beneath this blanket
of night
below countless suns
i stand in your Presence
thoughtless
motionless
we arrive
together
meeting, perhaps
as we always
have
in Love
filled with Life
i stand
knowing nothing
in perfect stillness
in a harmonic dance
with Peace
and my voice
joins with Yours
as we sing
“it is good”
dear one…
how can you be
any closer to me
than you are?
every cloud
bears the beauty
of your image
every star
your smile
every flower
blooms with the scent
of your grace and
the presence of
your peace
your breath is
my breath
your heartbeat
my heartbeat
and your thoughts
take flight in my dreams
the road
i travel is marked by
your footsteps
and these two hands
reach with yours
and dear one…
while the jealous Sun
burns with passion
for your love
and attention
you should know that
it is you who are
the song in my heart
i sit on the hood
of my car
staring out onto
a vast curtain of blue, purple
and veiled orange
the dusk breeze
whispers past my ears
with her occasional moan
the delight of waves
crashes below
eroded cliffs
seagulls laugh and chatter
as we gather
all of us adding
ourselves, one by one
to the chorus of silent observers
even the plants
who seem with great strength
to cling to the cliffs
they reach out toward
the infinite sky
rapt with attention
as we ~ all of us
gather one by one
all children
all expressions
of your joyous generosity
gathered along the edge
of your Presence
gathered to watch
Love embrace the horizon
and day greet night
with a starlit kiss
the other day
eyes to heaven
lamenting to my Beloved
“why haven’t i someone
to share my life?”
Love answered,
“have not you Love?”
“in abundance!” i replied,
“can’t you see
my heart spills over
in tears?”
“ah…yes, I see.”
in tenderness Love
answered.
“far too much for
one person…
you shall feed the world
with your Love.”
so, i went deep into
my garden
to plant more seeds
and
pray for rain
the dance…
who knew i was so popular
on the dance floor?
one by one
they take my hands and
move my feet
the music always
playing
these friends
well, acquaintances really with
their many names
one after another
they come
there seems
no criteria for choosing
the equal opportunity dance partner
that i am
greed and chaos have
their turn
and then there’s charity and
peace
a two step with fear and
a waltz with worry
some joy and hope find
their way to the floor
true happiness always waiting
for me, patient as she is
my Beloved watching, waiting
not one to cut in
nope, not a rude bone there
this one’s a classy dancer
then anger with
his friends, resentment and
bitterness (the blind dancers that they are)
having their turn
loneliness comes along with
her slow song
she’s a subtle softy it seems, until
she lays one on me
the scent of depression
lingering…
no one wants to
dance with me and
why would they?
i take a dose of
ego mouthwash (you know the kind)
it lasts a little while then
it fades all too quickly
left standing alone thinking
about leaving this dance
the music still
playing
(well, i did say “always” didn’t i?)
but there standing
next to me waiting as
always
is my Beloved
hand extended, feet ready
no one leads better, you know?
(yeah, you do…dig deep in that heart memory)
such rhythm, such grace
i am carried away whisked
up like a fairy tale i rise
i rise, on love thick air
i rise
swirling and twirling a
cascade of tears, joyous and
sweet sweat showering down on
all these toe tappin’, party poppin’
line dancin’, disco fools
with our Love
a spinning top, i am
a Whirling Dervish, you see
that Rumi had it right and
Shams before him
with our Love
true happiness no
longer waits to
keep my dance card full
so i ask…
how can you possibly
sit out?
step away from the
punch bowl, friend and
bring forth your
two left feet
‘cuz this life ain’t for
wallflowers
feeling
breathing, thinking
sitting
standing, walking
flying
dancing, singing
eating
drinking, talking
what does it matter?
i might as well
lie in my grave decaying
if i have not
Love
my friends ~
below is a poem that i wrote on January 20, 2009 after watching the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.
i, like many in the U.S. and throughout the world, am inspired and refreshed by this turning of time, of perspective and attitude. as Mr. Obama said in his address, it is up to all of us to sacrifice, to work, to serve. these goals, these values are inherent at the core of all religious traditions…
may we be born-again to the awareness of the present moment, the gift of our life, and the opportunity to play our part in healing this world through compassion, kindness, peace, and love.
be well ~
j
it is Now
in this sacred moment of Now
with all of its momentary and
eternal meaning
alive with past
with future
with presence
it is Now
with all of its pain and pleasure
with all of its sorrow and joy
with all of its grievance and reconciliation
it is Now
with all of its despair and hope
with all of its doubt and faith
with all of its tears and laughing song
it is Now
in this sacred moment of Now
that we choose
in every breath
in every heartbeat
in every swimming cell of our bodies
to live in service to Life
to live in worship for Love
for
no longer are we one – but One
for
no longer is it me – but We
a tapestry solid and free
a community of humanity
it is Now
that we choose
to paint the skies with Love
to unfold the Wings of Hope
to walk these Words of Peace
it is Now
with all of who we are and surrender to be
that we choose to Love – to Love – to Love!
it is Now
in the sleeping face of cynicism
that we smile
our eyes awake with hope
with Love – with Love – with Love!
and
although some may
close their windows
draw their drapes
and
lock the doors to their hearts
we will Love – we will Love – we will Love!
and
we will see Love
lift us from our faltering foundations
and
we will see Love
carry us over the steepest of mountains
the most troubled of waters
and
the most barren of deserts
to the Promised Land
to the Highest Heaven
to the Sacredness of Now…
by Jaysen Matthew Waller
© Copyright 2009, Jaysen Matthew Waller
dear friends ~
below is a poem that graces the first pages of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, “Calming The Fearful Mind: A Zen Response To Terrorism”. it is the first Buddhist book i read and this autumn marks the anniversary of my reading it and the beginning of me following this path.
it speaks today, as it did then, to the very heart of how we see our interdependence – our relationship – to all others, even those who seem to be enemies. we are seeing, in this election and attempted passage of propositions such as Prop 8, a not-so-subtle attack on those who are “other” to what we have been taught through ideology and religion is “normal”.
when faced with such hate, anger, or indifference as some of us are finding ourselves it is easy and even seems just to react with hate and anger in retaliation. Buddhism teaches something different (and so do the teachings of Jesus Christ, even if Christianity as a religion sometimes fails to).
with his well known elegant, compassionate style Thich Nhat Hanh expresses this teaching of the Dharma in the following poem.
be well friends and peace to you ~ j
Recommendation
Promise me,
promise me this day,
promise me now,
while the sun is overhead
exactly at the zenith,
promise me:
Even as they
strike you down
with a mountain of hatred and violence;
even as they step on you and crush you
like a worm,
even as they dismember and disembowel you,
remember, brother,
remember:
man is not our enemy.
The only thing worthy of you is compassion-
invincible, limitless, unconditional.
Hatred will never let you face
the beast in man.
One day, when you face this beast alone,
with your courage intact, your eyes kind,
untroubled
(even as no one sees them),
out of your smile
will bloom a flower.
And those who love you
will behold you
across ten thousand worlds of birth and dying.
Alone again,
I will go on with bent head,
knowing that love has become eternal.
On the long, rough road,
the sun and the moon
will continue to shine.
-Thich Nhat Hanh, 1965
the branches dance
with the cool
evening breeze
the wind singing
her delicate song
as she passes through
fluttering palm branches
i sit and listen
together they breathe
such beautiful music
a crack on the head
love blooms like lotus blossom
now we are Awake!
my nose, how it runs
i have caught the common cold
time to let it go…
all these trees and i
we are reaching for the Sun
thank them for paper
The Metta Garden 