Islands No More

A better dream unfolds like some labor hard and long

or slides into the light of day gliding on angel's wings

easy and sweetly smooth or  belabored and bitterly rough

never tasting the same but daring to emerge anyway

pushed out like a new child leaving her warm womb behind

unsure if the new world is a gift or curse she cries in her surprise

but I see a new horizon begging to arrive in the mist every day

undulating before my hands awaiting formation and blessing

awaiting intention and wisdom that discards fear spreading love

and also awaiting your loving hands too my dears

as islands we block the flow of our own stream

though as islands we bring color and surprise

and sometimes a place to rest for another traveler

who has been upended in his own white rapids

or brings to our table a wonderful new awakened moment

but while it is always glorious anyway even in our demise

as islands we are not one but many apart

by our own cruel intention

unlinked hands untouched hearts and alone

can't we cast our soft shadow without blocking the light 

must we consume what lies in our path

or can we carve a gentle way

spreading open the leaves of our world

without tearing them apart

or burying them in a furrow

but instead plant ourselves as our own sweet flowers

and allowing ourselves to be opened to the touch

seeing through the masquerade without defense

standing naked before ourselves unashamed

 no pretense as we watch the clock's tick stop

unimpressed by our infinite power

for once can we chose to not abuse this gift perhaps

can we hold the challis to our lips and just drink

without proclaiming our glory and driving it away

sweetly in that moment and just be

grateful for the inner eye by which we see

and unafraid to admit who we really are

and unafraid to see who we are not too

woven together falling in and out of each other's hearts

spiraling galaxies seldom seen we stand here for no reason

other than to amaze our growing raft of friends who await

to see us as they have never imagined whole and sweet

motivated to uplift without judgement and shine in each other's eyes

desiring no reward but only beholding the plentiful seascape

that adorns every ocean where we allow our imaginations to travel

and every moment we ever might breathe

Dawn in West

Sometimes the Dawn rises in the west

and sets backwardly in the east

for no good reason

when we allow our compass to drift

and live without our conditioning

we cannot know the way

and that is good to know

for she flows

like the ocean's tide

like the ebb and flow

like the breath of life

like the sleep and wake

each day she brings water

sharing here with us all to drink

infusing her energy and love

abounding and true

never giving herself

that deeper kiss

or perhaps

yes perhaps

giving herself all those things

but just

needing a moment to reflect

not to shine a new day into our eyes

just to be

just to see

a time to appreciate the light

by staying awake all night in the dark

nurturing the way of her path

without requiring herself to be happy

without requiring herself to shine

seeing that like the tide

she cannot only flow in

but must retreat sometimes

into the land of jellyfish

without form

just in grace

far from the shore

and allow a day to pass

without sunrise

and be ok

in that

way

Where Your Life is Lived

In this land

of forbidden sun

where you alone cast

that shadow refusing to shine

open your heart this day and glow

in just the way you do always you know

stand before the mirror and smile this moment

in this moment that will never return and already has

departed gone already if you looked away to the past or

found some worry in the future to ponder it is surely gone

but it will return in a new way and with a new glow if you

will but open yourself to being there where it truly is

you will find the raindrop where your life is lived

and see the rainbow you create when you

allow the sun to shine through you

clearly and fully it expands

into a prism's fruition

making who you

are clear to

everyone

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Photo: http://www.duskyswondersite.com/human-ingenuity-category/reflections-in-rain-drops/

Unconditionally

She said one day
Oh perhaps today I will
release the feared past fearlessly
and love with a hope brighter than the sun
not because of what might return but instead with
a realization that what is done is done and past is past
and that which haunts me need not be my haunting inhibition
for I am truly free to fly as a bird with feathers strong with sweetness
that pours from every pore and dances upon the raindrops in every storm
walking on the waters of my imagination I paint a scene more grand each day
where I stand unafraid to learn the lessons that hurt me so deeply I was cut down
unable to forgive myself for loving too much and losing what I never really owned
and I have become willing to unconditionally love my own pretty face this time
without some meaningless validation that I never allowed to enter me
and yet craved to hear it fill my heart thinking it would bring joy
though I know in my wisdom that slides away from my grip
that this kind of craving never yields a fruitful crop
and while I know what I know that I know
I have carved this knife into my heart
each morning and night it seems
though now I chose to stop
and breath again like this
child in me unharmed
as sweet as honey
as warm as milk
as loving as me
loving myself
unconditionally


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Photo: Steve Hanks

Edge of Bliss

Far

away

in a dream

on the edge of bliss

I find myself longing

for nothing at all

contentedly

musing

alone

with

me

and

this mist

widening fully

entwining my doubts

cleaning them away in a fresh breath

that sweeps around me like a wind that doesn't blow

suspended where I hang between moments without time

in a still room occupied only by the ebb and flow

of my divine breath that reaches down deeply

touching where my soul meets substance

and forging a pact that truth demands

swirling when I wish to spin freely

and stopping as I call it obeys

like a riding horse strong

power surging here

only my seeping

doubt takes it

away from

where it

belongs

with me

in dreams

that awaken into life

composed like a score of music

without though or words only a song

that transcends where I stand with you

my beloved companions on this journey

together as one whole woven like silk

embraced by our loving hearts

that beat sweetly today

as I call you mine

and you

respond

exactly the same

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Photo: hopesrising.com

In This Moment

In the sweet dawn of awakening

I see stars shooting

fireworks exploding

breathless realization

uncontrolled laughter

as other's footsteps

trace the path I have walked

but not in my footsteps

each in their own way

And how it does dazzle me to watch

this dream within a dream within a dream

no limits can be seen as the edge recedes

each foothill followed by another and another

I do not give up the endless journey

for there is no goal at the end

of that which is endless

I take pause to breath

and find love here

where I swim

Sometimes above

detached from myself

I watch my puppet sing

and make love to the wind

and I feel his joy reflected

multiplied a thousand times

reverberating in this canyon

carved from the sands of time

laid down by violent thunder

whose harsh memory is gone

leaving only a place to sculpt

My warm cocoon split open and

I emerged as are you are doing now

or as you have done before

again and again without end

in the dance of before that comes after

and after that comes before now

when you stop to wonder upon this

and see time compressed to a point

of no return or entry or exit

just being divine

in this moment

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Photo: Richard Price

The One Who Doesn't Love You So

In spring's full bloom

rooted in desires

too far away to embrace

or even dream to hold

love emerges in rivers so sweetly dreamed

turned to bitter wine without reason

not even having run their season

yet somehow this self inflicted knife

cuts the part that we intended

and slaps its unloved face

yet it leaves us dumbstruck

once again

at our own hand

Confounded in our sad regret

we smoke another cigarette

we walk the floor that we can see

so blind to our divinity

and we proclaim our fear of pain

but sing it in a new refrain

the cycle seems to never end

this sad regret

becomes our friend

You look into the mirror and see

the me you think I ought to be

the me who comes to you at night

and paints a locket of pure light

upon your heart you hear so sweet

the dream in which I don't retreat

the dream in which I come to stay

and play with you on every day

and yet you know

that dream is true

but only with another you

another you who isn't me

and that's the hardest part to see

that hardest part to see and know

the one who doesn't love you so

was sitting in the chair you saw

when you were with your old grandma

the one who slept with you at night

when other's ran away in fright

the one who looks upon your face

and sees an angel in disgrace

the one whose heart is crushed in fear

the one who never holds you near

the one who sleeps with you at night

the one who cannot see your light

the one who never says to you

I love you so and makes it  true

the only love we can ever be denied

and the only love we ever need

is the love that shines upon our name

the one that always will remain

the love we cannot see in fear

but really it is always near

near to me and near to you

it is the love you never knew

it is the love you need to find

the love that says you are divine

and that's the problem that I see

a problem shared by you and me

we seek to be loved

by someone who could love the unlovable

and we look outside in angst

unable to bear 

the sweet kind love we never share

we think we share it every day

with everyone who comes our way

and yet we lock it up at night

and hide it from our own delight

So that is what I say to you

and me, and them, because it's true

the love you cannot find in him

or her or them has always been

denied to you because its true

you never ever have loved you

so how could he or she or it

come to your rescue think of it

think of what you're trying to do

just know your dream cannot come true

unless you truly do love you