PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

*

FIRE HAS LEFT THE HEARTH

*

Fire has left the hearth
Nautilus climbed from shell
Perfume flowed from bottle
Prisoner gone from cell

Butterfly flutterbied cocoon
nor hand restrained by glove
Jesus away from manger
Cage left by Dove.

Sparklings soared away from wand.
Chick's egg become the bird.
Omkar sung from out the throat
Violin's notes now heard.

Buddhist temple pine cone
tabernacle'd godlet seed
Shattered that it might manifest
thousand forests of fir tree

Eternal snow of mountain top
now nurses meadow flowers.
Shining never held by sun
relentless melts ice towers.

Love has left its
spring the heart
Is now a liquid pond
Host stolen from the chalice
consumed in mouth of God

The heart paincut from body
has left a massive hole
a stencil which mysteriously
heals other hearts to whole

Starlight abandoned star
a billion years ago
Left that tonight you
might
have its sight
and know

Know Love is forever
no drop of God ever dies
Lover not bound by form of love
God's bodies are not God's souls

(to Marge, Tom, Sally, Lynn, Mitch, Dick, Kathy,
Nancy, Tim and all else who loved Robert Slocum)

*
*

HERALD HEARD THE HARK

*

After many many ages
herald heard his hark.
Afer eons his own song
listened to the lark.

Finally learned the teaching
of his own emphatic preaching...
Words from his own mouth
to his own soul did arc.

Not what was to him
obvious or unknown he taught
but what was them betwixt
His own soul's limit
touchstones
Ideas which him transfixed.

What we ourselves should do
we project to them and teach
not what's within our grasp
but our aspiring reach.

Our whistles are what
we've attained
Our sung notes higher still
out of whistles' range

Past life butchers
are now vegan activists.
Prussian warriors
are 21st Century pacifists.

Present dharma's past karma.
It's the key to our own hearts
which our eyes magnetize.

*

REACHABLE STAR... OR .. CHANGE THE WORLD IN FIVE HOURS

*

Henry went to hospital
Twas Bethesda Naval
and took a picture of an ape
in a restraining chair.
And took it to an international
picture wire
called Black Star
which sent it round the world..
and Gandhi saw and knew
that violated was the treaty
.. and she cancelled monkey export
.. because Henry in 5 hours
.. cared to reach for
.. one bright and reachable... star!

(Henry Spira throughout his life as a merchant marine seaman, NYC teacher,
and animal rights activist taught others where to place the Archimedes lever with which to move the world. His tactics were so effective that his teacher, Peter Singer, author in the early 70's of thebook, Animal Liberation, wrote a play about him.)

*

ECONOMY OF ACTION

*

The second hand's 3600
acts have the same
power
as only one movement
of the hand of the hour.

The artist tried to
make the world violet
with millions of dollars
of purple paint
The master donned
purple spectacles.

The traffic policeman
with great effort moved
his arms.
But the green light
effortlessly moved
hundreds of cars.

The unripe fruit had
to be hacked to
the ground.
The ripened fruit fell
without effort.

The swimmer exhausted
himself after a few thousand
strokes..
The sage found an
ocean current which
carried him
thousands of miles.

The hunter in vain
chased the deer through
many woods
.. the deer came unsummoned
to the nonviolent
forest meditater.

The beekeeper chased
bees
but they came unbidden
to the blooms.

The hard worker chipped
away hour after hour
at the ice
while the serene
did more pleasant things
and allowed the sun
to melt the crystals.

The bunter had to scurry
around the bases.
The homerun hitter
could take his time.

The treasure seeker dug
everywhere and risked
his life under water.
The meek was given
a treasure map by God.

The fearful built an army.
The fearless with perfect love
needed only God.

The scarcity conscious saved
thousands of dollars
but the friend had in his
bank only the hearts of
his friends.

The lovehungry traveled
the world seeking love
but the Godlover became
Godlove and love came to him.

The pyramid builders caused
death and suffering to slaves
but the saint moves mountains
with a mere gesture

*.

(to Saint Jeff Miller)

(Sai Baba said the hour hand moves in 1 stroke with the same power as
3600 movements of the second hand)

*

AURUM IS THE AURA OF AURORA

*

Dawn pastels canvas of dark velvet blue
Then snuffs star lamps she painted by
She draws back curtains where lovers lie
Sparks them to move til night's lullaby.

She pinks the Notre
Dame crystal rose
and caps cloud mountains
with pinkest snows.

Sips the dew from chaliced blooms
and tips the trees with saffron singe
and sows the sea with seed light mirrors
and sews sky togas with purple fringe.

Crowing cock thinks
he summoned her quiet
Yet her stillness begets
the bees' buzzing riot

Next kindles the fires in the grates
and sets the kettles on to bubble
Breaks mouni vows as cities hum Om
Lovesilvers the lakes with power to double

She rolls back hillquilts of mysterious mist.
Unwinds vine tendrils so tenderly kissed
Lifts bird crowns from out their wings
winding their throats that they might sing

Wanded by her molten rays
Dracula is melted clear away
Cloistered petals come out to play
Sequestered sequins start to dancepray

Whispers the slumbering
down from dream stories
and swivels faces
of blue morning glories.

Takes down the moon she hung at twilight
Fires up lattice of moving searchlights
as she throws op the east gate in dawnlight
to wait for her God in demibright

Seeing His blazing face
vanished the night
In his unconditional love's arms enfolded
Aurum is the aura of Aurora unfolded.-

(this poem is dedicated to N Robinson)

: the seed syllable of all soundMouni: vow of silence taken by some
spiritual seekers2 of these lines were sparked by Robert Graves in I
Claudius
Arun: Shiva as God of the Sunaurum: Latin for gold
(this poem has been revised in July 08)

*

PLATTSBURGH MIRACLE

*

1970, the Fifth of May
One day after
the Kent State Four.
The Plattsburgh students
decide to act
from their very heartcores.
They say that in league
with those at Kent State
They will march to the SAC
Air Force Gate..
to stop profits and the violence
of the state.
The SAC commander
now orders to be shot
any who touch
the Air Force gate
And as the students file by
what a miracle is in store.
Out of base homes come
the Air Force wives.
Holding their babes
they offer their lives
and stand between
the young and the armed
and by their courage
is peace reborn.

(Robert Lance was a teacher
in Plattsburgh when this incident
took place. When he recounted
it, tears welled up in his eyes.
He lived for a while in Akron.
A Canadian newspaper recounted this
powerful healer's ability to
raise the temperature in his hands
10 degrees in 5 minutes.)

*

ANNE MORROW LINDBERGH

*

Her soul is the typewriter
whose carriage can return
to former times through prayer
to whiteout certain lines.

Her soul the screenwriter
for the movie of her life
edits adds deletes improves
future scenes and those
transpired.

Searing agony in the past
is visualized in light
and God is asked to send
great grace
and kind anesthesia there.

He most often the soul
removes
before moments of great pain..
the soul with Him lookng down
on the stopping of lifetrain.

She rules time and space.
Within her is all that is..
She the God within controls
acting on stage His Anne role.

*

THE GRATITUDE OF ANIMALS... OR LINZEY'S LITANY

*

To you at birth each animal bequeathed
His own special gift in ribbons wreathed.
The cat delivered her independence.
The hawk his detached ascendance.
Loyalty was gifted by the dog.
Archer's aim conferred the frog.
Waters of life gave the camel
Nurturing from the bovine mammal.
Longevity came from the tortoise.
Love for all from the porpoise.
Mice their adaptability
Cheetah speed and agility
Clam his hiding facility
Guinea pig lovability.
Rabbits fertility
Horses invincibility
Lion her courageous fight
Giraffe his extreme height.
Gorilla his awesome might
Swans .. their soaring flight.
Squid: ink with which to write
Eagles.. longrange sight
Armadillo his armoured coat.
The whale offered himself as boat.
Elephant his showering trunk
Foe repellant from the skunk.
Bear his peaceful hibernation.
Vulture her conservation.
The donkey gave her patient heart.
The monkey gave his mental art.
His suitcase to you gave the kangaroo
as you freed his friends from the zoo.
Roaches their divine forgiving
Lark her lifting love of living.
Sparrows their simplicity
Fox his detective duplicity
Enduring from the ants
Bees their direction dance
Spiders the art of weavers
Architecture from the beavers.
Woodpecker.. carving precision.
Owl her nighttime vision
Fidelity from loons
Humor from baboon
Paper weaving from the wasp.
Medicines.. from the asp.
Crow her entire jewel collection.
Pigs their spirit of insurrection.
Octopi their boxing protection.
Butterflies God's resurrection.

(to Andrew Linzey, first professor of animal rights at Oxford ...
a courageous stance in a primate abusing university and to
all others helping now or in the future voiceless powerless animals)
50

BLOOMING HEART

*

Her heart's meadows and woods
are
samara starred
spirea spangled,
daisy dusted and
violet spattered...
buttercup strewn
trillium studded,
bluebell splashed and
dandelion splattered...
poppy peppered
cowslip stippled
phlox flagged and
sundrop speckled
chicory flecked
mayapple dappled
datebloom dotted and
tiger lily freckled
aster asterisked
wild rose sprinkled
laurel spangled and
pansy sprayed

*

(to poet teacher wife mother courageous
charismatic Sally Slocum)

*

LILIES LILACS AND LOTUSES

He has turned
bloody warfields gory
into climbing violet
morning glories

Grows out of slime
the blossom of the lime
so does every obstacle
turn to beauty .. in time

Out of the tiny acorn
10,000 oak forests
can be born
So the universe all
is contained in the small

The bee alights
in morning light
buzzing
"go not for the
sour but the sweet".

Windscattered, the milkweed
... now ripe in seed
.. so do angels
send forth your beliefs.

The radiant butterfly reminds
she went from
crawling to pure flight
without having
to walk up stairflights

Rhododendron
can grow 90 or more
feet tall
in India and Nepal
.. left to be themselves
children small
grow
in spirit tall

The bamboo was bored by
beetles .. through her holes
the wind played a symphony
.. so does our pain
turn to music.

Through the bullet hole
in the wall
in pours the sun.

The peony bud is sometimes opened
with the help of ants
.. the most rejected.. are
our greatest helpers
when we think we can't

Dandelions: how cheerful they
are with sunny faces
in the midst of those
who unjustly hate them

The buttercup holds the
dew and sunup
in her lemon colored cup
To her chalice of love
bees come to sup.

To his parent plant
the branch of honeysuckle
needs no ties..
no external buckles
so are we always connected
to God's thoughts
whether we do
know it or not.

The lotus on the surface
of water whispers
... be in the world
and not of it

while speaks the rose
where she grows:
the suffering of the cross
has turned to joy.

It is the lily's leela*
... that out of the
illusion of death
bursts forever life

As the rain became
the grape upon the vine
so does Jesus turn
water into wine

The tree of mango
releases not all at
once
her annual manna
... all comes
with patience.

As apple blossoms
give way to fruit
so does earthly beauty
bow to the glowing
of heartroots

In the sun,
speak not
the chrysanthemums
God speaks most
when we are mum.

Glow out of African violets
the music of life's violins
.. their purple rivers of light
flow without violence

As Samson was stronger
when his hair was uncut
so do dahlias say..
"don't let Delilah
any flower pluck"

The lilac..
fragrance pours from
her unbound
though she is rooted
in the ground.

Deep is the hue of
the purple plum
... to find heart jewels
the depths we plumb.

Crimson red is the carnation
.. so are all in whom red
or green blood flow
... sacred incarnations

Radiant are the
rainbow of tulips
May only kindness will be spoken
from my two lips

God does not on
any
inflict pain or
experiment
when healing beings
or growing spearmint.

They think the
wind is lackadaisical
but because he freely blows the
world will not lack for daisies

As life force is
within each cockleshell
so heaven does dwell
inside what seems a hell

Painted by God's glowing brush
is the bright orange Indian
paintbrush
.. like the sunrise
your soulrays give love to all

The kudzu vine
has hidden the junkyard as she climbed
so say you to all
.. for forgiving.. now is the time

The little flowers of veronica
fall below the mowers' blades
so do the humble and meek
inherit the earth

Unrolls the scroll
of the trilliums deep in woods
.. they write we need no surety
save for purity

(to the spiritual Jack and Pat McDermott )

*

-Saiom Shriver-

FIRE HAS LEFT THE HEARTH
HERALD HEARD THE HARK
REACHABLE STAR
ECONOMY OF ACTION
AURUM IS THE AURA OF AURORA
PLATTSBURGH MIRACLE
ANNE MORROW LINDBERGH
LINZEY'S LITANY
BLOOMING HEART
LILIES LILACS AND LOTUSES

10