I’ll walk with you

I’ll walk with you
wherever you want me to.

I’ll walk with you
up and down hills carpeted with purple heather,
on slim paths through woods where
tumbledown trees reveal torn branches and upturned roots,
along overgrown riverbanks beating aside
waist-high weeds, prickling gorse and nettles.

I’ll walk with you
in buffeting wind, through rain and snow
towards the sunset and the rainbow
amidst darkening clouds and blue skies.

I’ll walk with you
in harmonious gardens and admirable vegetable patches,
with purple, yellow and green produce.

I’ll walk with you
through villages with puzzling wells and
town pavements crowded with fire-eaters and saxophone players.

I’ll walk with you
anywhere you ask me to.

© 17 Aug 14

Meditation haikus

Quiet! Restless mind
looking for something to grab
wandering always.

Still! Indecisive mind
‘I can’ to ‘I can’t’ instantly
jumping not settling.

Hush! Rambling chatter
wishing to express opinions
backdrop never calm.

Stop! Butterfly mind
leaps from this to that to that
not pausing for breath.

Look outside, look, look!
Plums ripening, wind shaking,
cyclamen flowering.

Mind cloaked in noise
misses life’s reality
growing and changing.

World of wonders has
enough to say, clattering
mind need add nothing.

Open eyes, ears, heart,
magnificent universe
plays at my doorstep.

Put down incessant
bluster, open to being
one part of it all.

Glorious dance of
rhythm, colour and splendour
all playing its role.

My heartbeat is but
one tinkling triangle in
a vast orchestra.

© 11 Aug 14

Being peace

I have joined joined Deepak Chopra and over 100,000 people worldwide in a global meditation for peace.
We were asked two questions - what does peace mean to me? and what does peace feel like?
Here is my response.

When the ripples across the water settle
and the vibrations within come to rest
I am peace.
When I breathe and know I am breathing
when I sit and know I am sitting
I am peace.

I am peace
I am steadfast
I am rocklike
I am unmoving
I am stable.

When the mind and the heart
sing the same single note of love
I am peace.
When the waves of emotions are no longer disturbed
by the winds of change
I am peace.

I am the pebble sinking slowly
to the bottom of the pond
seeking its own depth
leaving behind the movements at the surface.

I rest
I rest
just rest
I am peace.

© 8 Aug 14

Moving freely

A morning walk
striding briskly
appreciating beautiful surroundings.

I am the small boy
learning to ride his first bike
moving freely
fearlessly
dashing along the path
with no thought of dangers
or bumps in his way.

I am the dog
leaping joyously
into the river
moving freely
shaking water droplets from its coat
with abandon.

I am the gentle wind
moving freely
tousling hair
rippling grass
softly caressing.

I am the fisherman
(secretly hoping he won’t harm the fish
yet won’t be disappointed
if his desires are thwarted
but enjoying instead a moment of quiet).

I am the dead tree branch
no longer moving freely
languishing gracefully
half in and half out of the water
on its way to becoming compost
nurturing new life.

I am the wind blowing roughly
rattling leaves
loosening beechnuts
with a hint of autumn
an expectancy of rain.

I am the river
moving freely
dancing along
unconcerned with the dull thoughts
of humans
the secret desires and expectations.

I am life
moving freely
blowing through each form
settling but a moment
and quietly moving on.

© 3 Aug 14

Evening sit

Sitting on the patio
sinking with the sun
into deep peace.
Letting go of thoughts
dreams
desires.
Watching them dance away
as lightly as butterflies
adorning the garden.
I finally catch
the scent of honeysuckle.

© 31 July 2014

Growing side by side

 We are all bound together
on a life raft called Earth.
When fighting breaks out
in one corner of the raft
it affects us all
as the whole raft becomes
unsteady, unsafe.
There is no use blaming,
there is no use asking who started it.
The seeds of war go back many generations.

The seeds of peace are also present
growing side by side
with seeds of anger, hate, resentment.
Like the poppies in Flanders fields
they intertwine
springing from the same root.
In the midst of fighting
are those who want peace
seek for understanding instead of accusation
offer love instead of fear and confusion.

When we know
when we all know
the fighting hurts ourselves
more than those we call
other, the enemy
then our bombs and weapons
can be laid down.
Hands will offer friendship
instead of pain and destruction.
Hearts will be open
instead of closed off, cold.

When we know
when we truly know
your pain is my pain
your happiness is my happiness
we can let go of the seeds of
fighting injustice, seeking revenge,
let them go back to sleep.
We can awaken seeds of peace
we can awaken seeds of love.
We can look up and see
 we are all bound together
on a life raft called Earth.
We can only live if we live together.

© 20 July 14

Growing side by side audio

Let’s approach the things that scare us

In one of the sessions on the Mindfulness and Poetry retreat we were looking at the things that we are resistant to or the shadow side of things, that we often want to block out or not admit to. At first I found that nothing came to mind, but what came out instead was this poem abut the process of what we were doing.

Let’s approach the things that scare us.
The dark, foreboding Pandora’s box
that sits menacingly blocking the path ahead.
It cannot be avoided or got around.
Having come this far I cannot turn back.
Reluctantly I creep forward.
If each footstep lasted an hour
is there a chance of never reaching it?

The problem is, I think I already know
what is inside.
I think I know the scary forces
that will furiously fly out
once the lid is lifted.

Once opened, can it be shut again?
Will they ever go back inside?

Having come this far I cannot turn back.
Yet I find myself shaking uncontrollably,
tears streaming down my cheeks.
One last effort to avoid the inevitable.
Perhaps it will be cathartic
to release my fears.
Perhaps in the daylight
those giant monsters in my head
will reveal themselves as
feeble, insignificant, tiny.

There is only one way to find out.
Step up, man up, take courage.
It probably won’t be as bad as I predict.
The giant monsters that fill my thoughts
have already ballooned
out of all proportion.
Reality cannot be as bad as this.

I double-check no one is watching.
Revealing my insecurities, doubts
to myself is bad enough,
I wouldn’t want anyone else to see
my failings, my weaknesses,
or recognise me for the charlatan I am.

Step up, man up, take courage.
It cannot be avoided.
The box is ancient and heavy
the lid stiff and unyielding.
It takes some effort to lift.
I realise I have closed my eyes
wish I could close my ears too.

Bravely I lift the lid with two hands.
There is a sigh, a gasp
like air escaping,
yet nothing comes forth
to bowl me over or terrify me.
I look deep into the murky recesses.
A layer of dust covers the base.
I have already faced everything
I fear, or worse, imagined I fear.
The box is empty.

© 12 July 14