Valerie Hawes
Climbing up the path I step aside
Delighted by the fragrance of roses upon the garden wall.
He meets me at the gate;
Gives me welcome, and a cup.
I drink his wine,
And lose myself in drunken loving among the roses.
Asleep in two worlds,
No fear or pain,
Content where I am,
Until its time to climb again,
I cannot remain lingering between;
I tell him so; He smiles,
Pins a rose upon my breast,
Guides me back onto the path.
Now he joins me in my quest,
And fills my time
Increasing my capacity for wine.
Here you are.
You are, I know you.
And
Here am I,
Who you know well.
Again we dwell in form together,
And I’m beginning to Remember
As I watch you shine,
And project your wondrous magic show
Upon this place and time.
There’s a shadow on the window
In stenciled definition
Shaped in the outline of a rose.
The shadow’s of a cane
With a flower at its tip,
Leaves and thorns
All along the length of it.
Well framed
On the dusty window pane.
Real as a shadow
But not as a rose
It moves although never touched
By the wind
Outside, the real rose
Glows in the morning sun.
Gerald Rhoades
You are filled with God’s glow.
It radiates out pure sparking light
making you appear as a mystical flower.
So why the sad face?
You have a bonfire of happiness within.
Why don’t you immerse your heart
in its blissful sweetness?
Do you still think it’s outside?
Listen, my friend,
the gold mine of all gold mines
is underfoot.
Won’t you feel foolish
when you discover
your father has bequeathed
immense wealth?
All your wandering and begging
has brought you naught.
Come sit by the fire
and feel it’s warmth.
Let’s drink wine
and look at the moon
until we become mad with joy.
Paula Timpson
Full Moons
Under full moons
lovers wings are
spread open
waiting
As moon begins to wane
it drops
its ashes from
the lover who lives in
the sky
Morning Dance
Red melon skies dance
inside
hearts of truth
Seeing with the eyes is limited
while feeling with the heart
is abundant
Heart
Feel the way
Listen to winds passing
through mysterious fields
of wonder and
find fallen stars
Duane Tucker
OUR MOTHER
who makes art of brooks and April branches, your kingdom come in every
breath of every stone,
in puddles bearing chalices of sun down to the creatures
of the undersong. Your will in oak
leaves who hang
on to witness their green children spring. Forgive us the crushed
insect, the flowers unadored,
and mostly for forgetting this vivacious rot is all
for…giving.
HELLO MY SOUL
Forever is composed of nows – Emily Dickinson
Hello my soul: my adoration of rivers and chesty clouds.
If you are the pandemonium of tilled fields
why never a shout?
If does’ tails bound in your blood how can you lie
still as a fingernail ?
You are all and nil, solace and sweet terror.
Without you I am as rudderless as an abandoned dream.
You are older than dreams or ideas of dreams,
amazed as the first-born star.
I sit at my desk knowing you
are there, breathing you but not enough
believing you.
I haven’t seen you since that rain-lashed night
on the Mohawk trail, when I knelt in the mud
and mushed leaves and out of my body
like a snapped power line you crackled:
the bright of billions of fireflies—
so much light I could barely make out my body
half an eternity below: a spec of pollen
between your zephyred fingers.
MOHAWK TRAIL
That night I knelt in agony next to the pond in a mulch
of twigs and leaves and the earth reached out root-strewn arms
and shook me from my body.
As I blossomed from my skin, I knew I could fly
as far as the bruised edges of time and barely be
beginning. Such light—my entire life a single spark.
Christ’s in another: crèche to cross,
his life somehow mine. What I’d thought was me,
lanced through the skins of “am” and “was” and into the bones
of Always. Flesh was nothing but a gauze of thought,
a half-remembered mirage.
I was dew and desert, spider and dinosaur,
pebbles and torrents of flowers. I was everything
I’d ever wanted to be.
Why then was I
so terrified I’d never get back?
CENTRAL PARK SPRING
Earth is showing off
her masterpieces
of shadow. The sun
is giving the grasses
all he’s got. The pond
drinks her fill as always,
looking up, as always,
expecting more.
The wind clings
to things she has been
wanting to say,
wanting to stay,
whispering her sadness
as she leaves, the leaves
like running
water begging her back…
and here she comes, sailing
in on her bright silver
boomerang as if she never gets
a big enough shoulder.
On sunless days
the grasses keep stiff
upper lips, missing the caress
of those gorgeous shadows.
The selfish pond does her best
to be sympathetic
to the drops that deserted
her for the “high life”,
as does the mountain
spring to the waters
that are forever
running off to sea.
By late May
lilacs are almost able
to forgive the unfaithful
perfumes.
They know that after
bliss like this sun scalds
and the clawed
winds will tear the rest
to tea-colored shreds.
MAMMOGRAM (for Marion)
The lake is still, too still. It’s as if it’s hiding something. Like stalactites
dead pines nose into bottomless caves, tugging geese
on rusty pulleys down with them.
The world is upside down: look at me rippling over the exhaust of clouds.
Something shoved winter over autumn, left the forest scabbed and iodine brown,
left flowers shivering.
Nothing wants to be here anymore. Everyone can see what
did this: the thing smoke in its veins, violet
sludge in it eyes; the one who lurks in air and water and perhaps
in one of these women in the bone-white anteroom, waiting with my wife to be squeezed and demeaned. They too can think of little else. I can hear the rasps of magazines, the plastic chairs grinding their teeth
as the women shift to tuck smocks; hands stunned and listless
as these beached gills at my feet.
PRAYER (for Michael and Caitlin)
May I always vow:
Despair is furrow
Sorrow’s sword a plow.
May pain be a spore,
Fear the prime mover
Darkness was made for.
ELM Schindler
A Dweller Among The Tulip Beds
I have no grievance with life itself;
Wherefore the mountains stand, and streams flow to—
The infinite vastness of the realm blanketed with stars
Inquiring not the reason for my being
Why ask of which is—can it be changed?
My creator and author of my destiny foretell of my death
Rumi once wrote, “do not talk of what is invisible”
Born with free will, It is the quality I have dominion over
Not the existence of— my being do I rule?
Half way through my life, reflecting back
All those tears of suffering and shame—
Engraved deep within my heart, scars from the past
Who creates these things which make me weep?
Searching for gold in tar pits, my soul held captive by evil
The warm sands and cool waters placed before me,
Comforting to my soul, I overlooked its sanctity
Demented thoughts overpowering all morals—
Forgotten serenity, replaced by lust and fantasy
Life given to new flesh, born with no sorrows,
It is in our own self-seeking cold hearts we suffer
Creation itself is a miraculous symphony conducted by God,
It is I, which caused the cataclysm in my life.
Quoting Rumi once more I say this with compassion,
“If your face has become saffron pale through death,
Become a dweller among tulip beds and Judas trees”
Flee the tar pits, the gold is not there, seek not among the mire
Look amidst the streams and stars high, towards the heavens
There you will find the omniscience of joy.
Lessons From Nature
Sitting peacefully in warmth upon a bench,
From nature my lesson to learn arriving
A beetle crawling across the ground,
Towards my feet he made his way
Like a soldier in march, advancing forward
Taking my foot lightly kicking him to the side
Not wanting to kill, but removing from my space
Laying there motionless, terrified to move
Watching for a long time, as if paralyzed he lay
My thoughts determined— he was not dead
A sense of guilt overwhelming, what did I do?
Some how relating, seeing my life laying before me
How many times have I been kicked aside?
Leaving me full of fear and distrust, afraid to get up
Suddenly feeling a connection, to this living creature
Picking him up, no longer in fear of the unknown
On a nearby bush, upon a leaf I placed gently
With his trust restored, walking away quietly
Then it hit me; life is so much like this—
A need for some one to care enough to help
Lifting us back up, planting our feet firmly once more
Thoughts coming to me, if I had not cared
The next person passing by, could have stepped,
Ending his life as he lay afraid to go on
Even though my pushing him aside, I had not killed
But setting him up for his possible death
Realizing he is not but a bug,
But who am I to end his life—
Am I no better than he is, if I act like this?
Do we just kick others out of our way?
Who are we or what are we, to act with such neglect
Leaving them in their perils, selfishly not caring.
The Real Hero
Standing boldly in your youth,
The weight of the world upon your shoulders
Confusion and misunderstandings surround
The past generations burden you with,
Hate taught and words used bitterly
With your fists clenched and raised,
Fighting your way through life
Imitating your hero’s —
Standing tall protecting your honor
But who is this adversary you dislike?
Is it really your rival—
Or is it what you have been taught?
When I look into your eyes,
It is not hate I see, but fear of the world
The conflicts before you, are from the past
Afraid that others will think we are weak
But it takes more courage to change—
Than to use the flesh to do harm
It’s in your power to stop this cycle of hate,
Your children do not have to suffer
Take the hand of your enemy in peace,
And love will prevail over this evil
Making you the real hero.
A Ballad of Two Hearts
As I lay here alone with small tears falling from my eyes dreaming—
My thoughts take me to your beauty, my soul a fugitive from pain
Running to you, wanting of, but only a fantasy to comfort my soul
It is not the lust of my heart that wants to embrace you
But of the friendship I have a yearning for— to become your haven
When you call my name, my presence to be your refuge sought.
My gallant one who whispers softly from a distant land—
Here my voice in your dreams, may you know my wish to be with you
Let my words bring comfort to your broken heart
Feel my soft caress wrapped around you as you sleep quietly
As I light my mulberry candles and read my poetry under the stars—
Know that my heart is there with you always, deep within your spirit.
Awakened to the sweet smells of the rain, a great joy enters
Rising from my slumber looking out over the ocean I hear the echo—
A symphony of seagulls in flight flying over wanting me to escape
Not to drift amidst the clouds, but to sail to your sanctuary
The winds bringing me the scents of soft lavender from your hair
I can taste your aroma, your luscious flesh golden honey from the heavens.
Hear the thunder in the distance my love– who searches for
It is my heart that you hear; it beats strongly with passion for you
Do not fear the lightning; it is my light showing you the path—
To my heart it will lead you away from the darkness you have known
I will send my mocking birds to your side they will guide you along the way
They sing my words so you may hear my thoughts, and know where to find me.
Walking across the warm white crystal sands my feet bare—
I feel the warmth and softness, falling to my knees— the emerald waters
The waves crashing against the shore, the roar of my cry it carries to you
At peace my soul brought to by this place of tranquility, but sadness remains
My heart desperately yearning for someone to share my paradise with
To embrace with my love and to cherish forever—my desires held in your heart.
My love, your sweet words composed, the ballads you sing my heart weeps
Under the moonlit skies I will walk with you as one forever in love with
As the ocean breezes blow through my hair– I will take your hand in honor
My rose lips will kiss you passionately– holding you tightly in my every thought
Close your eyes and you will know I am there with you, serenity you will find
Walk in your dreams in my arms for alone you are not from this moment on.
Richard
it takes me to that place, where hope lives
bright light breaking into the top of my thick head, going through my heart and awakening all of the stagnant parts inside me. the flow of my fluids. a slow gentle tornado whirling inside and it’s edges tickling my ribs. everything gets more beautiful. i become more graceful. the things i don’t like about you are gone. the way a cat feels when he finds the right spot on your leg to rub. the way a bird feels after landing in his own nest. the way i feel full of god. Rumi takes me to that place….. imonthepath
Like Lalla, I dance; my steps are light.
Uplifted, I leave no prints whirling in the garden.
With each step the reassurance, my toe pointed forward, the direction I’m headed.
My minds eye looks up, my chest engulfed with light.
the best wine, fruitful and filling. I’m drunk.
Artist inspired, heavenly brushstrokes, I’m not impressed.
Lyrics flow through the vocal sufi, I’m not impressed.
Drunken dancers majestically singing their motion, I’m not impressed.
The earth asked for this love and recieved oceans and mountains,
I ask for this love and recieve everything there is.
I ask you, is there anything greater than the mountains that cannot come from this love?
I can answer, anything is possible with the love I feel…
Words firmented, twas long before they reached me. When they got here I knew them. A song I remember I just heard in the wind. That breeze carried the lyric forever until I was ready to breathe the air of love, with my sail full, battery charged, running outside, chasing the gust that carries the next tune. That melody fills my lungs, ’tis where it lives. I feel it there. If I’m still, stagnant air. When I hunt, I find worlds full to inhale. The silver lining was the cloud shading me from terrible burn. A storm is coming, I’m excited to see the music it brings…..
When the ride is over, the surfer paddles out for more.
It’s the ride which he longs for, is it free?
What you read is my paddling, this is how I get there.
Some don’t know there is even a place to go, more paddling for me.
Look to a tree, paddle, look inside me, paddle.
The wave I’m swimming toward is everything, everywhere.
The distance I swim is over oceans of worldly water, poured by me, hardly potable.
I swim to the clean water and fill myself,I bring empty bottles.
The distance shortens, that is the fruit of my labors… rich
Shells at the shore await the tide, and how sure they are it will come. The beach knows with every grain their rinsing waves shall roll in, they mind not the debris, confident on it’s departure. Ebb and flow as sure as Shams. In comes the set of waves, awareness, next knowledge, all the while an undertow carries away old ideas, releases worldy self and clears the way for the ocean to continue.
Nefesler
Bir adam cehd etse Hakk’in rahina
Her ilmin askina giriftar olur
Hulusu bir ise Sahlar Sahina
Lisaný mucevher kalbi nur olur
Ilmini bilmeyen murada ermez
Ah cekip dunyada kalbini silmez
Fenanin dunyada hic yuzu gulmez
Hakk’a sadikane isguzar olur
Bir kulunu sevse yaradan Huda
Onu cemalinden eylemez cuda
Muminler kalbine duser bir nida
O noktadan alem asikar olur
Oldur asi nefsin gel kiyma yazik
Tedbiri saglam tut al yola asik
Bir kisinin olsa ozilen bozuk
Ne kadar iyi olsa zulumkar ol
Diwane dunyada edna can iken
Alem Sahi bize sultan iken
Bir insan aslðinda katre kan iken
Gelir gecer omur ihtiyar olur
Has bahcede biten bir gul ugruna
Bulbul gibi almis ahu zar beni
Ozumu yandýrdým askin narina
Bundan sonra kabul etmez har beni
Bir guzel sevmisem hublar icinde
Emsali bulunmaz Cin ile Macin’de
Anadan dogmayým dort dag icinde
Usutmez etraftan yagan kar beni
Bir kerece gelmis oldum cihana
Bu askin elinden ben yana yana
Bir dertli Divane diyerek bana
Kendine bagladi guzel yar beni
Hey erenler kimse Sah’a kul olamaz
Sah’a Kamber gibi kul olmayinca
Her Kanber’im diyen Kanber olamaz
Adab ile erkan yol olmayinca
Irakta arama vardir yakini
Gercek talip bulur Hakk’ini
Yukletmezler sana filin yukunu
Bukulup kametin dal olmayinca
Her Mekke’ye giden haci olur mu?
Her abdal olanlar naci olur mu?
Her caput baslilar dervis olur mu?
Erenler haliyle hal olmayinca
Cevahir yanmasa askin oduna
Sikke basarlar mi Sah’in adina?
Seni hic korlar mi talip evine
Zer gibi sararip kal olmayinca
Mecnun olan gezer daim destinde
Askin dolusunu tutar destinde
Seni tasirlar mi baslar ustunde
Mursid nazar edip gel olmayinca
Derdmend olmayinca gonul Hakk olmaz
Asik olmayinca sine cak olmaz
Divaneyem eyder vucut pak olmaz
Mursid-i kamilden el olmayinca
Bir menzile basa kadar varmasan
Sen o yola kervan olsan ne fayda
Bir guzelin sinesine konmasan
Hayal ile mihman olsan ne fayda
Bir yaziki kara olur kalemde
Sozu hor gorunur her bir kelamda
Bir guzelki seni sevmez alemde
Ya sen ona hayran olsan ne fayda
Arabi Farisi dilin olmasa
Bulbule munasip gulun olmasa
Asla bir meslekde elin olmasa
Dava ile sultan olsan ne fayda
Deli gonul isyandan heridir
Bir ah ceksem dagi tasi eritir
Her bir guzel birisinin yaridir
Elin guzeline baksan ne fayda
Sefil Divane gel Hakk’i zikreyle
Verdigi nimete daim sukreyle
Yaman kisi ta ezelden fikreyle
Basa gecip pisman olsan ne fayda
Ehli hakikatte arif olanlar
Gosterir alemde yol yoldan ince
Cevapta mucevher zarif olanlar
Feyzi hurrem olur hal halden ince
Kalb bir shehrishandir chardir memuru
Arsha direk oldu muminin duru
Kalbinin ziyasi vechinin nuru
Gokten huruç eder hilalden ince
Der Divane rah-i Hakk’a varsalar
Koseyi vahdette karar kilsalar
Bir kili tam kirk yerinden yarsalar
And icerim olmaz kemalden ince
Gonul sehrini viran etti bir guzel
Acabaga cektigim bu bu yara kimindir?
Emsalsiz guzelsin ezel be ezel
Senki yaraladin care kimindir?
Senin derdin beni etti Divane
Sen benim demezsen gidem ne yana
Senden ayri gider yollar ziyana
Sen demezsen bu seyyare kimindir
Seversin seveni guzel mutlaka
Senin sinen mihman olmus mushtaka
Sahip sensin rahmin coktur ciplaka
Reddeyleme bu fukara kimindir?
Hakikat ilminin irfani sensin
Cumle bahcivanin gulseni sensin
Cem-i guzellerin hubani sensin
Ya gonlumde bu gul pare kimindir?
Deruni derdimden ben bihaberim
Bilmem talihim yoksa kaderim
Asiklara BENIM diyen guzelim
Ya bu bicare Divane kimindir?
Gel gonul husnu halini bir bilir yarana sor
Bab-i askin miftahini bir sahip irfana sor
Her tabib aska yar olmaz ondan sorma ilaci
Suret hal derler masaldir hikmeti Lokmana sor
Cekmeyen gafil ne bilsin nar-i askin kiymetin
Cekmeye takat mi kaldi bende bu askin zahmetin
Gel sineme kil temasa sinemde bag-i zeytin
Bag-i husnun gullerinin sumbulu reyhana sor
Bir kalender meshrebiyem aynimda shal-i aba
Ben bu askin abdaliyam nur-u sirr-i merhaba
Zulfu canana dokunma lutfeyle bad-i saba
Sineyi ab-u hayati murshid-i merdana sor
Derki asik gam yemezem gun bu gun ferdalara
Gec gecende dem bu demdir dusme bos sevdalara
Divaneyem ibret olsun ask-i rusvalara
Gorenlerden ayri dustum duragi devrana sor
Arzusun cektigim gul yuzlu dostum
Erenlerin demi nurdan sayilir
Oniki Imam katarina dizilen
Muhammed Ali’ye yardan sayilir
Ihlas ile giden bu yoldan donmez
Dost olan dostundan ikilik bulmaz
Eri Hakk bilmeyen Hakk’i bulamaz
Gozu bakar ama korden sayilir
Uc gun imis bu dunyanin sefasi
Sefasindan artik etmis cefasi
Gercek erenlerin nutku nefesi
Biri kirktir kirki birden sayilir
Gercek asik menzilinde durursa
Ocak gibi yanip yagi erirse
Bir kisi kusuru ozden gorurse
O da erdir gercek erden sayilir
Duzgun Divaneyem asktir vatan
Ikilikten cikip birlige biten
Erenler yoluna kiyl-u kal katan
Yolun dikenidir halden sayilir
Habi gafletten uyanip
Dogru yola bastim kadem
Ihlasla Hakk’a dayanip
Asina oldum dem be dem
Erler cem olmus bir yerde
Arada gorundu perde
Gel gir dusmeyesin derde
Buracaya geldin madem
Girdim mektebi irfana
Mana ogrettiler bana
Vuslat oldum ilm-i kana
Chun bab-i vahdette bu dem
Okudum elifi beyi
Fark eyledim teyi seyi
Saki testindeki meyi
Sundu nush eyledim ol dem
Ol dem acildi can gozum
Cemale karsidir yuzum
Zedemden siyrildi ozum
Sukur nasip oldu Adem
Ademde Hakk’i bulmusam
Bahr-i ummana dalmisam
Vahdet-i ahed olmusam
Sanmaki Ademden yadem
Duzgun Divane yakudum
Levh-i Mmahfuz’dan okudum
Aba hirka shal dokudum
Meger bu isde ustadem
Siv Kristin Furaas Wist
The All
Love Brings to Me
Endless Light
And Dreams of What Have Been
In this Universe of Love
There is No Today
No Tomorrow
Love Gives Prosperity of All…
In the Light of Love…
We
Become the All…
Gary C. Wilkens
YEMENI SONG
as honey blends with milk
we come together in
the quiet velvet night
you are pale silk scarves
wrapping a thousand roses,
jasmine in the warm wind
you put the sweet almond cake
on my lips, place the wet
strings of your hair in my hands
your eyes weep the rain,
your breath blows the wind,
I am the wet petals you scatter-
dew drops and butterflies
in yellow sunshine whisper
these love words- I can not.
SONG OF RABIA-I-BASRA
let me not love thee
from fear of wrath
let me not see thee
from hope for gain
let me look on thee
for the beauty of thy face,
beauty I cannot see
with my eye
beauty I cannot know
with my mind
beauty I can feel
within my heart,
where thou hast built
thy marble temple
where thou hast lain
red-yellow flowers
where thou hast hid
the treasure of thyself
RUMI TO SALALDIN
I.
Goldsmith, put down thy hammer,
God beats a truer rhythm
on the purer metal
of thy heart-
come turn with me
here in the street
amid the dust
beside the camels
we will dance the
sema of union,
the lover spinning
around the pole of
his Beloved-
I spin around you.
II.
I will be the flute
you will be the breath,
you will make me write
the words that tell
of how the lover
seeks the Beloved
like water seeks
the still pool,
how the Friend is a treasure
drawing a map to itself,
how love is a fish
fashioning its own hook-
how I seek to snare you.
John Lloyd
This shape I have, O master, who do I look like?
One moment I am a fairy, the next and enchanter of one.
Burning with enthusiasms, I am both the candle and the crowd gathered around it;
I am the smoke and the light, together and scattered at once.”
(Divan 1465:1-2)
Like This
I am together and scattered I am charred and tattered
yet I remain true to my resolve
I burn enthusiasms and smolder with Love
Just
like a wizard or the spirit that creates one
You are an Angel and I wish I knew
What created such a gorgeous urn for you
Such a Soul, such a being, such a person
Such as this.
I’ll tell you that I love you like this
I was a fire and a flame I was consumed by shame
And yet the journey through this valley
I have won
And the prize for my encounters
Is the enlightened I have seen
My one desire is my need to be one
You are an Angel and I wish I knew
What created such a gorgeous urn for you
Such a Soul, such a being, such a person
Such as this.
I’ll tell you that I love you like this
What shape do I form? What time do I perform?
Is this drama never to end?
I learn from you It’s up to me
I see that the lock has not a Key
It’s a combination of incontestable thought
You are an Angel and I wish I knew
What created such a gorgeous urn for you
Such a Soul, such a being, such a person
Such as this.
I’ll tell you that I love you like this
I want to become like an Evangelist of Love and Life!
But my temple will have NO WALLS! And No Figureheads in power
Only windows that remain open always
through storms and rainshowers and Lazy Sunday Afternoons in the backyard
My Heart contains power that goes beyond me yet is ME
And when I see someone who really sees me….
Bliss is the product produced
The elements are all around
the reactions we choose create the universe
if we remain calm and use love.and not fear
those who look back at us can not have anger.
Knowing that sweet souls are caring for me
and thinking of me
as I mutually care and think of them
Sets a circle of Happiness, a globe of pure love
that yields positiveness that glows and grows
beyond… toward more souls
I see you in other’s eyes
embrace with a heart of affection without lust or personal desires
Streaming out with insurmountable brightness
I shine toward people and they shine back at me
I shine to thee and you back at me