Everything that has direction
has its contraflow.
The ikon whose golden frame you gently touch
painted its painter so that it might look within you.
That white-bearded man whose photo
you just glanced at, was photographed
by the Ganges’ snowy swirling waters
to be there to bless your eyes, to smile your mind.
For you who arrived, hot, dusty, saddle-sore,
the saint has waited patiently to see you become him.
For you, the whole world awaits
with answers to your questions yet to ask.
Thereby, some might say,arrogating to themselves, Allah’s workupon the jihad of our own true souls;and ‘infidels’ might say,watch out that you don’t useinvented victimisation, for intolerance…for shouting or whispering or even thinkingill of God, is surely first, to damage oneself;cutting one off from His mercy, justice, grace..how can one insult God?Jews and Christians say,‘God is…
garnered seeds at rightful time –deeds as seeds –surrendered to the wisdom of the earthwhich contains the wisdomof all other elements:surrendered to the faith in nature,hope of harvest;in the meantime, nought to dobut pray and praise and cultivatethat inner earth; carefor next year’s seeding field;repair the fences of discrimination; trimthe hedges, spinneys, copses,where free nature…
from where, to where?
this dream; dreamthis imaging:the water’s so far, far belowit’s beyond this dark imagining, this dream;all your attention is requiredby this rope bridge,swayed by nature to some immediate, vibrating lawsof this way, that way, more complexthan steel or concrete bear in mind –five lines of rope, that’s all,bound from time to timebut only every few and…
the adequately fed, theadequately housed..the hunger without a name,a smell, a taste,without an image, withoutan advertising agencyto shape it for us; quietlywhimpering, whining at the doorto be let in and fed;is it something we’ve never had?distantly rememberlike a childhood happiness?or have, but want much more of?and if a good fairy passedand said, I can offer…
To sing life’s glory now I’ll seek, these days;to find a greater life through constant praise.
