But I don’t do that
with anyone in the world
“But I want you to, with me”
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sacred Geometry from February Windows
Except that they seem to fall from sky-places to the right and left,
the snow storm at midday is a fine, sprinkly dusting, as from a flour sifter;
light, floaty particles accumulating in drifts on their destination.
I'd see the landing places if I were hovering over a mixing bowl,
but from my chair, I only capture the downward flight.
In the morning, the start of this wintry mix sent huge flaky splats
against my windshield, careening horizontally, it seemed.
Blue, no, white, silver, gray, intricate occurances spun of frost
by the Great Mathematician...I wondered: might some parts melt
before others so that the sacred geometry of the perfect flake is lost
even before it hits my car?
the snow storm at midday is a fine, sprinkly dusting, as from a flour sifter;
light, floaty particles accumulating in drifts on their destination.
I'd see the landing places if I were hovering over a mixing bowl,
but from my chair, I only capture the downward flight.
In the morning, the start of this wintry mix sent huge flaky splats
against my windshield, careening horizontally, it seemed.
Blue, no, white, silver, gray, intricate occurances spun of frost
by the Great Mathematician...I wondered: might some parts melt
before others so that the sacred geometry of the perfect flake is lost
even before it hits my car?
Friday, March 29, 2013
The Many Amens
Medicine ball
Straining to be freeHarsh oxygen, bright light
Forehead at the knees
The Spellbound Amen
Seeps from the pores
Blankets the nurses
Contained by the doors
Hands in the air
Pushing praise, toes tappin’Satin flashes, fixtures rattle
Swaying bodies, back slappin’
The Exuberant Amen
Joyful proclamations
Wooden pews shudder
With echoed affirmations
Deployment, diagnosis
Tests of fortitudePoverty, persecution
Faith eludes or renews
The Let it Be Amen
On breath or song or vote
Across the paradigm of life
Unknown blessings float
Jottings and Notes from Cami’s Talk
Cami Kasmerchak, Appalachian Summer: To the Mountains and Back, Sunday 24 February 2013
She talked about the “call” … reminds me of Margaret Wheatley: “The notion of vocation comes from spiritual and philosophical traditions. It describes a “call,” work that is given to us, that we are meant to do. We don’t decide what our vocation is, we receive it. It always originates from outside us. Therefore, we can’t talk about vocation or a calling without acknowledging that there is something going on beyond our narrow sense of self. It helps remind us that there’s more than just me, that we’re part of a larger and purpose-filled place. …Even if we don’t use the word vocation, most of us want to experience a sense of purpose to our lives. From a young age, and especially as we mature, people often express the feeling of life working through them, of believing there’s a reason for their existence. I always love to hear a young person say that they know there’s a reason why they’re here. I know that if they can hold onto that sense of purpose, they’ll be able to deal with whatever life experiences await them. If we don’t feel there’s a meaning to our lives, life’s difficulties can easily overwhelm and discourage us.”
Cami knows the reason why she was there.
She talked about the “call” … reminds me of Margaret Wheatley: “The notion of vocation comes from spiritual and philosophical traditions. It describes a “call,” work that is given to us, that we are meant to do. We don’t decide what our vocation is, we receive it. It always originates from outside us. Therefore, we can’t talk about vocation or a calling without acknowledging that there is something going on beyond our narrow sense of self. It helps remind us that there’s more than just me, that we’re part of a larger and purpose-filled place. …Even if we don’t use the word vocation, most of us want to experience a sense of purpose to our lives. From a young age, and especially as we mature, people often express the feeling of life working through them, of believing there’s a reason for their existence. I always love to hear a young person say that they know there’s a reason why they’re here. I know that if they can hold onto that sense of purpose, they’ll be able to deal with whatever life experiences await them. If we don’t feel there’s a meaning to our lives, life’s difficulties can easily overwhelm and discourage us.”
Cami knows the reason why she was there.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
One Thought Away
In his book
Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita
Ram Dass
writes
“It’s
always just one thought away
The living
spirit
The community
of our consciousness
The guru
within—
Whatever
you want to call it
Is always
just one thought away—
One
thought!”
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Deep Listening
He has continual eye contact
Not looking away at people
To the left or right
Or coming toward us
Ever steady
But he’s not staring
He’s beholding
He’s present
Relaxed
All there
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Karma Yoga, with a Shovel
We knew it was coming
6 to 10 inches
Dread: The roads will be terrible!
Exhilaration: No school!
That morning he left his house
Shovel in hand
He approached one older neighbor
With his usual smile
“How about I make a start
In this driveway of yours?”
Slow and steady
Calm and controlled
He noticed how heavy the snow was
And he enjoyed each exertion
20 minutes later
He was finished
He went over to another neighbor’s
Did the same thing
Smiling
Shoveling
It was within his power to do this
It needed to be done
So he did it
No big deal
Smiling
Shoveling
“Look there
Mr. Laserstein’s not going to be able to make a
dent in that”
Off he went
To remove the show
One shovel-full
At a time
Over and over
Smiling
-- this was inspired by last night's discussion
of Karma Yoga (selfless service) in our Bhagavad Gita Reading Group.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Perhaps It Was All Very Innocent
I’d returned to
working at Lashonda’s House
And had the shift on
Thursday evenings
One night after I
left the house at 10:45
I went to the grocery
to pick up a few things
As I was looking over
the romaine lettuce
A shiver shot through
me
I looked up and a
drop-dead gorgeous young woman
Was staring at me and
walking toward me
“You’re the professor
who wrote Stature and Terror”
I prepared myself for
the imminent vitriol
“Where did you hear
of such a thing?”
“You’re the author,
right?”
“One and the same”
“Hi, I’m Jessica
Balaban, and I want to thank you for what you wrote”
“You actually read
it?”
She shifted her
weight to her left leg, arms crossed: “Seriously?
I read every word
Got in a fight with
my parents about it”
“You’re very kind…”
“Really, I want to
thank you
Are you busy right
now?”
I looked around
saying
“I’m just here with
the produce”
“Would you have time
for a drink?
I don’t live far from
here
We could talk more
about your book”
Something in her tone
triggered a memory
Of when Carla told me
How she’d been
walking around East Jerusalem
And passed Mordechai
Vanunu near St. George’s
He was talking
excitedly to a young Japanese woman
About favorite operas
So I took a deep
breath
And said to the
über-model in front of me
“It’s been very nice
to meet you
Thank you for reading
my book
But I have to be
going
Call your mother
tomorrow
Tell her you met me
And say ‘his book
Is much more
interesting
Than he is’”
< Dear Layla/A Novel Collage
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