Listening to the heart

What would you have me say?

I am the space that holds everything
the silence in which words
are no longer necessary.

I am the breath that
breathes all life.

If you deny me
I am cold, hard, frozen.

If you allow me
I am open, loving, generous.

I am the vitality
that animates all beings.

I am water washing away
all meanness and harshness.

I am fresh rain providing clarity
sweeping away dullness.

I am the place you go to be truly alone,
truly at one, without any external stimuli.

I am your home
your place of rest
the voice of reason and wisdom.

If you deny me
I am cold, hard, frozen.

If you allow me
I am open, loving, generous.

I am the silence in which words
are no longer necessary.

© 14 Dec 14

Two perspectives

The mind runs wild
telling stories
getting carried away.

The heart simply
reflects what is.

The mind imagines
the worst
creates fearful scenarios.

The heart gently smiles
words of encouragement.

The mind eloquently creates
disasters that never happen.

The heart soothes the fear
calms the nerves.

The mind is weighted down
with sadness, sorrows, grief.

The heart embraces all emotions
touches the dimension of
no coming, no going,
no birth, no death.

The heart does not dismiss
changing emotions
holds them lightly
sees them as insubstantial
as shifting air.

The heart shines out with
contentment, happiness, gratitude.

Listen to the heart.
© 5 Dec 14

Thay the bodhisattva

I see you depicted
with a thousand hands.

Here are your books
generously given
held in these hands.

Here is a flower
with a smile
at the centre of each
held in these hands.

A cup of tea
freshly squeezed
from a raincloud
held in these hands.

Next, a pebble
to teach the children
to meditate
held in these hands.

These hands
hold a match,
but where is the flame?

These hands
invite a bell
sending the universe resonating
with a song of love.

These hands
hold a candle
lighting the path of enlightenment
for those who dare.

These hands
embracing the baby seed of anger
soothing, comforting.

These hands
hold our hearts
nurturing each heartbeat with
a pulse of compassion.

These hands
are empty
free of all notions
all concepts.

These hands
hold other hands
hold infinite hands, interlacing
interbeing across the cosmos.

How many hands?
Infinite hands reaching
in the ten directions
touching every shimmering star
every leaf on every tree
every snowflake and raindrop
every sunbeam, every moonbeam
every heart
holding them all
letting them all go.

© 29 Nov 14

P.S. Very happy to share that this poem was read at the beginning of a Dharma talk given at Plum Village by one of the monks on Sunday 18th January 2015. You can view the talk here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1nl-FO9yAk

Winter in my heart

Now it is winter in my heart
with no signs of spring
no clue of seeds safely nestled
in dark frost-hardened earth
waiting for warmth
to nurture their growth.

Though signs are bleak
in this season of winter and
everything appears to be dying
this is the in-breath
from which a fresh out-breath
will surely follow.

Everything is held
suspended
as if encased in ice
waiting for a touch of sun
which will surely follow.

A time of rest
of breath holding
before the burst of energy
which will surely follow.

Enjoy this fallow season
this time of slowing down
of nurturing.
This in-breath
from which a fresh out-breath
will surely follow.
© 30 Nov 14

Two birds

This bird’s song
is muted
by a cage
that is
too narrow
too small
too heavy
too dark.

This bird sings
sweetly
freely
echoing through
all the valleys
knowing
there is
no cage. 

© 23 Nov 14

I found a tiara

I found a tiara
A discarded tiara
or one being forged?
No human hands created these
fine gossamer threads
intricately woven together.
Only the most knowledgeable
could create such a delicate thing
bedecked with the finest
hand-picked diamonds,
glistening, reflecting.

Safely protected by
nestling holly leaves
waiting for an attendant
to collect the precious jewel.
A fitting gift for
the queen of the faeiries.
I shall sit quietly
waiting to see her pass by,
adorned in this beautiful tiara.
© 18 Nov 14

Nothing was moving

Nothing was moving
the wind had died down
barely a sound to be heard
except distantly
far off birds riding air currents
an occasional bleat of sheep
reminding we are in their territory
the wind was still
the sun was full.

Nothing was moving
the climb was over
we stood to watch
to look
to drink in magnificent
rolling undulations
to watch cloud shadows
slide across the
brackeny hillside.
© 10 Oct 14

The Beck

I walked by the beck
down towards the river.
The beck laughed
as it danced along
and said to me,
‘don’t be sad.
Everything rests
in the wintertime.
But there will always be
a new spring’.

The beck slowed
as it approached the river
and I watched as
the two became one.
I could no longer tell
which was beck and which was river
but I still heard
the laughter of the beck
as it danced along.
© 13 Nov14

Wishing Thay a speedy recovery

A head full of sadness
a heart full of love
my tears water seeds of
gratitude, appreciation, compassion.
Sending my heart along
with the sound of the bell.
The bell echoes my heart's resonance
for all to be safe, happy, free.

A thousand mile journey

We have journeyed a thousand miles
to arrive at this place and
know it was always within.

We have journeyed a thousand miles
looking in the wrong direction.

Today, with no steps
we journeyed within and
came home.

We have journeyed a thousand miles
asking the wrong questions.

We have journeyed a thousand miles
seeking the unseekable.

Today, with no steps
we journeyed within and
found the seeker looking back at us.

We have stumbled a thousand miles
in darkness, looking for the light.

We have stumbled a thousand miles
in ignorance, trying to find a teacher.

Today, with no steps
we journeyed within and
found the teacher
found the light
resting in our own heartspace.

No more seeking.

© 10 Nov 14

No need

No need to change the colours
in the glorious splash of sunset.
No need to move the clouds
to achieve a more aesthetic view.
No need to adjust the chromatic
range of autumn leaves.
No need to water the garden
in the rain.
No need to dwell on details
and forget the big view.
No need to be impatient with today
when tomorrow it will be over.
No need to worry over
what may never come.
Every need to notice
what is already here.
© 10 Nov 14

I see you

Wanting to get the words ‘right’
better to be silent than get it ‘wrong’.
I see you
thought bubble
I see your arising
I see your force
seemingly real, seemingly true.
I see your influence
tripping the words
tying up the tongue.
I see you
accompanied by a legion of ideas
shame, desire, need.
I see you
as a blanket of darkness
seeking to cover the light.
It will not work
the light will not be hid.
Better to hear
a thousand stumbling, searching words
and find a grain of truth
than to say nothing
and believe in you.
I see you
thought bubble
I see you as you are
insubstantial. ethereal,
already dying.
You have no power here
the light will not be hid.

© 29 Oct 14

Being with

Being with the cosmos
in whatever shape it takes.

Being with the storm that rages
patiently watching
waiting for it to blow over.

Being with the tears that fall
watching the emotion
that gives them birth.

Being with the tantrum of the ego
like a petulant child
demanding to be heard.

Being with the impatience
that wants the storm to be gone
to snatch at peace and
cling to it as a life raft.

Being with the voice of the unbeliever
loud, persistent
wanting to have its say.

Being with the seed of gentleness
quietly making its way
through the overbearing weeds.

Being with the voice of truth
sounding from heartspace to heartspace
leading into silence.

© 29 Oct 14

Mindfulness is ...

Mindfulness is not
a calm sea
stretching endlessly into the distance
a straight path
with no stones to trip or cunning bends
an empty mind
filled only with clarity and light
an even temperament
untouched by meanness or generosity
a quiet sunny day
meeting only quiet sunny people.

Mindfulness is
a journey
an adventure
a navigation through
the pitfalls and ecstasies of everyday life
a spotlight
noticing every blemish, every joy
a sunbeam
reducing shadows to a realistic size
a kindness
allowing for mistakes to be a learning process
a space between
what is and my response to it
a tumbling, energetic maelstrom
out of which we emerge
tousled, feathers ruffled,
stronger, wiser and
more willing to laugh at ourselves.
© 16 Oct 14

Leaf crunching time

Now it is leaf crunching time
dancing leaf
turning leaf
colourful time
dazzling sunset
starry night
cold nose time
warm days
cool days
fire lighting time
harvesting
foraging
joyful time
summertime?
autumn-time?
nearly Christmas-time
slowing down
laying down
hibernation time
mushroom growth
house spiders
indoor mice time.
Now are the days of leaf crunching time.

© 22 Sep 14

A trilogy of mornings

I. Morning slides in
like a mist
silently stealing
across the hillside
catching us unawares
dousing the fields
with a rich golden light
bathing the green grass
with a vibrancy in
individual jewelled droplets
lighting each leaf
each blade of grass
with its own ray of sunshine.

Morning steals in
with the birdsong
calling us out of slumber
awakening the senses
a new dawn
a new day
a new moment
a new breath
as morning slides in.


II. Morning creeps in
sluggardly slow
as if hung-over
from a heavy night
coughing deeply
the after-effect of
too many cigarettes.

Morning creeps in
reluctantly
heavily
dragging a dull sun behind
as if unready to admit
a new dawn
a new day
a new moment
a new breath
has begun.


III. Morning dances in
with a smile
bringing laughter and birdsong
scattering seeds of happiness
in her wake
throwing long shadows
away from a full sun.

Morning dances in
with a shout of proclamation
‘I am here,
be awake, awake, awake’.

Morning dances in
with a paintbrush
rendering everything
beautiful
with a glow of serenity.

Morning dances in
with a cry of joyfulness,
today is a new dawn
a new day
a new moment
a new breath.

© 10-12 Oct 14

Sowing seeds of love

I sit

taking up my own true stature

being present

to passing thoughts, feelings, emotions

watching them rise and fall

waves on a distant ocean

I am untouched by them.

Sitting here

doing nothing

sowing seeds of love

scattered into the ether

carried on the winds

to distant, unknown places

where they may find fertile soil

to rest and be nurtured.

Holding seeds of love

in my two hands

I let the winds take them

disperse them at will

sending them out into the world

without minding where they will land

or who they touch.

I have many more to sow

my supply is endless.

© 5 Oct 14

Autumn

I really can't beat Ode to Autumn by John Keats but here are 2 of my recent offerings as the days start to get colder, the nights starrier and the fire is lit regularly in the evenings.

Autumn

A friend said
autumn brings in a sadness
of saying ‘goodbye’ to the summer.
Not for me!

For me
autumn is the most mindful season.
A season of …
bright splashes of colour
changing leaves
glinting morning frosts
a nip in the air
colour in my cheeks

sparkling starry nights
a burnished harvest moon
log fires
jumpers, hats and gloves
abundance
bounty
generosity
a new beginning
in sync with the school year
a deep scent of earth.

Leaf crunching time

Now it is leaf crunching time
dancing leaf
turning leaf
colourful time
dazzling sunset
starry night
cold nose time
warm days
cool days
fire lighting time
harvesting
foraging
joyful time
summertime?
autumntime?
nearly Christmastime
slowing down
laying down
hibernation time
mushroom growth
house spiders
indoor mice time.
Now are the days of leaf crunching time.

© 22 Sep 14