27 Dec 2015

I'm Choosing Life

I’m choosing life, I’m choosing love
I’ll have heaven on earth, not just above

I’m choosing joy, I’m choosing it now
Not waiting for the day it will arrive somehow

I’m choosing freedom, I’m choosing peace
Just like the wind that blows through trees

I’m choosing to act, I’m choosing to create
In my world it is never ever too late

I'm choosing lightness, I'm choosing fun
In open spaces and nature, under the sun

I'm choosing water, I'm choosing to flow
To oceans and rivers, my heart and I go

I'm choosing adventure, I'm choosing thrill
Climbing many a mountain, and many a hill

I'm choosing words, I'm choosing expression
Over are the days of silent suppression

I'm choosing movement, I'm choosing dance
Saying yes to invitations, saying yes to chance

I’m choosing magic, I’m choosing me
As a spectrum of possibility that I truly be

I'm choosing life, I'm choosing love
I'll have heaven on earth, not just above

22 Dec 2015

Living in Lightness and Magic

I live and breathe in air
The air that moves through me
I think in ways that are fluid
Like the air that is fluid and free

I play and dance with light
That dances and swirls in me
I choose at the speed of light
Because light is what I be

I exist in an infinite space
And I hold that space in me
I conjure in that space of vastness
What you can and cannot see

I am held in a web of dreams
Dreams that then become me
So I paint with childlike abandon
And strokes of joy and glee

2 Dec 2015

I am a Bridge

I am a Bridge, connecting worlds
Use me if you want to cross over
I can be your friend, I can be your teacher
I can be your muse or lover

I am a Bridge, for I have touched
The darkest nights of depression
And I have learnt to stay connected to light
Even during abuse and oppression

I am a Bridge, for I have agonised
Over questions of ‘why’ and ‘why not’?
And I have learnt to embrace the unknown
And let it co-exist with knowledge and thought

I am a Bridge for I can love you
With love that knows no fear
I can reach out to embrace you where you are
Yet stay grounded in what I hold dear

I am a Bridge that stretches to connect
The earth with the stars above
I am a bridge between logic and fantasy
I am a bridge of love.

11 Sept 2015

We Call Them Flowers

So this came to me actually as a song. Here are the lyrics, and here is the song version . Although I must say I am hardly a singer and the tune is very much work in progress. I invite you to play with the tune and make it more peppy and fun for little children. I think this song would be a fun way to introduce pre-schoolers to some of the words we use to reference some of the amazing and magical things on our planet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qep5Z41nJpc

Beauty and fragrance with magical powers
We call it flowers, we call it flowers

Light that dances and captures our heart
We call it art, we call it art

Gliders and soarers beyond human words
We call them birds, we call them birds

The vastness of space, oh so wide and so high
We call it sky, we call it sky

The power which fuels our planet to run
We call it sun, we call it sun

The feeling of oneness on earth and above
We call it love, we call it love

Life that chooses to come play on earth
We call it birth, we call it birth

The total of all that we feel and we be
We call it me, we call it me

Beauty and fragrance with magical powers
We call it flowers, we call it flowers



22 Aug 2015

Dancing in the Now

Dear LIFE....
Today I give up complaining about you
Today I forgive our history together
Today I let go of my incessant insisting
For you are as unpredictable as the weather

Thankfully I am learning a bit of your ways
Thankfully I am getting your game some more
Thankfully I am realising you give no assurance
To continue to give what you gave before

Now, I am open to play on your terms
Now, I have realised you dwell only in the NOW
Now, I get it, that to receive your gifts
I too must be dancing in that NOW

-----------------
note on poem:
It is never too late to start understanding LIFE and it's ways more and more. It is so much easier and fun to tango with a partner when you understand the partner and his or her moves and steps better. So too when it comes to dancing with Life itself. And of course, as with tango or any other dance it always gets better, easier and more graceful with practice. So too when it comes to dancing with Life. I am actually feeling like my age now....but its nice to recollect the age (no matter the number) when you realize you have that many years of experiences and learnings to use as a base for whatever it is you want to launch today!







27 Jul 2015

Dear Voices of Judgement

This morning I wrote a poem to all the voices of judgement in my own head. The ones that go ...like 'I don't deserve Grace', ' I am unworthy to exist', 'I should not be here', 'I am a burden to others' etc. etc. Here is my rebuttal to all those thoughts and beliefs...

Dear Voices of Judgement...

Thank you for your advice
Thank you for your reviews
Thank you for sharing with me
Your interesting points of views

I have some work to do now
Things I need to get to
Things that are calling out to me
Things I am longing to do

You see, I'm also a candle
And Jesus showed me my spark
I want to shine in HIS world
And bring light when it is dark

You see I'm also a flower
And Krishna blew life into me
I want to blossom and bloom
And bring delight to all who see

You see I'm also a poetess
I can hear the universe sing
I want to share that melody
And the joy that it can bring

3 Jul 2015

Dissolving Divisions

I don't remember when it happened
I don't remember why it happened
But I divided my very own self

I divided my life into compartments
I divided my existence into roles
And I decided what each deserved

I divided my work into zones
I divided relationships into 'types'
And decided what to give to each

I kept some parts and roles open
But boxed and labelled the others
Into notions of how they should be

I locked some aspects tightly up
Into lonely chambers of struggle
Insisting on wrongness and pain

I assumed some jobs and parts of work
And some relationships and situations
Just could not be opened to grace

I vehemently kept the Divine out
Convincing myself again and agian
Why certain things just had to be damned

But today I unlock each aspect of my life
And lay it out in open offering
To the magic of the universe

I dissolve the divisions I unknowingly made
And invite life in once again
As the undivided expanse it is







23 Jun 2015

Tell me Little Catterpillar

Today as I was walking I noticed a wiggly green little thing dancing in the air beside me. It was hanging from an invisible cobweb string that was attached to my finger at the other end and first I thought it was just a leaf. It was stormy and windy and as I walked I tried to keep my finger steady to play with the leaf and the little wiggly green seemed to fly with me. Only after a while I realised it was a tiny live caterpillar and I left it on a tree. We must have already been quite far from where it started its journey with me (and I don't even know exactly where that was). Here is a parting shot of the little fellow and a verse to remember him by.....

Tell me little caterpillar
Did you really want a ride
Or did I just carry you along
In my own walk and stride

Tell me little caterpillar
Was it fun for you to swing
How was it to fly along
Even without a wing

Tell me little caterpillar
Will you now feel all lost
Did you enjoy the adventure
And did it come at a cost

Tell me little caterpillar
What brought us together today
To travel awhile in the storm
And then to each go our way


10 Jun 2015

An Artists Act

I am an artist, I draw and paint
I paint in my imagination
I paint in my dreams
I allow my paintings to flow where they will
To be carried by the wind
To be carried by streams

What I paint is not just mine
They simply exist
They simply belong
Anyone else who reaches them
Can play with them
Can paint along

I do not blow my paintings to life
That is not my art
That is not my act
But life often brings them alive herself
That seems her game
That seems her pact


6 Jun 2015

Drop the masks

Drop the masks, drop the masks,
They're only masks, dont you see?
Drop the masks, drop the masks,
And stand maskless in front of me

Who are these righteous people
You keep inviting into your space
To blame and accuse you harshly
And condemn your natural ways

Drop the masks, drop the masks,
They are weighing heavy on you
Drop the masks, drop the masks
And start doing what you have to do

What are these thoughts you hold
Camouflaged as doubts and fears
That have made you sentence yourself
To a lifetime of private tears

Drop the masks, drop the masks,
Drop every borrowed lens
Drop the masks, drop the mask,
Drop this killing pretence







3 Jun 2015

Time to Shed

I am a tree, I dont own a watch
There is no plan or calendar I read
But I know it is time, when it is
To allow my leaves to shed

I lived through spring and summer
And watched each of my leaves grow
I have proudly held my canopy high
But now I know my leaves should go

I have birthed bunches of flowers
My fruits have been enjoyed by all
I have delighted in abundance
Yet now my leaves are going to fall

I will be naked, I will be alone
No birds will come to nest in me
Just brown ragged twiggy lines
Without my leaves, I will stand to be

I might even start to think I'm useless
To the world, I might appear as dead
But inside of me I know it is time
To just allow my leaves to shed

I release my leaves, they served me well
I let go as they fall with grace
They were part of me, and yet I live on
I will grow new ones in their place












31 May 2015

Why does it feel like an Effort to Live

Why does it feel like an effort to live
If life is as natural as it’s supposed to be
Is it because I am pushing myself
Against the currents that are carrying me?

Why does it feel like an effort to live
If I am really in love with what is around
Is love not what I have thought it to be
Or is it love itself that keeps me bound?

Why does it feel like an effort to live
Even when things are going my way
Is each achievement just a spike of joy
That the next moment will wash away?

Why does it feel like an effort to live
If my faith is strong and my worship pure
Is it because I am separate from God
Is the end of separation, the only cure?


16 May 2015

Clean Chit

It is true that I have cried a lot
It is true that I have been in trenches
It is true that I have wept and suffered
And experienced painful heart wrenches

It is true that you were around then
It is true I held you accountable
It is true I thought you should have helped
Each time I felt lost and unstable

But now I know that all that pain
All that suffering was my own
It was my mind, galloping wild
It was my heart, scathed and torn

That you were around, is not your fault
I doubt that you could have helped at all
My pain was mine, it was not from you
I was beating my head against a wall

It was my journey, my own growth pains
Now I am stronger and wiser for it
I found my ropes, I found my light
I can now lift myself out of that pit

I assure you, you were never to blame
My accusations came from ignorance
My expectations that you needed to help
Were just my own created nonsense

I give you a clean chit to take with you
You owe me nothing at all you know
In fact you gave me precious gifts
Gifts that helped me bloom and grow















30 Apr 2015

A Writer's Offering

I have always enjoyed writing. For me, writing is therapy, writing is expression, and writing is a way to make sense of the occupants of my own heart and mind. Indeed, writing is meditation, writing is worship, and writing is a means to connect into deeper recesses of my being. I usually write for the sake of writing, and all other outcomes are secondary. However, of late (thanks to the internet) I have discovered a new kind of happiness that comes in sharing my writings with others. This is a very different kind of joy, which I acknowledge and explore in this poem.

A Writer's Offering

I offer my life to you dear reader
I offer it as a mirror
A mirror for you to reflect your own
And gaze at it as it were

I offer my thought to you dear reader
I offer it as perspective
An observation that was once my own
Shared humbly as a gift

I offer my heart to you dear reader
I offer it with love
Sharing with you the blessings I get
From the angels of writing above

I offer myself to you dear reader
Naked, in my true essence
Urging you to also shed
The crippling chains of pretense







12 Apr 2015

So Much Life

There is too much Life on earth
To stay aloof and separate
There is too much love around
To cling to an empty plate

There is too much colour here
To live in shades of gray
There are too many birds singing
To shut myself away

There is too much beauty in nature
To not notice and sigh
There is too much power in the wind
To not let it take me high

There are too many gifts coming
To not acknowledge them today
There is too much joy around
To not jump in and play

There are too many sources of light
To ever assume it's dark
There are just too many reminders
To forget the divine spark





10 Apr 2015

Nature's Magic Wand

My heart was locked for a while
Like a hard and sealed walnut
Wrapped tightly with strings of grief
That no meditations could cut

Today, I sat on grassy earth
Under the Canopy of a ‘Ponge’ tree
It showered tiny pink blossoms
Onto the grass and onto me

I looked up to thank the tree
It’s leaves dancing in the breeze
I asked to connect with it
I asked for my ego’s release

I don't know how long I stayed
Just the tree, the grass and me
But when I got up to leave
My heart had broken free

I found warmth oozing out
Once again from within my core
I felt sunshine inside my heart
As I used to feel before

28 Mar 2015

Birthright Bliss

She was a little child of three
She knew exactly how to Be
Like the sun knows how to shine
And the bird knows to fly free

But there were adults around her
Who thought that they knew better
Just how much she should shine
Just how her eyes should flutter

With their towering adult presence
And pointing fingers of judgement
They injected her with advice
And policed her wherever she went

She felt their intent to guide her
And she so badly wanted their love
She shut down her internal compass
And her connection to angels above

She accepted the 'rightness' of the adults
And the 'wrongness' of her being
She coached herself to hear their voice
And to see what they were seeing

Quite lost and confused she roamed
Seeking approval that came and went
She worked hard to 'get it right'
As forward and backward she bent

But today she saw the sun shining
Shining true to it's inherent nature
Following its own cosmic rhythm
Not 'adjusting' for every creature

She saw the flowers blooming free
Whether people approved or not
The flowers will not change their hues
No matter how sternly they're taught

She muses on the sun and flowers
And feels an acceptance of who she is
Her internal compass wakes up again
Nudging her back to her birthright bliss



















26 Mar 2015

My Eyes were Closed Awhile

Pink flowers outside the window
They look at me and smile
Nothing is lost, it never was
Just my eyes were closed awhile

The weather changes, that is her nature
And my nature is to observe
I am not designed to control or predict
Life's every bend and curve

8 Mar 2015

The Gift of Slammed Doors

It looked like they were slamming doors
Harshly on my face
It looked like they were throwing me out
And putting dogs on my chase

I ran, I left, I fled from them 
Scared and feeling let down
And then I saw a rainbow ahead
Revealing gates to a brand new town

I walked in gingerly through the gates
Not knowing what to expect
Could this be a place, I might be treated
With love and with respect

The earth beneath my feet felt good
The wind caressed my face
Smiles and songs welcomed me
Into this unknown place

I paused, I sat, I stood, I danced
I could be true to myself here
I rejoiced that I had found a place
Where I could live without fear

I thanked those who had slammed doors
And had forced me to flee
I accept their gift as nudges of love
That helped in setting me free





2 Mar 2015

Growth Pains

Teary eyed I looked to the sky
And shouted, 'I hate my existence'
'Why are these things happening to me'
'This just does not make sense'

Anger steamed out of every pore
I became a steaming kettle
My heart felt like a formidable place
Made of red hot molten metal

I felt a whisper in my ear
So I paused and I heard it say,
'These are your playground obstacles
And your life is only play'

'It was never meant to be all rosy
We did not design to please
We designed to challenge you instead
We designed to trigger and tease

And you designed it along with us
You put these obstacles here
You put in just the right challenges
To bring out that wonderful tear'

'Wonderful tear?' I stood there dazed
Did I really plan this for me
Have I designed all these struggles
To become the best that I can be?

I paused in thought, indeed it was
An interesting idea to behold
'Just the right level of challenge'
Is what the voice had told

So if my obstacles are getting larger
Then that could only imply
My capacity to face them has expanded as well
I have grown even though I cry













4 Feb 2015

When the Force is on our side

If the force that designed the whole universe
If this force is on our side
What reason then, to not embrace life
With arms flung open wide?

If the force that breathed life into us
Is still working with our breath
Then what reason have I to doubt it's plan
And worry about things like death?

If the force that put us together with love
Is alive in us as well
Then why should I be afraid or worried
And hide in a fear-based shell?

No reason to hide, no reason to run
No reason to be afraid
No reason to deny any part of life
When I remember how we were made

3 Feb 2015

Alone

Thank you for turning away
Thank you for letting me down
Thank you for packing your bags
And marching out of town

Thank you for casting me off
And pelting stones at me
You forced me to turn within
And see what I could be

Thank you for walking away
How else would I have known
The strength and power within
That surfaced when I was alone

Within the forests of my mind
I am finding hidden treasures
Alone, I learn to now uncover
Solitude's sacred pleasures

Tip of the Iceberg

You have only seen the tip
Of the iceberg that is me
Open your eyes, open your eyes
Daddy, open your eyes and see

You have only heard the echoes
Of my heart wrenching cry
Open your ears, open your ears
And hear me once, Just try!

You have only seen the fringes
Of the visions in my dreams
You have only felt the ripples
Of my pain and my screams

Is it possible Daddy?
That I'm quite different from you?
Different values, different views
And yet I love you too?

You have only felt the tip
Of the love I have for you
Open your heart, open your heart
Daddy, you can feel it too



30 Jan 2015

I am the canvas

I came face to face with God
I could not believe my delight
Finally today would be the day
I could end my arduous fight

I pulled out my list of wishes
I pulled out my list of complaints
I handed them over to God
To His angels and His saints

God took my list from me
And lovingly went through it
And with an amazingly tender smile
Said, "You have misunderstood it"

You’ve got this game a little wrong
He said with a mischievous grin
It is not one of seeking treasure
And checking off how much you win

This is a game of creation
And we are all co-artists here
Just go ahead and paint your dreams
Which you have held so dear

I looked around for brushes
I looked for paints and pencils
I asked if I could get a canvas
I asked for tools and stencils

God smiled at me once again
With the radiance of the Sun
He said to me, "You are the canvas"
He said, "You are the One"

"You are the painter, you are the paint,
You are the pencil you need
You are the glitter, you are the glue
You are the paper and bead

You are the craftsman, you are the wood
You are the potter and clay
The field of consciousness in your head
Is your playground upon which to play

Go paint your dreams in that space
And craft your ideals there
Your body, your life, your own conduct
Is the art you have to share

I am with you, I am in you
We are strung together in love
We are creators all creating together
Some on earth and some above!"




Context:

I often fall into a way of thinking where I am looking outside, at people, situations, and events and complaining to myself that it is not the way I would like it to be. A very wise person pointed out to me today that the object might be to become one's ideals oneself rather than demand it of others. This approach also reminds me of what Gandhi said "Be the change you want to see". Here is my 2 am reflection on it (in verse)....:-). I hope it helps others also experiment with seeing their own life-spaces as the canvas that they can paint on - fearlessly and with joy! 

This poem is my offering to my wonderful teacher Swami Satyananda (whose words and loving advice inspired the poem and who also lovingly edited this poem for rhyme and meter corrections).  I love you Swamiji, and I am deeply grateful for your teachings and influence in my life. 









12 Jan 2015

Sleeping Monsters

There is a sleeping monster in my life
He does no harm when asleep
But if I wake him from his slumber
He is sure to make me weep

Is it time to wake and confront him
Or should I just let him stay
Should I invite him to open his eyes
So we can drive the darkness away

There are sleeping monsters in my head
Who don't hurt if left alone
Grievances, griefs, and regrets
Hidden well, and never shown

Is it time to let them surface
Or should I just keep them buried
Should I be fearless and in my approach
Or limp on, scared and worried

Is there light enough to heal these wounds
Do I have faith enough to believe
That no matter how much venom comes out
There will be love enough to relieve












11 Jan 2015

A Moment of Connection

It came all of a sudden, a moment of connection
I became one with the rustling leaves
My breath was the same as the dog sitting here
And the butterflies, ants and bees

A moment ago I was admiring the scene
Brought to life by the winter sun
But before I realised I slipped into it
And observer there was none

I became the leaves, I became the wind
I became the hovering dragonfly
I became the Bamboo tree that rose
To caress the elusive sky

The moment passed, the trance was broken
As thoughts began to appear
I become once again, the observer I was
Who was admiring this garden so dear







8 Jan 2015

You Belong

You Belong, even if
You look a little different
Your place is here even though
You stayed, when the others went

You are worthy, no matter what
You did or did not do
You deserve, no matter how
Others might deal with you

You are special, in this moment
The past is over and done
You have a spark in you right now
Your own internal sun

You may have sinned, you may have hurt
And those will bear their fruit
Yet you are alive to sing right now
So pick up your magical flute

What flows to you might depend
On what happened in the past
Just let it come and let it go
This river is flowing fast

Why resist the mighty river itself
The river knows how to flow
It is bringing what it needs to bring
We reap just what we sow

This wondrous river is also our mother
She is the womb that holds us
No matter whether we kick or swim
No matter how much we fuss

The river of life is cradling you
She is fair and she loves you too
Your future is waiting to be coloured
By whatever you choose to do

You are free today, free right now
Though the river brings things to you
She leaves you to respond as you choose
And decide what you want to do

And you Belong, no matter what
You may or may not see
And you are held by life itself
However you choose to be













1 Jan 2015

Hang in There

Hang in there, even if
The world might seem against you
Perhaps that is only your perception
Perhaps it is not really true

Hang in there, even if
The horizon is devoid of light
There may be a spark inside of you
Gradually growing bright

Hang in there, even if
Dark clouds are looming above
They might be waiting to cascade
As a nourishing rain of love

Hang in there, even if
So much you've done is dead
There might be others looking to you
Waiting to be led

Hang in there, even if
You can think of no reason to
For the universe had a unique plan
When it breathed life into you

Hang in there, hang in there
You are cradled by creation itself
Born of nature you belong to her
So just breathe and be yourself






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