to
a Promised Land...

Sometimes I feel
I want to cry...
until all my tears
run dry;
where I can whisper
or bellow out,
and love to be
in my own
company....

Sometimes....
I feel...
I just want
to be me!

The Flame Within

sounds of
your flute, and
tinkling bells;
breath drawn in,
into the well;
heart aches and
thoughts that race,
rest entranced
in your blaze;
where
nothing moves,
nothing stirs,
nothing kindles,
nothing blurs;
the eternal flame
burns bright inside,
unwavering
in the stillness
of the night.

Thanksgiving

My feet
softly kiss
the warm earth beneath,
as I walk to the edge
of nothingness...
I stand
before the
open world;
as heart and hands
embrace the emptiness....
My head
held high,
I look without;
fear banished
from the murkiness...
a silent prayer
for all that's blessed;
as light drowns
the heart's
pregnant stillness.

River of Life

what is the source?
what is the end?
in a river that flows

from mountains to sand?
can we tell atoms apart
when they're alike
in every heart?
where is the beginning?
where is the end?
of every atom
that's a godsend?
atoms of water
in the same river,
we are born and we die
into one another;
I become you,
You become me,
and we flow together
towards the sea...

While I sit here
sipping my tea,
two soul mates play;
to fill a cup
quite empty.

We Are One

Standing on
the water's edge,
waves wash over me;
to strip me of my self;
I'm finally at peace;
arms outstretched
to embrace all,
I am naked. I am free.
the whole world
opens before me,
to lead me to the deep...
there is but only
one unseen thread, that
unites and sets us free;
as I suddenly realise
that we are one,
in this endless sea;
where every part
of me touches,
a part of another -
the sand, wind or sea;
and that in turn
touches a world,
of truly infinite
possibilities!

The Power of Music

as the music begins
to take root
in me,
my toes
start to tap,
my eyes
close to heed,
every word,
every note,
seeps slowly
inside;
lost in a trance, I'm
Joyous! Alive!
my heart leaps
to dance,
my body sways
to the beat,
stirred by the divine,
tears roll down my cheeks!

The Remains of the Day

an empty cup
lies in the nook,
a pair of shorts
hang on the hook,
the perfume you wear
lingers in the air,
our baby asleep
without a care;
when you are gone,
and I remain,
my body taut, with a
a stinging pain;
questions and fears,
loneliness that sears,
tears and laughter,
banter and chatter;
celebrating each moment,
while in the pain,
is a heart that's learning
to sing in the rain.

The Lost Temple

When I lose my way
in the babel around,
in a world
that has forgotten
to listen to
its sounds,
I find my way,
in the stillness
of mind,
to my
inner voice -
my temple,
once left behind.

Every Step of the Way

I walk
in the now,
Slow. Aware.
watching
the scenes,
Breathtaking. Bare.
Untouched
by thoughts
and feelings,
I watch -
every step
of the way
I see snapshots,
of my Life
passing by
like a movie ahead,
and I am
but a spectator,
Truth
remains unsaid.

Irony

"I might not come"
he says to me,
"It costs a lot"
to cross the seas;
but when the time
does come
for me to pass over,
will you come then
to see me withered?
I wish we'd value
each other alive,
rather than  wait
for one to die!

A Seed

Who am I?
but a tiny seed,
in a world of infinite

possibilities;
I spring to life,
but wait for another,
to carry me on
to where I have to be -
on a blade of grass,
in the beak of a bird,
on an insect's wing,
or to touch the earth;
where will I be?
who will take me?
how will I go?
I don't know.
will I grow into
a plant or a tree?
or will I just lie still
on the earth beneath?
waiting for time
to carry me on
to another place
where I have to be?
Aware. Alive.
I wait here now,
to go with the flow,
that takes me beyond.

Dance of a Moth

Is it love?
or is it pain?
that draws me to you,
again and again?
Or is it a yearning?
to connect withal?
as I flit in circles
like a moth?
Dancing with fire,
back and forth, I fly,
looking without,
when all lies inside!

The Unfolding

like countless
little buds
that dot
the vast field,
we wait
in silent longing,
for the first drops
of morning dew, and
the first ray of light
to give us our hue;
to touch
each one
with their magic wand,
as we awaken
to a fresh, new morn,
where every petal
slowly unfolding,
speaks a story
of Life and living,
a flowering
of the soul's calling,
breaking free and dancing
to celebrate Living!

The Wind in the Flute

If I were
the wind
inside
the dark hollow
of your flute,
suspended
in eternity...
until
your breath
flows in
and becomes one
with me;
I would wait
in the silence,
and emptiness,
only
to be blown
away
into crevices,
as we play
hide and seek;
from the depths
of nothingness, we
resonate in unison;
create music
resounding
in the silence,
touching souls,
tears on cheeks.

Flight to Nowhere

I circle around
a pool of light,
shimmering seascape,
a lone bird in flight;
wings outstretched,
I yearn for the sky,
as I ceaselessly seek
Peace and Light;
now I yield to the wind,
that cradles and holds,
as I hear not my own voice,
in the silence to behold;
while I glide and hover,
to drift with the wind,
I lose myself, in the
stillness of the moment.

Like Raindrops

we're tiny raindrops
upon the earth -
plopping, dancing,
prancing in dirt;
becoming one, as
we trickle together -
rivulets that seek
a meandering river;
now swaying, now bobbing,
we move along,
whispering softly,
we sing our song;
then gurgling onward
to the silence yonder,
where water meets sky, and
the dance starts over.