Speaking of Shiva*

So much has transpired
perspired
expired
and come back to life
this is a dance drama
and i love it too much
to not be a part of it
the Black God
stands on one foot
and lets his locks
unfold onto the earth
a sheet of darkness
a terrible sound
splitting the universe
and then
the calm before the storm
dissolution
resolution
evolution
the Light gets switched back on

*with all due respect to the famous kannada poetry translation by the same name

The unfolding

This afternoon

the rain was kissing the earth

softly

and the lingering

smell of fresh love

was tantalizing

as we watched and waited

for the story to unfold

to see how earth

would open herself up

to the elements

we heard the sound

of one hand clapping

and we waited

and the story unfolded

and we were in the middle

of it

alive, receptive

and quite simply

mesmerized by the

wondrous unwrapping

of a treasure

Indolent waves waltzing to the shore

rocks

harboring shadows of sea gulls

drift wood, drifting

two children

building

sand castles

laughing

and telling stories

of imaginary

princes

a charcoal sketch-like

island

as a backdrop

the gleaming, foaming

smoothly gliding

waves

taking my

bobbing imagination

across the seas

to new frontiers

of possibility

where

life

just is

magnificent

and

where

you look into gleaming

waters

to see clear

pools springing

forth with

mighty, mighty

pathways

to heaven.

this one has no name

i am trying to
capture
this moment
because it is
like no other
it is Now
present
forever
infinite
and born of its own
genius

when it dissolves
it will emerge again
instantly
repeatedly
until the end
which in any case
is the begining

timeless time
cosmic expanse of space
collapse
and become-united
and that union is called
Now

this contraction and expansion
of the universe
keep on birthing
new
ceaseless
ring tones

i am calling it
the accordian
of eternity
it is waiting
to be picked up
and played
by you
me
one
and all

i have rambled,
wandered all over this page,
and am ready
to be present again
right Now
to capture this 
moment.

today i am drunk

The last two drops of blood red wine

I had to suck out of the bottle

held precariously

to my drunken lips

it was not just the wine

that I had drunk

or was drunk on

it was life itself

that inebrieted me

as I sat down to enjoy

the feeling

of a little too much

I had to remove

those metaphoric

spirngs from under my feet

and tuck my legs in

with my knees grazing my chin

as I hugged myself

ah, love

life

and the wisdom

of drunkeness

I am asking myself

what's so great

about life

what do you love so much

cant say,

heavens

which world do I inhabit

the earth?

Or the tentative plane between the two

underground maybe

its quite nice down there too

go.

seek and come back

high

heaven will be waiting for you

right here

on earth

god knows. Its true.

resurrection

Gliding, flying, stumbling

crying

sighing

laughing

singing

I came home

to my beloved

I said I was buried and resurrected

because when you drink to the fire

you expose the bitter truths hiding deep

inside your heart

and when you hear your own heart

beat out the truth

then you begin to stride

rather than scurry

and as women

we have to

that is written

it is given

you carry your singing crying sighing laughing

voice inside your head

and beseech it to descend into

your underground

realm of humming happiness

from where you rise

resurrected

do you know what resurrected means?

It means coming back with the

power of the feminine

rising from the dead

being human once again

and being

woman always.

Listen

to the waves

to the silence in between

to the clouds gathering

to the raindrops not yet released

listen to the smell of the water

tickeling the earth

all senses are dancing together

the smell of the sound

and the sound of the smell

meld

into

one

Listen

to the drumbeats

inside your heart

and ask

where they

connect you to

can you join the dots?

What pictures emerge

just listen

be with the multiple

sounds of silence

resonance

quite

contemplative

innocence

listen

to the hungry

ghosts

inside

you

howling

waiting to devour

scraps of joyful self surrender

won't you offer them

a thick slice of freedom

a cup of gratitude tea

mix in the spice of lovely acceptance

and agree to weep for them
if necessary

now, listen.......