Personal Poetry

Returning

This leaf
Floating through the air
Falling down
From the tree above
To the earth below
Crackling under my feet
Grinding under my shoe
To release it's juice
And smell
Into the soil
Returning to dust
That feeds this flower
That nourishes
My soul
On this journey home

Ocean’s Breath

Pulling out
Going down
Only to come in again
Relentlessly pounding
As the water drains out
And down
Slowing down
Slowing down some more
Creating space
Pregnant space
Coming to a momentary standstill
And then it slowly comes in again
Slowly rising
Filling the space created
Rising some more
Faster and faster
Until it can hold back no more
Thrusting forward
Coming from all directions
Crushing against
The shore wall
With the sound of an explosion
Taking another deep breath
Retreating
Pulling back
To where it came from
Never the same
Always alive
Always breathing.

Brilliance

A dot of light
And another
And another
Shining sparkling and reflecting
From this drop
And that one
And that one
Glittering and shimmering
Here and there
Now and then
Appearing and disappearing
A new one
A fresh one
Millions billions and gazillions
Coming and going
Never the same
Yet always
Brilliantly present.

Entering

Clap clap
May I enter?
Rising and bowing
Announcing myself
As I enter
This sacred creek
Darkness and moisture greet me
With the stream rushing
To embrace me
Fresh smells
All around me
Trees, bushes and flowers
Slow down
One step at a time
I remind myself
And in the next moment
There is no self.

Held in All Directions

As I sit here
Looking up to the light
Sky above
Giving rain and shine
Behind me is the stream
Sloping down
Water washing inside me
In all directions
To my right
A big rock
Opening a shining yellow tree
To my left
Another tall tree
Standing erect
For hundreds of years
Don't you ever get tired?
Never rushing
Yet always becoming
Simply witnessing
The answer comes
In front
The water continues
Rushing returning evaporating
to the boiling ocean
And down below me
I am sitting
On this rock bed.

I Lost Myself

I lost myself today
At a chance encounter
Looking into the wells
That drew me into their depth
That reflected my soul
When the image and the reflected
Danced together
In rapture and ecstasy
To become one.
But I got scared
And pulled away
How I long to get lost again
In the depth and glory
Of your hidden mystery.

The Dive

Up here the sun is bright
And the day is hot.
Down there it's all dark and cold.
I take a deep breath
And then I hear silence
I see the light above
And the dark below.
Red, green, yellow, blue and purple
Swimming in and out
And through my veins
And in the darkness all around me
I see life after death.

Two Candles

As I look at the burning flames,
    the two candles reflect my soul.
The wind circles though my body,
    in and out.
The tide rises slowly.
And the drum beats louder, louder and louder,
    until I can hear no more.
And in my stillness
    smooth asleep sailed your breath.

Poetry Comes to Me

At dawn and at dusk
When light meets darkness
I am not sure if I am awake
Or asleep
Dream and reality merge
Into an altered state
And with my intention
I dive deeper
Into other worlds
Worlds traveled by shamans, angels, warriors, children, lovers…
I hear their voices
I feel their clothing on my skin
Smell their scenery
And words magically rise from my ocean.

Goodbye

I remember the day I first saw you.
You were standing in your shining red new outfit
And your black top.
I fell for you right there.

Since then you have carried me for thousands of miles
As we rode together across the country
To the mountain tops,
And through the valleys,
With the sparkling ocean of the California coast line on our side.
In the rain and in the snow,
With the sun and wind blowing through my hair
While Jimmy was singing to 'Break on through'.

You held me in your seat while I slept, cried, laughed and loved.
You kept me warm when it was cold,
And cooled me when it was hot.

And now I leave you in this lot across the country we traveled together.
Its time to say goodbye.
But the memories of the years we shared will always be with me.
As the song goes 'Long may you ride.'

Questions

Why is the sky blue
And the ocean deep?
Why do the stars sparkle when I smile?
Why does my heart and chest expand
When I look in your eyes?
Why am I alive?
And where will I be when I am no more?

I am This

I am this
      and that.
I am a father
      a husband
A well educated student
A rich man
      a poor man.
A smart man
      who knows so little.
I am running feet
      towards and away.
I am hands
      open to hold in love
      or clutched as fists in anger.
I am ears
      that cry
      and laugh.
I am eyes
      that reflect your mystery.
I am my body.
I am my mind.
I am my spirit.
I am all this.
And yet I am more.

Together We are One

Heaven and earth
Sun and moon
Create and allow

Mountains and oceans
Objects and space
Tree trunks and flower petals

Reason and intuition
Wisdom and compassion
Give and receive

Power and energy
Rivers and valleys
Hard and soft

I am part of you
You are part of me

Connecting we create
Together we are One.