I would have asked you
to go down and sit by the lake
with me
But you were too busy
I would have asked you
to come and read to me
from the book of love
But you were entertaining friends
I would have asked you
to be more tender
would have shown you all there is to know of me
and told you all of my secrets
But you went home
I should have asked you
i should have asked you...
But now my heart has run away from us both
And it may be too late...
Thursday, July 28, 2011
simple Truth
I think:
Each person has their own reality. However, there is only one Truth; that's what makes it Divine. It's creation (and non-creation) as God/dess sees it.
An individual's reality is determined by their biases and emotions - it is their perspective on Truth as viewed through the lens of their life experiences. In order to come in contact with pure, simple Truth, we must rid ourselves of self-specific distortions and distractions. This might be what many of the world's religions are talking about: purifying the mind, freeing oneself of the body and the physical world, etc.
Anyone who has come in contact with the Truth at any point should consider themselves highly blessed. I'm led to believe that it's not a common occurrence. It is a struggle trying to get back to that point, and I imagine it's even more difficult to maintain it as a constant state of awareness. And perhaps the latter quest is where many of us Truth-seekers go wrong. Maybe it is difficult to be in constant contact with the Truth for a reason; maybe it's not the experience intended for us while on Earth.
An old friend and mentor suggested to me, recently, that most of today's priests/priestesses (keepers of timeless, divine wisdom) are "hiding in the world." They are ordinary people, and more often than not aren't well-known religious leaders. They don't care if you drink or smoke or curse, and may even partake in such "unseemly" activities themselves. They know the secrets, and yet, they're really not sweatin' it.
Why? Maybe it's because they've realized that their relationships with Divinity don't rest on them dwelling in that pure, holy state of mind all the time. If you ever truly find it, Truth is not something you can lose - it is accessible at all times, from any juncture in life. It is the one pervasive, all-encompassing vision that exists. Isn't that the beauty of the Divine? It is wherever you are...
So we don't have to struggle to maintain a sense of spirituality that's based on neglecting the human experience. We can be here, on Earth, in our bodies, alive with pleasure and pain (neither is a sin). We can vacillate between our high and low chakras/minds/selves as needed in order to come into the fullness of human life and potential. And we can be assured that, no matter where we fall on the spectrum at the moment, Truth and the Divine are always within our reach.
Each person has their own reality. However, there is only one Truth; that's what makes it Divine. It's creation (and non-creation) as God/dess sees it.
An individual's reality is determined by their biases and emotions - it is their perspective on Truth as viewed through the lens of their life experiences. In order to come in contact with pure, simple Truth, we must rid ourselves of self-specific distortions and distractions. This might be what many of the world's religions are talking about: purifying the mind, freeing oneself of the body and the physical world, etc.
Anyone who has come in contact with the Truth at any point should consider themselves highly blessed. I'm led to believe that it's not a common occurrence. It is a struggle trying to get back to that point, and I imagine it's even more difficult to maintain it as a constant state of awareness. And perhaps the latter quest is where many of us Truth-seekers go wrong. Maybe it is difficult to be in constant contact with the Truth for a reason; maybe it's not the experience intended for us while on Earth.
An old friend and mentor suggested to me, recently, that most of today's priests/priestesses (keepers of timeless, divine wisdom) are "hiding in the world." They are ordinary people, and more often than not aren't well-known religious leaders. They don't care if you drink or smoke or curse, and may even partake in such "unseemly" activities themselves. They know the secrets, and yet, they're really not sweatin' it.
Why? Maybe it's because they've realized that their relationships with Divinity don't rest on them dwelling in that pure, holy state of mind all the time. If you ever truly find it, Truth is not something you can lose - it is accessible at all times, from any juncture in life. It is the one pervasive, all-encompassing vision that exists. Isn't that the beauty of the Divine? It is wherever you are...
So we don't have to struggle to maintain a sense of spirituality that's based on neglecting the human experience. We can be here, on Earth, in our bodies, alive with pleasure and pain (neither is a sin). We can vacillate between our high and low chakras/minds/selves as needed in order to come into the fullness of human life and potential. And we can be assured that, no matter where we fall on the spectrum at the moment, Truth and the Divine are always within our reach.
Red Tea
the Moon shines in on my longing
the writhing
the stretching
deep breathing and
soft belly, trembling
as The Wanting simmers inside
i crave something sweet
rosebuds, steeped, with honey
and that you will come
and speak to me
and touch me like a woman
fill my cup with your nectar
Wise traveller,
Sweet alchemist
bearing both flowers and water
I possess your missing elements
you can have them
if you come
sit with me
help me heal my anger
and i will help you shed your sadness
please, come
and cure this madness
under the Moon
the writhing
the stretching
deep breathing and
soft belly, trembling
as The Wanting simmers inside
i crave something sweet
rosebuds, steeped, with honey
and that you will come
and speak to me
and touch me like a woman
fill my cup with your nectar
Wise traveller,
Sweet alchemist
bearing both flowers and water
I possess your missing elements
you can have them
if you come
sit with me
help me heal my anger
and i will help you shed your sadness
please, come
and cure this madness
under the Moon
the Affirmation, the Key, the Resurrection
It's dangerous
this assumption
that all things are like other things
because most things
are alike
an assumption
within an assumption
the foundation of modern thought
standards
are our Kings
not elected officials
dictators, conquerors
or even God
they are not large
but legion
ruling as brothers
threatening torture with tiny daggers of shame
at least one for every detail of our lives
invading
ruthlessly
but the Wise Woman gave me a thought
a charm to keep them at bay
"twins can have two different souls
while perfect strangers
can share one"
Ah, but there is no standard for souls
which is why the evil ones
make us deny them
or lock them away
or kill them.
this assumption
that all things are like other things
because most things
are alike
an assumption
within an assumption
the foundation of modern thought
standards
are our Kings
not elected officials
dictators, conquerors
or even God
they are not large
but legion
ruling as brothers
threatening torture with tiny daggers of shame
at least one for every detail of our lives
invading
ruthlessly
but the Wise Woman gave me a thought
a charm to keep them at bay
"twins can have two different souls
while perfect strangers
can share one"
Ah, but there is no standard for souls
which is why the evil ones
make us deny them
or lock them away
or kill them.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
She said "every day is a blessing"
It is shameful
to use the Truth
as an excuse for dying
For Truth was wed
to Life
at the dawn of creation
But you,
with good intentions,
have made her your slave.
Dressed her up in the
finest
calico.
(well-worn but durable,
sewn strong by the hands of Ol' Regret)
You laced her up tight
in that garment.
And took her to Death's door.
payment for a debt.
He did not hesitate.
Now, Truth
wrung dry and wretched
is tormented.
She can never know Life again.
And there is only one way out
of this
calico hell.
She prayed
for forgiveness
And for the memory of Life to
keep her breathing long enough
To feel the silencing of Death's seeds in her belly
Twins:
Resignation and Mediocrity
She plucked the herb
And ate it whole.
Pale and cloaked,
Life stands over the grave.
to use the Truth
as an excuse for dying
For Truth was wed
to Life
at the dawn of creation
But you,
with good intentions,
have made her your slave.
Dressed her up in the
finest
calico.
(well-worn but durable,
sewn strong by the hands of Ol' Regret)
You laced her up tight
in that garment.
And took her to Death's door.
payment for a debt.
He did not hesitate.
Now, Truth
wrung dry and wretched
is tormented.
She can never know Life again.
And there is only one way out
of this
calico hell.
She prayed
for forgiveness
And for the memory of Life to
keep her breathing long enough
To feel the silencing of Death's seeds in her belly
Twins:
Resignation and Mediocrity
She plucked the herb
And ate it whole.
Pale and cloaked,
Life stands over the grave.
Untitled (Inspired by For Colored Girls)
Your laughter
Her clasped hands white knuckled
That woman's chatter
reckless spilling of excess words
trying to explain
away...
Her defensiveness
Her powerlessness
And all of them in me
force the question:
What if we decided
to tell the truth about ourselves?
What if we trusted each other enough
to be honest?
What if we found God in ourselves,
and gave up pretending
Pretentious
Fairy tales of Righteousness?
Gave up the hiding game
masking our hurt with designer outfits and degrees and hobbies
Church functions
and relationships and Righteousness?
Gave up clenched teeth
holding back screams
***
We are alive
Because nobody ever told us that death
was an option
Life
is a choice
but we are slaves to it.
***
Centuries
spent wading through
Dark and freezing cold
slimy bogs of
Hands
Strong Hands grabbing at my ankles
but i don't look down
i just pull and tug and
twist and kick and FIGHT
until their grips slips long enough for me to
take that next step.
that next vital step
is all i want
all i was placed here for
why? toward what?
that next step is my reason for struggling
my reason for fighting
my reason for being
alive
i must continue
to be alive
keep moving... keep moving
keep... moving....
***
clenched teeth holding back the screams
meanwhile those
hands
attached to bodies with hearts
that stopped beating
bulging eyes
drowned alive
held under water
ignored
those hands
dead now, but still moving
for mouths, wishing they had screamed
moving
needing you to acknowledge
their existence
their struggle
their fight
that is their reason now
to keep grabbing
keep pulling
keep moving... moving
but they are not alive.
And your clenched teeth holding back their screams
do none of us any good.
trying to be a lady
trying to march onward
trying to maintain your sanity
in a bog of pain!
too busy preserving your Righteousness
to let yourself go
down with them
into the bog
go
look your pain in its bulging
eyes and let it embrace you
love it back
let it whisper to you
and remind you of the things
that you know
look into your dead self
and choose to live
No more clenched teeth
Smiling propriety
No more worries about being loved or left or ladylike
No more high roads up back-breaking hills
or self-suppression in the name
of being the bigger person
No more laughing at jokes that debase me
or just plain aren't funny
No more soft words and averted
eyes as shards of reality wielded by a Bold spirit
pierce me and
beg me to curse and scream and cry
No more false choices, or concealed options
No more swallowed moans
turned into heart-wrenching hymns
That someone called 'spiritual'
And it is
Pain is Spiritual
but it is also inevitable
not meant for the cause of your Righteousness
The lie we tell ourselves
That fairytale we created to
explain away the pain
to make existence worthwhile
To ease the sharp absence of 'why'
It didn't happen because, baby
Not because you needed to be
Stronger
Wiser
or more compassionate or mature or humble
It didn't happen to transform you into that silhouetted
Black Female Face
closed eyes closed lips
ears muffled under hair or hat or wrap
always tilted up toward
the sky...
Righteous
silent strength
clenching back screams!
It didn't happen because, honey
it just happened
And you are still Whole
Don't be so shocked by this
because you've always been Whole
The day you were born and centuries before
You were Whole
And you will always be Whole
And you can never be made un-Whole
You can only ever be made more Whole
So scream!
Curse and cry and kick!
Stop taking all of that shit!
Yes, they praise you for carrying
their burdens on your shoulders
But it's time you realized
that's a damn trick!
And that your strong back and good teeth and quick mind and
fertile womb and creativity and healing powers
and love
don't have to be for sale
anymore!
***
Maybe,
if I would just
tell the truth about myself
I wouldn't feel so misunderstood.
And maybe if I really believed
in love
I could draw it to myself
just being myself.
And perhaps if
I gave up the act
I would gain the key to
Everything...
The Wholeness
The Holiness
of Myself
Released
Her clasped hands white knuckled
That woman's chatter
reckless spilling of excess words
trying to explain
away...
Her defensiveness
Her powerlessness
And all of them in me
force the question:
What if we decided
to tell the truth about ourselves?
What if we trusted each other enough
to be honest?
What if we found God in ourselves,
and gave up pretending
Pretentious
Fairy tales of Righteousness?
Gave up the hiding game
masking our hurt with designer outfits and degrees and hobbies
Church functions
and relationships and Righteousness?
Gave up clenched teeth
holding back screams
***
We are alive
Because nobody ever told us that death
was an option
Life
is a choice
but we are slaves to it.
***
Centuries
spent wading through
Dark and freezing cold
slimy bogs of
Hands
Strong Hands grabbing at my ankles
but i don't look down
i just pull and tug and
twist and kick and FIGHT
until their grips slips long enough for me to
take that next step.
that next vital step
is all i want
all i was placed here for
why? toward what?
that next step is my reason for struggling
my reason for fighting
my reason for being
alive
i must continue
to be alive
keep moving... keep moving
keep... moving....
***
clenched teeth holding back the screams
meanwhile those
hands
attached to bodies with hearts
that stopped beating
bulging eyes
drowned alive
held under water
ignored
those hands
dead now, but still moving
for mouths, wishing they had screamed
moving
needing you to acknowledge
their existence
their struggle
their fight
that is their reason now
to keep grabbing
keep pulling
keep moving... moving
but they are not alive.
And your clenched teeth holding back their screams
do none of us any good.
trying to be a lady
trying to march onward
trying to maintain your sanity
in a bog of pain!
too busy preserving your Righteousness
to let yourself go
down with them
into the bog
go
look your pain in its bulging
eyes and let it embrace you
love it back
let it whisper to you
and remind you of the things
that you know
look into your dead self
and choose to live
No more clenched teeth
Smiling propriety
No more worries about being loved or left or ladylike
No more high roads up back-breaking hills
or self-suppression in the name
of being the bigger person
No more laughing at jokes that debase me
or just plain aren't funny
No more soft words and averted
eyes as shards of reality wielded by a Bold spirit
pierce me and
beg me to curse and scream and cry
No more false choices, or concealed options
No more swallowed moans
turned into heart-wrenching hymns
That someone called 'spiritual'
And it is
Pain is Spiritual
but it is also inevitable
not meant for the cause of your Righteousness
The lie we tell ourselves
That fairytale we created to
explain away the pain
to make existence worthwhile
To ease the sharp absence of 'why'
It didn't happen because, baby
Not because you needed to be
Stronger
Wiser
or more compassionate or mature or humble
It didn't happen to transform you into that silhouetted
Black Female Face
closed eyes closed lips
ears muffled under hair or hat or wrap
always tilted up toward
the sky...
Righteous
silent strength
clenching back screams!
It didn't happen because, honey
it just happened
And you are still Whole
Don't be so shocked by this
because you've always been Whole
The day you were born and centuries before
You were Whole
And you will always be Whole
And you can never be made un-Whole
You can only ever be made more Whole
So scream!
Curse and cry and kick!
Stop taking all of that shit!
Yes, they praise you for carrying
their burdens on your shoulders
But it's time you realized
that's a damn trick!
And that your strong back and good teeth and quick mind and
fertile womb and creativity and healing powers
and love
don't have to be for sale
anymore!
***
Maybe,
if I would just
tell the truth about myself
I wouldn't feel so misunderstood.
And maybe if I really believed
in love
I could draw it to myself
just being myself.
And perhaps if
I gave up the act
I would gain the key to
Everything...
The Wholeness
The Holiness
of Myself
Released
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