heart : song

new look : new poem

For some time I have been contemplating a new look for the blog. So I finally decided to go with a "red" look. It feels warm and rich. So I'm going to give it a go.

Over the next few months I will be adding some very interesting new content. I made 2 films several years ago that have literally been sitting on my shelf while I was consumed building my current design business. I have decided to re-edit those films into shorter segments and make them stream-able on the internet. I will post each segment here when done.

So, in celebration of all of these fun new things I am sharing a new poem.

as sadness so too does perish,

a breeze of joy whispers beneath water's wripple.

in a half breath,

with an

unspoken word.

I am shaken from sleep.

The dream dissolves,

and I smile at the kindess of

another dawn. 

illumination poem

Sometimes I work on a poem, and sometimes it just appears.

This one just arrived, and I love it. It's called "illumination"

You've been

sold to, &

told to,

sit down.

You've been

lied about, alienated,

left alone.

shamed.

Tamed.

compromised and conformed

Constantly informed

and fearfully,

illuminated by a

television.

Spellbound,

obscuring real luminosity.

Trying to be somebody,

loving nobody.

selfish,

chained to delusion

whipped by ephemeral life

avoiding mystery

mystified

grandiose and

poised for sadness.

And yet,

all of this,

is less than a dream.

A whisper in the voice of eternity.

And yet,

you are luminous love,

a transformable,

eternal

guru.

We await only,

your awakening.

little words

The only true knowledge that we acquire are things that help with the progress of our souls. All of the things that we learn about the practical world are just temporary, ... they are of very limited benefit. True wisdom is hard to explain to others. It is best said in the simplest terms, or with an act of love.

I wrote a poem about this, it's called "little words",

Little words, the kind that confuse the big words.

silent, unspoken words, not in a language I know.

yet,

I know them,

And yet,

I have forgotten them.

In darkness they haunt and illuminate, turning black nothing into shimmering grey.

In sunlight they drift over my forehead.

little killers.

taking away my fear,

And sometimes,

they just give me,

a new moment.

care free

I wrote a poem some time ago about the difference between where I was born,... Canada, and where I have now lived for the last 14 years .. U.S.and A ..(number 1).

I love America, it is a land of optimism and being a creative person it is a place where I have found wonderful opportunities to be rewarded for the work that I do. However, Canada is a quiet place where it is ok to be who you are. You don't really have to aspire to be fabulous. I like to tell people, it's ok to just have a hobby and live your life in Canada.

Anyway I wrote a poem about it some time ago, and here it is.

Where I grew up,

we did less, tried less,

cared less.

We waited for the lake to freeze,

then waited for the lake to thaw.

We believed what we saw.

We lived in the vast land, laughed passionately,

but spoke, shyly.

Here,

people do more, try more, care more.

But, I miss,

Miss Canada.

She's lost, on the frozen lake,

of my memory.

no fear

Recently, all of my fears (pretty much) left me, which is a quite pleasant experience. This happened due to a convergence of insight, meditation, and some dream yoga.

I can only pass on to you, that what you fear the most will likely never happen to you. And if it does, it's ok, you are both eternal and immutable and no harm can ever really come to you. So don't waste your time on fear.

I recently found a pile of poems I wrote back in 1998, and I really love them. Here is one that fits this state of fearlessness.

Don't ask.

There's no answer.

Don't be afraid.

There's no fear.

Just breathe,

and the rest,

will come to you in sublime measure.

And in time,

you too will give a portion of love,

healing the hearts of the wounded.

the easy life.

In our western world of great "doings" we generally think of our lives as some kind of semi, ok, torture. We spend a lot of time thinking about and wishing for time off. We all need time when we can just do nothing, get away from our selves and our lives.

In Sufi traditions this life view is something that needs to be dissolved. Rather, one wants to engage every moment of one's life as an act of love. You greet your job with love, taking out the garbage... you have an open heart, everything you do.

I think this too is the essence of the Buddha's teaching. When you embrace a soft smile to all that comes your way, greet everyone you meet as a family member, life becomes very easy and a pleasure. No need for vacations.

I have a Fedex guy who picks up the boxes we ship in my business every night, and he is truly a delightful human. Every time I see him picking up these big heavy boxes in the cold, dark, windy night I say "Hey bro, how's it going ?". Universally he answers with a big smile " Perfection man, I can't complain, I am excellent". I am so blessed to have this Buddisattva in my life, he reminds me to greet everything with universal positivity and love.

I wrote this poem, and it reflects my approach to taking life the easy way.

love,

unspoken,

token

and guide

the sideless space.

forgiver,

and the ground ahead.

the endless smile

and my daughter's face.

this is the place

that I walk

talkless

and greeting each moment,

with a generous heart.

no tomorrow

We live moment to moment, but in reality there is only one moment. The passage of time is an illusion of the mind.

With this knowledge in hand, we are beckoned not to live for tomorrow, for in reality, tomorrow does not exist. It is very counterproductive to think, "I will find peace, when I have made so much money, or accomplished certain things". What we must do is make peacefulness a part of the lives we actually live. We don't want to make peacefulness something on our "to do list".

As Thich Nhat Hanh said famously, "there is no way to peace, peace is the way."

This poem is one that is about the urgency of living a life of peace no matter your current circumstances.

Give me the green garden

and harden my soul with solitude.

Give me fingers that are filthy

and melt me with ivy

growing around my fear.

And give me a saber

to vaporize all the plants

into a beautiful barren field

parched and dead,

as Eden rest,

in a peaceful head,

sitting in traffic

with God.

no method

The Buddha, never said the word "buddhism". He talked about "reality" and walking the eight fold path. He developed a method to work with to attain enlightenment.

But he was a kind of rebel, he discovered his method on his own. He found the shade of a tree and just sat there. He didn't ask a priest or seek a guru. He didn't need to be endowed by any great hierarchy, and in truth, neither do you.

When the Buddha became enlightened, someone said "prove it" he said "I can't, but earth as my witness it is the truth" and he touched the earth.

Each of us need to find a method that works. We can break or follow any rules we like from any established hierarchy. But, in the end, your road will contain things like ; unconditional love, a quiet mind of peace, forgiveness, non-violence, fearlessness , amongst others.

So there is only one method, and at the same time there is no method. You are free to discover it in any way you like. If your heart is pure, God is not that picky.

unearthed

Our experiences in this life (and in past lives) shape how we view our heart and how we relate it. We can become kind of tough, kind of cynical and we loose a sense of our "Buddha nature". But no matter how disconnected we become, our essential goodness never really leaves us.

If you put a $100 bill in the pocket of a winter coat and forget about it, but then, a year later when the snow comes, you rediscover that hidden treasure. You think  "wow, I'm so rich , wow, what a great day !' Well, your Buddha nature, the essence of your heart, is just like that, always there to be discovered. It's far more valuable than a $100 bill, in fact it's more valuable than all the wealth of the earth.

Coincidentally, I wrote a poem about this back in 1997 and only today , re-discovered it. I call this poem "unearthed".

Stone heart

Unearthed,

from a fathom of black solemn soil

soaked in frail mis-understanding.

Ragged and cracked

it is really a hollow bone

unknown

to it's terrain

which is sweet

and fragrant

and is

kindness.

freindship

Thus far all of the poems I have posted have a very strong spiritual bend to them. And while most of my writing walks down that road, I have written a lot of things that are just on the "human" scale.

Our joy in life is brought through sharing it with friends and family. I wrote this one for a very dear friend with whom almost every interaction is one of happiness and fun. Everyone needs a friend like that, I know I'm very thankful for having one in my life.

You know me so well,

as to tell

all of my foolish secrets.

And I know

what is false and true

about you.

Before there were

"I do's"

and "put that down"

we are friends

tomorrow

and yesterday.