POEMS

POEMS

by

MAHANANDA


Homage to Her Mystic Majesty

In that temple, Grace, once pure, new
I carried you, in me, after I had wed you.
Then you wore an enchanting luster of light
Like a diamond covered evening dress.
You threw a crumb, and then a kiss,
And captivated me with fulfillment, sorceress!

My new, soft body cloth, vessel to this soul,
Was sewn by your fingers, omniscient, magical
But the mis-culture I lived stiffened me,
my blest temple became dusty with decadence
While I flirted with, escorted a black emptiness,
while you've waited outside, with infinite patience.

Oh, how I miss you! And once again I clean
Polish that temple to bring you home again.
Into your hands I place my soul once more,
And now when you teach me how to breathe,
I'll listen this time, and enter that other world
Inspired and created from your limitless mind.

                                  ___________

                                  Returning

Like a dream that had not yet begun

Or a melody so pure, yet left unsung
A placid sea, nothing moving,
Totally alive, yet so soothing,
Was a scene of peace embodying no ill.

But a tiny spin arose amidst that sea's calm,
Whirling to the cadence of a soft psalm,
Like a spinning colored rainbow,
It spiraled outward as it gleamed
From it a subtle energy streamed
Setting this creative stage aglow.

Blazing like the summer's noon-hour sun
That light heralded a new dimension,
From the spinning light a whirlpool formed
And in its brilliance a fount areared,
Crystallizing into a ship that appeared,
At that moment a captain was also born.

Whoever wanted to come to Be this way?
Shot from night-time bliss into the sting of day.
The captain hidden in his ship started to cry,
For he felt such loneliness,
His ship a point of such smallness,
But nothing could tell him why.

So with a sigh the spin stopped at last
The captain finding in a harbor he had been cast
Not yet ready to begin his journey,
The wood to season, the sails to dry,
Learning constantly for some day he'd try
The open seas when he felt ready.

The captain needed a crew to begin
But he had little to say on the selection
In a small port were just so many faces
A crew was quickly formed
The duties had to be performed,
For in that climate mildew infests any stasis.

He often thought he was losing grip
Or whether he'd ever be ready for the trip
For one thing the crew was unruly,
The second in command was the sort,
Who thought the whole venture a sport,
But suddenly it was time to sail into the sea.

After a time on this infinite ocean
He started to get used to its rhythmic motion.
The currents and winds he learned through patience,
Enough so that he kept on course,
And seeing that sailing needed no force
He watched with awe this process of maturation.

He knew not where the currents or winds started
Yet always saw the tendencies they imparted
For him to feel like moving fast or slow
Or in any one of the directions
The changes were like instructions
Even the one he knew would come, to sink back below.

Finally the cozy island of which he had dreamed
Stood before him, and so it seemed,
That this was the place to let go his anchor,
The leeward side his security,
To drop all of his roving uncertainties
For no longer the buffeting winds could he endure.

But his ship still bounced on the swells,
And water kept leaping over the rails,
With the hull banging angrily on the crests,
Many of the crew kept leaving,
Over their powerlessness grieving
For the ship had been traveling so long without rest.

Yet to hang on 'till the end was his fate,
For the captain had too much now at stake,
His ship was at the end of its years
For he had gained experience
At the the ship's expense
And now it was too late to change careers.

The captain stood proudly on the bridge of his ship
Alone again, he knew that this was the end of the trip
He had come a long way before he knew
That all he needed was his Self
To maintain his sea-going health,
Tho' he truly had good times with his crew.

 Now he cast his Self adrift on that sea,

Everywhere were faces of his kindred not yet free

To them he passed on what he could

'Till he found himself and the ship sinking,

Dissolving into the sea of bliss in a twinkling,

Returning the way they should.

                  __________________________________

A Walk in a Forgotten Field 

Noiselessly I crept early one Spring
It was just after dawn, I recall
Out to a field not far from my place
Where in peace I could enjoy the day
The small birds had begun to chirp and sing
As I leaned against a tree that was small
Spider spun webs hung dew-pearled like lace
I was already delighting in my stay!

The Eastern sky was brushed with shades of pink,
 the impetus imparted to a new day begun
A gentle rustle heard from the leaves above
Spoke a cool zephyr from the West as it blew
Impossible to describe or even to think
Of this amazing scene as it was sung
Life's soft chorus heralding a sun's love
While darkness fled and a radiant warmth grew.

Little creatures frolicked to and fro
Dancing and rejoicing in their new found mirth
Limbs of grasses glowed with Life's abundance
As the flowers came to life to be seeded
At this time all Nature seemed to flow
Like a play on the stage of the Earth
For something, somewhere, in its benevolence
Was making sure everything got what it needed.

As the sun toward the zenith grew
I knew there'd soon be a fine show
For billowing clouds rode the high winds
Producing a cinema of creative change
The purest blues while the figures flew
Were seen in the background as I sat front row
This free gift spread tingles through my skin
For the spectacle across the whole sky did range.

Then a raven landed far to my right
Something ominous perhaps did brew
I stood up suddenly, whirled around,
The fissures in the bark started to move
I transfixed, stared at this sight,
Lightning and rain began to ensue
Darkness' cloak fell as thunder did sound
But now a light appeared in a bark groove.

I stood drenched to the bone and cold
But the light steadily grew brighter
It felt comfortably warm to my soul
Until it enveloped me as a warm womb
I soon felt that I was anciently old
The lamp around me made everything lighter
There was a glimpse of the Universe as a whole
And the cosmos a mansion with this just a room.

Then the tree some lightning cleft
The left became a pretty skirted maid
The other half gleamed, a suited groom
Spinning together they escaped space and time
Where they'd been nothing was seen to be left
But a glow, like a diamond amidst some jade,
This grew to an egg of the purest light which chased the gloom
And peace filled my body, soul, and mind.

The raven flew off, the Light began to fade
It was getting on toward twilight
Just a few crickets were the murmur felt of life
Homeward bound I felt Nature makes its amends
For I'll never forget that walk I made,
Into a field which gave me a sight
Of the light that can appear amidst strife
Where it came from and the threshold where it ends.

_________________

OUR PROMISE

The scintillating sheen of gold and amber
Reflects August's pride in her womb's gift.
How those magnetic beams of light hail the victors!
Ah, these glimpses from another world...

Blossoms springing forth to spread the eternal seed
Are the response to Creation's need for replication
Whence this Idea to bring life here to some fruition?
Our Mother must speak for our Creator on this sphere.

Nature's survival plan weeds the weaker ones
Promising that only a few will make maturity.
Healthy children forever Light the path to the Goal,
Illuminating the value of potential played out in full.

Once more summer's glory cavorts in its success
Elegantly shedding a renewing cycle in its bliss.
That is the prize while watching Life's harvest,
To know many are called and some will achieve it.

_________________

LISTENING

Streamside I pondered why the impulse granted me

Did not propel this being at a greater force
For I was already sinking back to my source
Though I had not yet entered society.

Fluttering limbs waved over the quiet stream
By their movement giving my heart a hint
Of the tingling of the ever-changing moment
In which the past and future as one is seen.

While reflecting the glitter of the sun's cast
And stilling the air with its cool moist song
As it comforted my soul like the sweetest balm
Ran the waters flowing with my future and past

And while looking at the brook I wondered
As the colonnades of life drank at its sides
That both of us were using gravity to ride
The way back to that Source once encountered

Oh, I was really like that stream feeding itself
Yet always before I had felt a lack to nourish
Now all I need is my potential to flourish
For Life's currents bring to me all that I need

___________________