Undated Poems by Peggy Stebbins Nelson
Just So Much
Do not snatch up more than you can hold,
Troubles, joy or yellow gold.
Tumble trouble in time’s waiting lap
Let unborn days solutions unwrap.
Taste joy with lips of awe,
Never, never, press for more.
Joy squeezed of all her juice
Soon lets bitter gall fly loose.
Hoard your gold with heeding hearts,
For gold is pierced with misery’s darts.
So do not snatch up more than you can hold,
Troubles, joy or yellow gold.
Autumn
Outside the world is dancing
To the fiddling of the wind;
Why wait you by the window
With your thoughts so disciplined?
The grass is rippling merry,
Every blade a green chorine,
The trees are weaving lithely,
Each a swaying hula queen.
Fall flowers are flipping petals,
Gayly stripping one by one;
The demure little bluets
Even joining in the fun.
The grounded leaves are wakened
And whirling round in whirls,
Tumbling with scraps of papers
In intricate twists and twirls.
On air there is a rustle,
A melody’s sweeping strains,
Sweet sounding round the rooftops,
Whispering at window panes.
Come out, you wary watcher,
Come out, you shy thinskinned,
The day is tuned to music
Come dance with the wanton wind.
Blue Message
Blue bird, blue bird
Seeking in the sun;
Why have poets loved you
Since verse was first begun?
Sky bird, sky bird,
Fallen to the earth,
In what celestial studio
Did beauty give you birth?
Were you sent to pluck the strings
Of memory with your sight;
To bring a bit of beauty
From land of living light?
Will you stir a ghostly glimmer
In my earth-bound soul,
Of a shore where sweet sights shimmer
And truth is told in whole?
The Music of Maids
You have not kept tune with my love
You have not heeded the beat of my heart
Lagging far behind you stand where we did start
And I dancing to the tune of hope
Wait at the marriage gate.
Espy
Have you ever told a lie?
You are but human.
Have you told the same lie twice?
Then lying has become a vice.
He who learns the truth through a lie
Steals from self, an ancient alibi.
The Question
The master mirrors the questions of this student.
The disciple admires himself in the master’s eyes.
Who sees the truth?
Centerpiece
Oranges and kumquats,
Golden, golden bee,
Sweeter than honey,
Nectar taste to me.
Oranges and kumquats,
Yellow butterfly,
Brighter than jonquils,
The sight to satisfy.
Oranges and kumquats,
Ripe persimmon tree,
In a room’s fragrance
Of tempting pungency.
Oranges and kumquats,
Dandelion sparkling wine,
Symbols of sunlight
Never grown on grapevine.
Centricity
Somewhere there howls the ape, lion, panther, bear,
Somewhere,
Back there,
In Past,
Found fast,
Ever telling,
Compelling,
The soul.
Somewhere there calls the angel, saint, sage, seer,
Somewhere,
Out there,
Precast,
Steadfast,
Ever reaching,
Beseeching,
The soul.
Last Fling
Listen to the larking of last year’s leaf,
Wildly fluttering, wildly fluttering,
In frenzied disbelief.
Watch the way it clings to the cool spring breeze,
Rolling riotously, rolling riotously,
Around the waking trees.
Little does it know as it speeds across the earth,
Spinning wantonly, spinning wantonly,
Its crumbling is brought to birth.
Indecision
It’s a bright sky, a light sky,
full of warming sun,
Shining on a tired earth,
wintered wearisome.
It’s a March day, midway,
hung between the seasons,
Back to snow, spring to go,
weighing well the reasons.
Snow to fear with spring so near,
shifting winds to blow,
A time to fret, dreams to get,
stirring greens below,
The trees to bring birds to sing,
to pick a floweret;
The tug of spring with love stirring,
and winter to forget;
The turn of time, eternal rhyme,
haunting to and fro.
What will March say, will winter stay,
or will spring overthrow?
Inspiration – II
Something’s singing,
Listen to it,
Time is bringing,
Rhythm to it.
Something’s pulling,
Take and hold it,
Dreams be willing,
To unfold it.
Something’s waiting,
One to make it,
For the taking,
Go create it.
A Speck of Time
Curtains at the window,
Little grubby hands
Little smiling faces,
Shooting rubber bands.
Silver specks of sun dust,
Spinning through the air,
Light on wrinkled noses,
And fall on tousled hair.
Splattered shouts of laughter,
Break against the day,
Tossing tender memories
Of fun flung far away.
In Season
Shh —
Soft
Sweet
Spring Starts
Seeking
Saturn,
Seed Scattering,
Song
Sounding,
Sun
Streaming,
Suo loco.
Katydidn’t
Katydid,
All night long
Sing her song
As she hid
Under cover
Calling lover;
Katydid
Woo loud and shrill
On night so still,
As she bid
Under moon
Love in croon;
Katydid,
Amid the shrub
Wings sound in rub,
Did oh did
Without a rest
Become a pest.
Indian Village
The flowers have returned to the land,
But the land has changed;
Only the birds are singing,
Only the wild creatures mating.
A sadness is on the land.
The fields are lying idle,
The oleanders go unpluched,
The women weep, the children watch
A sadness is on the land,
A blight upon the people,
A madness upon the times.
The men of the village have gone,
Gone the husbands, son, lovers,
To the south.
To the south
The battlefields are staining red,
A sorrow is on the land
Pray Krishna.
A Procession
Let us leave the low ground and make to the mountain,
Where the great tree grows in the grasp of strength,
Fathered by the five fingers of fate and blessed by the seed of the sun.
Let us hang our cares on the supple branches,
Stretching to the seven seas of space,
Shading the exposed breast of the earth.
Let us sit in the sacred silence of inner sound,
And send a message to the waking wonders of sleep,
And bid the Mysterious Mother to hum her lullaby.
Let us become as a round golden cup
To catch the dazzling drops of wisdom
To carry to the parched lips in the valley.
My World
Where would I be now
If I hadn’t been at all;
Where would the past be
Where would the future fall?
I will not look at Queens,
Nor those who come behind,
Nor render up to vain regret
What I alone did find.
A treasure long waited for,
A chance for the earth,
A task to be taken up,
A time for rebirth.
I struggled to get here,
I brought my life’s span,
And live it I must
As best as I can.
And when I shall go,
There’s naught I can take,
But the lesson I learned
And the world I did make.
A Wise Word Hesitates
Weigh well your words before a foe,
For words gain girth as out they go.
Hold heed of anger for pride’s release
A tongue of wrath knows naught of peace.
All Makes One
Many or one, many or one,
So have quested the philosophers,
Since time was begun.
Many or one, one or many,
Many make one, one holds man,
So speaks the law of one echoed by plenty.
Satori
Strange, so said the sage,
Not in the ten-thousand books,
Or the twenty-thousand tomorrows;
Not with the thirty-three sacred things,
Or the seventy-seven holy men;
Not in the temple of the ten-thousand Buddhas,
Or on the altars of the three hundred chosen churches;
Not in the lands of the seven scattered seas,
Or on the peaks of the ten tallest mountains;
Not either in these one-hundred and five words
Can be found the glow of the lotus;
Not till
In each his own heart,
In each his own mind
Knows
The Paradise of the Present,
Saint of the Self.
The Philosopher
Words, words, words, words,
Nothing but words, words, words, words.
Only words, always words,
But never an answer.
Song of the Leaves
When the wind whistles,
The blossoms bend,
The birds stir,
The leaves whisper,
“Listen,
Someone is seeking,
Something again;
Not here,
Not here,
Only the birds sleep here,
Only the blossoms;
See,
They sleep.
Go gently, wind,
Will away
Where the clouds wait,
Where the wizard wails;
Wane away
Where the owl watches,
Where the web weaves.
Only here the sparrow is dreaming
When it was,
When it was
A white throat’s song;
Only here the blossom is dreaming
When it was,
When it was
A gold-winged seed.
Will away wind,
Way, way.”
Split Second
It is not beatific,
The vision;
Neither is it dazzling,
Nor transporting.
Simply,
It is simple.
You have it,
But you do not know it;
Stop a moment,
Look,
There,
Did you not see it?
Love Laid
Where hide the dreams of yesterday.
My love has gone to stay.
Where lie the sighs of sleeping maids,
My love in limbo fades.
Where fly the lies of yester years,
My love is mirrored in tears.
Where wilt the promises of passion’s kiss.
My love waits in broken bliss.
Second Run
How like a nightmare is this vast vision of life,
Full of skipping scenes, scattered lines, love and strife.
How like a dream rehearsed long tides ago,
Full of plots, people and prayers I used to know,
A dream recaptured, restaged and replayed;
A dream that as before will not be overstayed.
Strange Continent
Have you ever seen a tinamou
Flying through the trees?
Have you ever heard a toucan
Yelping on the breeze?
Have you ever held a jaguar,
Looked into his eyes?
Have you ever caught a nightbird,
Felt his heartbeat rise?
Have you ever asked a glowworm,
Whence he got his light?
Have you ever heard an answer
Whispering from night?
Have you ever thought you could do
These, and every one?
The world is made with voodoo
In a dream that’s once begun.
Sunshade
I sat upon a golden beach
The wind played with my hair,
The waves crept up to touch my feet,
The air had not a care.
The air had not a care,
For the sun was wveerywhere.
Andd rode the foam upon the sea,
The day was sparkling fair.
The day was sparkling fair,
For the sun was wverywhere,
But cjould not light my darkened heart,
My loved one wasn’t there.
To an Enemy
An hour you owe to me,
An hour to be paid in eternity.
An hour you stole from my fate,
An hour in which you made me hate.
I have paid for this hour in tears,
But you have left the debt in arrears.
The wheel of time will work its way,
And you will come the hour to pay.
And in that time returned from above,
I’ll teach you tenderly how to love.
Say Then
When I wake
Will I say,
“I have been with the world,”
Or
“The world has been with me.”
Sweet Laughter
Come, let us share sweet laughter
And snare a secret from the stars;
Les us speak with gusts of angels,
And strum on joy’s guitars.
Let us ride on laughter’s message,
Spreading splendor through all space;
And send an echo ringing,
To tomorrows waiting place.
Stuck in a Nutshell
I’d love to be a saint,
But I can’t be what I ain’t.
Take Wonder
The leaf will drop, The stone will roll,
The hand let fall its gold.
And time will take
Along the days,
Not one a wish can hold.
The laugh will fade,
The tear will dry,
The story will be told.
So fill the cup
Take the wonder up,
Before you’ve grown too old.
Solvent Time
Why always time for tomorrow,
But not enough for today.
When time herself does not borrow,
From what tomorrow has to say.
One Track
Vanity is the reading of a one-page book,
The staging of a single set scene,
The riding through life in a curtained carriage.
Flecks
Endless rivers merging in the sea
Are passing images swelling memory.
Dust of ages building up the earth
Are thought man and mind bring birth.
Flashing stars signaling wondrous mysteries,
Are souls’ truth shining through life’s phantasies.
Not With Love to G.H.
Love thy neighbor, what a chore
Especially when he’s living next door.
He’s counted each little strip of grass
And shouts at birds who dare to pass.
He’s circled his land with wire wide
And has bound up with greed all inside.
The apples, they fall to the ground and rot
But he’s happy for he keeps what he has got.
Little children are not allowed to tread
On his grass or his apples, a sacred bed.
And I watch and think, “Good man, what will you do
When God looks down and summons you?”
Ungrammatically Oui
Would that the you that is he
And the I that is me,
Could make he and me see
That we really agree
And in love shall always be.
Oh me, oh he,
Fighting is love’s weird mystery.
The Deep Soil
What’s rooted in the subconscious blooms through the centuries,
‘Tis easier, by far, to raze cities than to plow the mysterious mind of man.
Tangerine
On what strange shore are you dreaming,
Little cat of red coat gleaming?
In what catnip grove are you chasing
And little fair-eyed cats embracing?
Are there pools of pearly milk,
With whisker wipers of sheerest silk?
Is your land made with mice and men,
Are you a little ancient god again?
Do you speak with only mews,
Or supra human symbols use?
Oh little cat of slant eyes sleeping,
Would you your sweet dreams be keeping?
Sight
Can the last curiosity account for it all,
Pick up the pieces that living let fall,
Reveal a pattern where confusion did count,
Set a sane picture where madness did mount?
Can the last curiosity break the spell,
Separate heaven away from hell,
Sift the good from out the bad,
Give the answer we never had?
Temples
Listen, when you climb a mountain,
The wind will speak to you,
Little birds nod;
Listen, you are getting closer to God.
Listen, when you come to the ocean,
Waves will whisper to you,
Sweet sounds on blue,
Listen, they may be telling something new.
Listen, when you see stars in the sky,
Silence will call to you,
The night aware;
Listen, in the quiet beauty sounds a prayer.
Tender Time
Like the day,
It will pass away,
That little tear of yours.
Like the night,
It will come to light,
That darkling fear of yours.
Like a dream,
It will only seem,
The trouble that does task.
Like the snow,
It will come and go,
The question that you ask.
Inside the Wall
Oh Weep, Weep, Weep;
Weep for the Weary World,
Weep for Wrong and Woe,
Weep for Will and Woman,
Weep for your Past Wail,
And then Weep no more,
For after Weeping comes Laughter.
Then Laugh, Laugh, Laugh;
Laugh for Life and Living,
Laugh for Long Ago,
Laugh for the Logus and the Logi,
Laugh for all you don’t know,
And then Laugh no more.
And in between Wailing and Laughing
You will find the Silent Law —
The Awe of All.
Sly Resignation
Men made not to understand life,
But to accept it,
Oftentime rebels and finds himself fighting the wind;
Defying phantoms fleeing before his fingers,
Grasping trailing shadows of nothingness,
Shaking his fist at ever elusive moments,
Measuring footprints of ever elusive adversaries.
Man made not to understand life,
But to accept it,
Would better bargain his time
In smiling at the unknown,
Making fast friends with the mystery.
Sorcery
Give me a heap of soft words,
And a day at the sea,
And thoughts will sift the sands,
For a poem of witchery.
Give me the sun and six stars,
In a room with my love,
And I will prove by far,
He’s brighter than heavens above.
Give me all eternity,
Spaced in an hour,
And I will show to you,
The secret of a flower.
The Essence
So not think about it,
Do not analyze,
Do not imagine.
See it, know it,
As it is,
Outside the mind.
In the “is”ness
Find
The realness.
A Toast
We’ll remember the good hours,
Yes, we will;
We’ll remember the laughter,
Lord, we will;
We’ll remember the friendship,
That, we will;
We’ll remember, yes we will.
Drink, drink, to the fill.
The Golden Dreamer
Dream on you golden flower,
The grass makes up your bed;
The bird sings in the background,
The sun shines on your head.
Sleep on you pretty posey,
The breeze rocks to and fro;
The green is soft and cozy,
The dream is all you know.
Would I could go and join you
In secret dreaming place,
To find the sight of beauty
That lights your petalled face.
The Lonely Rain
The lonely rain is falling
On the bleak and frozen ground;
The pelting of its pitter
Is the only moving sound.
Would it wonder be wishing
For a soft and silken grass
To catch its dancing droplets
And for Winter soon to pass.
Would it were a day in August
With warm flowers waiting there
To gather running raindrops
To glow on petalled hair.
Fullness
The hand findeth nothing in the empty jar;
Fill thy mind with wisdom
And thy sould with love
And the Hands of Hereafter shall not be empty.
The Pace
Doubt not!
Move on!
As the stream
Seeks the river,
So too,
Oh wanderer,
On the ways of life,
Go with faith.
The days lead
But to eternity,
Eternity
But to today.
Go gently,
The heart knows the way,
Why hesitate.
Before
Even lovelier than the sun is its sparkle dancing on a dark floor,
Like the faint fluttering of God’s presence at my soul’s door.
Even more mysterious than the moon is its pale shimmer in a pond of rain.
Like the ghostly memory of another shore mirrored in my brain.
Love in Present Tense
I would be ‘I’ even if I never were;
I would have you ‘you’, even if you weren’t you.
For ‘is’ is never ‘were’, for if it were, how could it be is?
As ‘was’ cannot be ‘will’, so I cannot be you.
So take me as I am for ‘am’ is better than ‘was’, and ‘will’ can never be ‘is’,
And I shall take you as you are, are for you and are for me.
The Weight of a Word
I stood high upon a stair,
And watched myself sulking down there.
Of all the fools I’ve ever seen,
The one below was surely queen;
Raining tears on earthly treasures,
Never using thinking measures.
Sitting sadly among gifts divine,
Ranting, raving over cruel words of thine.
Oh woman, wicked is this waste
Of earth’s joys for a baser taste.
The one called “I”, standing on the stair,
Knows what’s wrong with her, down there.
Joy lies within each woman’s reach.
Listen closely, so that “I” may teach.
Contentment is not found at another door,
Nor happiness hanging on whom you adore.
Build your life on your own two feet,
And give your joy to all you meet.
Others you will not want to possess,
Once you’ve found the secret of happiness.
Another’s word can’t break your calm,
If you but hum your heart’s own psalm.
Love languishes when laid in another heart
And drags along sorrow serving haatred’s start.
Woo not one man to bind your life,
To all the world make yourself a wife.
Uruhu (Freedom)
Across the valleys,
Over the waters,
Through the elephant grass,
They came,
Thousands,
Walking, paddling, riding,
Thousands,
Toward “Uruhu.”
To Blantyre,
To the liberation,
To the birth,
They came,
Forty thousand,
To bless Malawi,
Land of the Flaming Water,
Land of the Great Rift’s Bantu.
Out of the centuries,
Out of the darkness,
Out of Nyasaland,
Came a new dawn — “Kawacha”
A new leader — Banta
A new nation — Malawi
Land of the Flaming Waters
Land of the “Uruhu.”
The Old Order
Wheat, barley, oats,
Cows, chickens, goats,
And the timeless peasant
All know
Civilizations come
And Civilizations go.
Graduation
Will one life prove enough
To cram for heaven-stuff,
Or do the flunkies return
For another chance to learn?
With the Great Teacher so slow
To make evolution show,
Why then the pupil a whiz
On his first earthly quiz?
United
From where we came?
There, back again —
The hidden flower,
The elusive hour,
The global tear,
The creeping fear,
The jungle tree
The forgotten sea —
None to miss the truth of this.
To where we go?
Not one does know —
The mystic see,
The pulpiteer,
The king’s own man,
The pub’s sly Dan,
The Darwinist,
The optimist —
Not one can say,
Where lies the way.
What shall we be?
There’s none can see
The postulate;
The potentate,
The wise men three,
The shamanry —
In this agree
The mystery.
Retaliation
By the pale promise of night, I’ll love you no more,
By the stale prism of sight, I’ll no longer adore.
You have bothered my ears with words of scorn,
You have fathered my tears with heartbreak born.
Who switched your love from on to off,
Who hitched the shift from smile to scoff?
No matter who, no matter what,
You cast the cue, I’ll blast you forgot.
Cry of the Teenager
I am a la morte
Of A’s, B’s and C’s;
Sick to senses
Of colleges to please;
I am bored to bones
Of parents and their groans;
I am weary
Of things dreary,
Advice,
Self-Sacrifice,
I.Q.’s,
Who Whom Whose,
Crazy cram,
Entrance exam,
Beans, Beans,
Deans, Deans
Ad Nauseam.
Advice
If you would wed a man of wealth,
Worry not about his health.
If you would wed a man of beauty,
Ask him not what is his duty.
If you would wed a man of fame,
Ask him not to share his name.
If you would wed a man of good,
Ask him not to break brotherhood.
If you would wed a man of knowledge,
Think not to supercede his college.
Grandchildren of Gods
Ambitious angels led the way
Ambitious angels came to stay.
Forgetful of the home they left
Forgetful of their kin bereft.
Fallen angels gave birth to man
Ambitious men seek to rise again.
In the Negative
If you wish wisdom,
Fish not with fools.
If you’d hold happiness,
Haunt not sorrow.
If you desire success,
Sleep not with dreams.
If you seek strength,
Fly not with fear.
A Thought
Think of the clouds passing by
Slowly, slowly, slowly,
And smile.
Think of the mountain crumbling,
Slowly, slowly, slowly,
And smile.
Think of the ocean rolling,
Slowly, slowly, slowly,
And smile.
Think of time, think of time
Quickly, quickly, quickly,
And weep.
Together — I
Under the noise lies the serene stillness,
Under the man the soul,
Under blind ignorance watches waiting wisdom,
Under sorrow sits joy.
Hand in hand heaven holds hell.
In the Vastness
A million and a half kind,
A million and a half
Of living things.
Think, think back,
That once there were only
The sea, the cliff, and the rain:
How small your tears,
How wisp your fears.
Christmas Night*
A wish for The Book and Bottle,
A wish for the members dear —
May they have a fling of happiness
And a prosperous good year.
A joy for The Book and Bottle,
A joy for each husband and wife —
May they have ten thousand meetings
And live a precious long life.
A boost for The Book and Bottle,
A boost for the jolly crowd —
May they tipple and read with vigor
And shout at the meetings, loud.
A cheer for The Book and Bottle,
A cheer for the wives demure —
May they go on looking pretty
And their husband’s jokes endure.
A glory to The Book and Bottle,
A glory to the husbands’ names —
May they go on making money
And rise to fabulous fame.
A boon for The Book and Bottle,
A boon for camaraderie —
May they go on reading the classics
To and through senility.
A gift to the Arbs** and Coffeys,
A gift to the Wyatts and Bowles —
May they ever accept the friendship
That comes from our well-read souls!
*Once a month, The Book and Bottle Club met to make merry, feast, and discuss fiction, drama or poetry.
**Eileen and Jack Arbolino
Dissolution
I dropped a dream last night,
Deep into the dark of disillusion.
I set you free last night,
Liberated from love’s collusion.
I broke your bonds last night,
And ended idealistic confusion.
I saw the light last night,
When our romance reached conclusion.
Three in One
Three fingers has fate,
The past, present, and future.
Yet one hand has fate,
The soft grip of God.
A Whole One
Oh, my children,
Choose books and friends with great care
For better to have mastered the wisdom
Of one great mind
Than to have gleaned the fancies
Of many feather brains.
Hsin (Heart)
Keep heart
In meditation,
In action;
And the mind,
In kind,
Will impart
Intimation.
Then
Only then, when you have become like the sun
Shining on everything,
Only then, when you have become like the earth
Accepting everything,
Only then, when you have become like the rain
Cleansing everything,
Only then understanding of Zen.
Undid
You never knew, did you, how I loved you.
You never guessed that you were getting the best.
You never cared, did you, that my soul I bared.
You never wanted what I flaunted.
You never gave, did you, what I craved.
You never said for what I plead.
You never did, did you, what I bid.
Oh invalid of love, I am your mourning dove.
The Truth of Truth
He who searches for the truth delves into the forest of snares,
For truth guards her treasures with the twenty thousand pitfalls.
And he who steals a secret from truth falls
Into her most dreaded trap of all —
The shining circle of Magic Mirrors
Where entranced, endlessly and hopelessly,
Man, pinioned by a piece of truth, forgets the search.
The Children
Sing sweetly, sing sweetly,
The children echo you;
They will hum your melody
And add a bar or two.
Speak wisely, speak wisely,
The children list to you;
They will take your words to heart
Then turn them back anew.
Lead surely, lead surely,
The children will follow you;
They will carry on your steps
Whene’er the walk is through.
Act nobly, act nobly
The children will mimic you;
They will learn your scenes and lines
To show in full review.
Dream beauty, dream beauty,
The children will build for you;
They will trace your blueprints
And try to shape them true.
The children, the children,
The children wait on you;
Give them what the future needs
Lest they fail their children too.
Archetype
Is is I you love or a shape in the sky?
Is is I you wooed or a dream drifting by?
Is it I you wed or a symbol of woman instead?
I would it were I yet sense with a cry
It’s she in the sky who lives under your lie
While I loving you will always be true..
Tiger Lily
Little cat of curious eyes
Mewed you once under distant skies?
Lived you then in temples of gold?
Walked you with the Egyptians of old?
Little cat of curious eyes
Could you recount the centuries’ lies?
Would you speak of secrets untold?
Would you the mysteries unfold?
A Code
To be unselfish among the selfish,
Forgiving among the unforgiving,
Thoughtful among the thoughtless,
Loving among the hating,
Courageous among the fearful,
Prudent among the foolish,
Silent among the talkative,
Humble among the vain,
Is to be in haarmony.
A Flame
Wild is his eye
For he has heard
The weird cry
Of the Rockcock bird.
Loud are the echoes
That haunt and mock
For he now knows
The Cock of the Rock.
Distant are his dreams
Of a land lost in time
Of a forest that gleams
Of a sound sublime.
Dazzled by his sight
By a memory ingrown
Of a bird orange bright
Singing so alone.
Harvest
You will listen for my words,
You will harken to my tune,
You will fall into the rhythm
Of whispers when at noon.You will watch the weaving willows,
And walk the waiting path,You will wave to watching gods,
And hear their winged laugh.
You will wear the wreath of knowing,
And waft away all fear,
You will give up willful dreaming,
And weave the web of wyrd.*
You will open the wild moment,
And root out all past pain,
You will close out tall tomorrow,
And reap the ripened grain.
*wyrd –(Middle English) fate
A New Start
Let us break the ancient bottle,
Let us make ready for new wine,
Let us cast the dregs upon the old day,
And wait with the wisdom of angels.
As Big As We Are
If our life is as we make it
Is our God what we think too?
Can we shorten eternity
Can we brighten the dew?
Will we build on tomorrow
And rob the past years?
Do we write out the verdict
With our soul’s silent tears?
Do we come with a preface
Are we held by long strings?
Do we know when the end is
And ride on time’s winds?
When we meet our own answer
Will we find love or fear?
Will God’s face wear the reflection
Of what we did here?
African Melody
I went out to the rainfall
To search for a drop of sun,
And found among the flowers
A light on every one.
I looked unto the treetops
Where filtered through the rain,
I stood beneath the branches
And felt a warmth again.
I listened to the music,
The splashing on the ground,
The notes were sweetly flowing,
A sparkle in each sound.
I caught a falling raindrop,
And cupped it in my hand,
Therein I saw an image
Of sun concealed on land.
Celebration
It’s a witching day, your birthday,
With white magnolias and roses red
And desert flowers for a dreaming bed.
It’s a sweet scent day, your birthday,
With magic waters in crystal vials
Capturing the secret of flowering wills.
It’s a gem-joy, your birthday,
Set on the side of angels and children
With laughter and love all spilled in.
Yours
Man’s mind cradles the crossroad to heaven or hell,
It circles the universe or a square cell;
Through it flows eternity or an hour,
It is the garden of life or a dead flower.
Ephemeral
Dainty, dainty little Mayfly,
Dancing on the air,
With four wings,
Two streamer strings,
You are a sight so fair.
Slender, slender little Mayfly,
Playing oh so gay,
Who would know,
As you go,
Your life is but one day.
Feminine
Crocodile, you would carry compassion to Cathay,
Yet not cede one cold comfort to him.
Fool, you would forgive the faults of all men,
And yet not erase his small sin.
Smug, you would smile at the wide world
And yet not save him one grin.
Woman you would woo with understanding all society
And yet never wake at what’s wheeling inside of him.
To The Shouter
Avast, you don’t bother me;
You are but the blowing of the wind on my window pane;
You are but the dribbling of the morning rain.
So shout your mouth and clamp your teeth,
Uncurl your fists and hang your head
And pick up the waste of all you’ve said.
Found in a Name
So long your wings,
So short your feet,
No wonder up in air you eat.
So lithe your grace,
So waff on way,
No wonder you migrate by day.
So wide your mouth,
The insects know,
The reason you are called swallow.
Untitled
I am what you will me
I am the wail in the wind
The swirl of the sea
I become when you whisper
I am the secret of the seed
The mother of the son
I am there when you reach
I am the leap of the fire
The echo of the lyre
Waiting to teach
I listen for your recognition
I am the first word
The sign of creation
Give me your love
Stretch out your hand
Take my message
And try to understand
Ageless Winter
Is December snow the same as April rain?
In Winter will the bluebird sing again?
Will the sun still break through with brightness
When my days have grown to dimness?
Will I still hear the sound of fairy wings
When age to me life brings?
Sanctuary
I know a place where the wind doth blow,
And the swan sails sweet to the swallow’s song.
I know a spot where no man does tread,
Where lilacs and lotus live without dread;
Oh, I have a haven, so high on a hill,
The world is a mist and stands all astill;
A ray of creation bathes all with its light,
And wisdom is worshipped as deity bright.
I can mark you no map for this Eden to find,
Nor a tour of words for the mazes to unbind.
Each man has to seek for his own magic site,
And explore the deep jungle with searching floodlight.
Then one day he will discover as others have before
His own inner sanctum in which to adore.