Don't look up!

Don’t look up!

The perfect advice
a cover-all for every situation
doesn’t exist.
It depends on your perspective
on which way you’re facing.

At the bottom of
a steep flight of steps
cut into the hillside
heading to a waterfall
best not to look up
but take each step at a time
to avoid being put off
by the incline and the number of steps
stretching high above.

Standing in the garden
on a quiet moonlit night
with a vast arch of sparkling goodness
above your head
the advice ‘don’t look up’
would be terrible to heed.
Why choose to miss out
on the natural display of beauty
even the greatest of artists
cannot accurately portray?

Don’t look up!
Look up!
It all depends on your situation
on your perspective.

© 15 Apr 19

An exploration of compassion

It is empathy
seeking to understand
recognising the shortfall of
not fully being able to stand
in another’s shoes.

It is listening without judgement
a silent acknowledgement
of another’s pain and suffering.

It is a generosity of heart
willing to move towards
rather than turn away.
It is a heart connection
overriding the incessant speech
in the mind.
It is a heart doorway
revealing
spaciousness, openness
kindness and stable tenderness.

It is a willingness to be vulnerable
and be with another’s vulnerability.
To be with the question
‘are you sure?’
It is true survival of the community.

Kindness is a compass
that directs towards being more compassionate.
It is the knowledge that
fear separates and kindness connects.

© 7 Apr 19

So much space

This body
made of flesh, blood and bone
muscle and sinew
organs, nails and hair
full of
earth, water, fire, air and space
so much space
for the elements to dance in
and not one particle or atom
to be found and name as me
not one particle or atom
to say
this is me alone
separate and whole.

This mind
full of concepts, ideas, thoughts and dreams
inspirations, information
remembering
and not one new or original thought
to say
this alone is me, this is me alone
separate and whole.

This heart
full of impulses and longings
intuition and knowing
feelings and emotions
and not a single beat can say
this is me alone
separate and whole.

I am only earth, water, fire, air
dancing in space
so much space
and not a single microcosm to claim
this is me alone
separate and whole.

And when I am free
I  am only space
empty of me and non-me elements
beginningless, endless
forever free
nothing to hold on to
nothing to possess
nothing to claim as me
only emptiness.

© 6 Apr 19

Choose peace

You can spend all your time being disgusted,
upset, horrified and frustrated about
what's going on in the world.
What do you do to bring some peace
into your being
into your life
into your world?

It's not enough to be upset
it's not enough to be angry
be peaceful
be at ease.

In spite of what is happening around you
choose peace
choose joy
choose happiness
choose love.

© 27 Feb 19

Dedicated to the next generation

I discovered today as I looked through my poems that I never posted this one although I originally wrote it several years ago, and reworked it in 2014.

The flowers in this garden
are given unto my care
for a time.
May I nurture you with love,
nourish you with beauty and
feed you with truth.

I wish for you to grow strong,
free to dance in the movement of the winds,
yet not be broken by its force.
Reaching fearlessly for the light
and fully open to the rains of love.

I will give you my time and
all the goodness of my heart
and space to grow,
listening to the inner calling
of the heart.

May you become trees
growing endlessly tall
to touch the infinite sky.
Let your branches spread wide,
to greet all who will seek your shade.
I wish you to become great trees
spreading your seed throughout the earth,
sharing your own goodness and love.

May you have the courage to be free,
to love and laugh and enjoy,
and wherever you go,
to be at home.

May you have patience and stillness
to hear your own inner voice,
fortitude to follow those words and
reason to do so wisely and purely.
May you have great stature and
a great heart that cannot be contained,
knowing your own greatness
to use it justly and faithfully.

May you have wisdom in your heart
to bring forth words of truth
upon your lips.
May you never doubt or quaver,
or stumble on your path.

May whoever comes
into this garden
be contented with what they meet,
basking in beauty and peace.
In time may your own seeds grow strong and beautiful and pure.
And for now,
may you rejoice that you are free.

© 9 Feb 14