Peculiar Fire

If you awaken
to find yourself
in the dark,
lost in the Wilderness,
and, worse,
surrounded by the
Wolves of Work,
the predators of
What You Should Be Doing.

Remember:
you’ve been given
a box of matches,
custom made
to light your
particular
peculiar fire.

Strike a match,
fan the flame,
warm yourself.

Ignore the wolves,
they won’t approach.

Daylight will come,
you’ll know
where you are,
and the Wolves
will be revealed:

Sled dogs, guide dogs,
protectors, companions.

You’ll know how to
care for them.

(Photo by Jannik Selz, UnSplash.com)

 

Measuring Devices

When you measure
your Self,
what sort of device
do you use?

A mirror?
You’re joking, right?
That’s like measuring
the speed of light
with a random
bit of string
you found in
your pocket.

Your To Do List?
Your Tax Return?
Your 5-Year Plan?

For God’s sake
I hope it’s not
someone else’s
Instagram.

Think of the
last time you
laughed yourself
breathless.

Now use that
to measure
the silliness
of measuring
your Self.

(Photo by Denis Agati, UnSplash.com)

 

Show Us Some Skin

Most often
when you hear,
“You know who you are,”
it’s an accusatory
finger pointing,
perhaps at you,

intended to pierce
your anonymity
while allowing you to
preserve it.

But for a moment
I want to seize
that non sequitur
to say this:

You know who you are.
It haunts you
like a mirage,
doesn’t it?

It’s no accusation,
it’s a prophecy
that clothes you
like your skin.

You know who you are,
Beautiful One.
Now show us
some skin.

(from a photo by Luana Azevedo, UnSplash.com)

 

Cooler Than An iPhone

I have reason
to believe that
Love is
the default setting
on your
Operating System.

So, if you find
yourself a little fearful,
scrolling through your
available apps, like
the Love Your Neighbor app –
maybe, like me,
you’re inclined to
hide from your neighbors –

be a little adventurous.
I’m thinking about
trying it.

Just start the app and
follow the prompts.
You don’t have to know
how it works.
After all, you are
cooler than
an iPhone.

 

Look Into It

When you read that line or
view that image that
stirs the elation that
accompanies whatever
has its origin in
The Mystery,
know that you
are near
an Entrance.

You are welcome there, but
the Guardian, the Muse that
is there to welcome you,
will have a few questions
before you may enter:

“Have you had your
Divine Detachment,
wherein you know
you are not
your unpaid bills,
nor are you
your prior convictions for
habitual sloth and
pettiness in the first degree,
nor are you any of the other
crimes and misdemeanors on
that rap sheet you carry
in your back pocket?”

Hand it over to
the Guardian, who will
give you a fresh and
untouched sheet for
the Mystery Travelogue
you will write or
paint or
photograph to
show the rest of us.

I’ve heard that
it’s possible to live and
do all of your work from
within The Mystery.

Would you be willing to
look into it?

 

Round Trip Ticket

I have no reason to hide it:
I believe I’m here
on a round trip ticket
from Paradise.

I’ve been visiting
this place awhile, but
I’m sure not ready
to go back.

Before I left Home
I promised ‘em
at least an evening’s worth
of entertainment
when I return:
videos and photos,
brochures and souvenirs, and
some really good stories.

Sometimes I forget
what I’m doing here.
I get distracted by
the silliest things,
like yesterday when the
clothes dryer wouldn’t work and
I totally lost my joie de vivre.

I also forget that
I came here with
a travel group
and we promised
to help each other
have a really good time and
to remind each other,
when we need it,
that we’re here
on a round trip ticket
from Paradise.

(Photo by Nick Fewings, UnSplash.com)

 

YouVille

Imagine your life
is a small town,
let’s call it YouVille.

You awaken one morning,
where you’ve been living,
on the outskirts,
in a bit of a ramshackle,
to be honest about it.

It dawns on you,
along with the sun,
that you’re the Mayor,
but you haven’t
gone to City Hall
in years.

You’re probably
the one-person
City Council, too.
Who’s been doing that
in your absence?

What happened?
You love this town,
you grew up here.
It’s beautiful!
Look at those views!
How long have you
been sleeping?
Who cares?!
You’re awake now.

Have some breakfast,
then go do what
you came here to do.

(photo by Monica Bourgeau, UnSplash.com)

 

The Big Game

Imagine that you’re
Sue Bird or
Michael Jordan
and the Creator is
the Coach
who is beyond thrilled
to have recruited you
for The Big Game
that is your Life.

But you looked
in the mirror
and for some reason
all you saw
reflected back to you

was some shadow
of a wisp of
somebody you
can’t quite make out.

Get up off the end
of the bench
where you put yourself,

go out, right now,
and get yourself
a new mirror.

 

Out of Line

How much time
do you spend
competing in those
Pageants
you insist on staging,

where you line yourself up
with family, friends, neighbors
and fret that
you’ll never even be
a Finalist,
let alone a Runner-Up?
Winning is
out of the question.

In your mind
you lose
in every category.

Next time consider
calling that whole thing off.

Instead,
write a book of
love poems,
including a couple
to yourself.
Invite your
family, friends, neighbors
to do the same.

Then let’s have
a book exchange.

 

Emergency Vehicle

There’s an Emergency
Entrance to The Mystery.
Think of it as the
ER for your Soul.

It’s built just for you,
staffed by
your Guardian Angels.

When your heart is
being attacked, or
you just swallowed
a bitter pill
by accident, or
you got crazy and
sliced open your Soul.

Call out and
keep your eyes open
for the Emergency Vehicle.
Sit still till it
shows up, so you
don’t miss it.

Rest assured
it will show up.
The Creator has
way too much invested in
your divine Self.