Birthright

You came to
this Life with
deep desire
to create
your Self a
Work of Art.

You are
offspring of
a Creator
who said
“Let there be Light,”

and every
Thing
is made of
Light and
Love of Light.

You’re an
Artist
by Birthright
and nature and
skill,

and in your
Soul’s eye
you see
the Work of
your Lifetime.

But you
may have been
overcome
by occasional
days of
deceiving
darkness,

that deluded
you into
believing
you came here
on some sort of
repair and
maintenance
project.

Enlightenment
awaits the
moment
you remember
you are an
Artist.

(Photo by Toa Heftiba; Unsplash)

 

Matinee

The Light
that ever was
passes through
the Prism of
Creation
into a billion
Fractals
that spread
out and
backward and
forward
until Time
has no meaning.

Fractals grow
heartbeats and
breath and
roots and
limbs and
fingers and
paws and
hooves,

the costumes
for the Fractals,
who were
never born,
will never die,
who love to
play the
tragicomedramedies
now and ever
showing at
that Theater
on the corner of
the Cosmos and
Broadway.

It’s a Monday
afternoon and
I’ve landed
a part in
the matinee
performance.

I play a
man sitting
with his wife,
in a small town
coffeeshop,
with a cappucino
and a chocolate
doughnut,

trading lines
with a teenage
barista
who understands
the need to
turn up the
volume on the
Led Zeppelin.

(Photo by Brooke Cagle; Unsplash)

 

Heartbeat

If the same
heartbeat
that throbs
the Cosmos
throbs you –
it does –
then know
this:

Say what
you may
of broken
hearts –
it feels
that way
from time
to time –

that Heart
of all hearts
has always
beat
and always
will.

So let none
tell you that
you’re
broken,
especially
your Self.

The Heart
that beats
in you
has never
broken,
and never
will.

Let none say
you’re made
of dust,
to which
you will
return.

That’s just
a playful
whirlwind,
a dance,
a ride.

You’re not
broken,
you cannot
be.

When the
spinning stops,
you’ll still be
a heartthrob.

(Photo by Designecologist: Unsplash)

 

Behind Your Eyes

Have you
noticed
that the
Presence
behind
your eyes

is still
Awakening,

even as your
body begins to
dematerialize
into blurred
lines and
shadows
of the taut
and muscled
definition
it once was?

You are more
Aware
of What Is
than you’ve
ever been,
especially when
you thought
you were
your smooth
skin.

Do you still
imagine
that the
Soul
that grows
more Alive
with every
breath

will be
trapped
in your
ashes?

(Photo by Dhaval Parmar; Unsplash)

 

Speakeasy

Have you
discovered
the Password
to your
Speakeasy?

The Shibboleth
that swings
open
the doorway
to the
Sanctum,

where you are
beloved and
held in such
esteem

that a grinning
spirit
greets you,
bearing
words or
a tune or
an image or
a dance move,

on a silver
platter
held in red
velvet gloves?

Or an invitation
to close your
eyes
while reclining on
a silk cushion
disguised as
your couch
and
daydream
what it means
to be
divine?

When a
Wise One said
“Ask and it will be
given
to you,
Seek and you will
find,
Knock and
the door will be
opened
to you,”

I believe
He was talking
about your
Speakeasy.

(Photo by Crew; Unsplash)

 

You Know

There are those
among us,
perhaps you
are one,

who remember
when they
had not yet
chosen
the flesh and blood
persona
in which they
would inhabit
a place on
Earth.

They speak of
The Veil
that was drawn
behind them,
once they had
chosen,
so as not to
be overwhelmed
by longing
to return.

But that is not
to say
The Mystery
that lies behind
The Veil
cannot be
entered.

You know
exactly what
it was you
were doing
the last time
you slipped
behind
The Veil
and breathed in
The Mystery.

What is it
that prevents you
from doing that
Now?

(Photo by Jeremy Bishop; Unsplash)

 

Radio Prophecies

Today
my car radio
has read my
mind,

a prophet
divining
answers to
a question
broadcast
a thousand times
an hour:

What is Love?

Beyond the bromides
and the breakups.

Hear this,
Seeker:

Today I will
tell you
the story
of a young man
who makes
Youtube movies
of his
conversations
with a
Squirrel Puppet,

in which he
confesses his
sadness
and the Squirrel,
in a cartoon
falsetto,
comforts him
with
Squirrel Puppet
Wisdom.

I Am in Love.

(Photo by Dawid Zawila; Unsplash)

 

Just Do This

Do you pray?

When you do,
do you conjure
a whole litany
of careful words?

Reverent greetings
with enough
gratitude?
Sufficient
humility?
Holy Father,
Sacred Mother.

Don’t forget
your guardian
angels and
respect to
your spirit
guides.

A couple of
mantras
invoking
at least a
mustard seed
of faith.

Come prepared
with some
Holy Writ
on the tip of
your tongue.

Or maybe
all you need
to do is
phone home
once in awhile.

The One
who gave birth
to you
will be thrilled
to just hear
your voice.

You really
should
call Home
more often.

(Photo by Marilia Castelli; UnSplash)

 

I Need To Ask Why

I need to ask
about your
Soul.

That Presence
of You
that transcends
the tissues and
synapses and
follicles.

That Presence
of You
that soars with
every winged thing
and races
cheetahs
and swims with
the finned ones,

that rattles
pine branches
with every
gust,

but knows
to be silent
when adoring
Van Gogh.

I need to ask
why
you let yourself
believe
your precious
Presence
should be
weighed
on a scale
where the
counterbalance
is a pile of
dank stones
called
Productivity.

It’s as if
you refused
a slice of fresh
blackberry pie
because the silver
serving spoon
has not been
polished.

(Photo by Elise Bauer from
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blackberry_pie/)

 

For Better or Worse

I think you
should
begin the
New Year
with a
wedding.

There is
Someone
you may have
been
overlooking
who is perfect
for you,

in spite of
your all too
frequent
opinion that
they’re not
good enough.

Trust me
when I say
that your
spouse,
if you’re already
married,
will be delighted
by the prospect
of a beautiful
bigamy.

Take those
vows,
you know
the ones
I’m talking about:

For better
or worse,
richer
or poorer,
in sickness
or in health.

And here’s
the thing:

You won’t be
parted by
death.

Have fun
with it.
Elope!
Exchange gifts,
go on a two-week
honeymoon.

Begin 2022
with a
wedding.

Marry
your own
gorgeous
Self.

(Photo by James Coleman; Unsplash)