the tention of potential

two dandelions stand close,
amidst a wavy sea of green.
two spheres of potential
waiting for the right moment

for a warm breeze
to blow hard enough
to send seeds mingling
with each other midair
dancing high above
the greenness below
slowly falling
to the earth to die
but as all seeds do
to spring forth
life anew

will it come 

pariwar

discovered a new family
where biology is nothing
what binds is the blood of Christ,
as I look into their faces
reflected back is the image,
the same image of God I see
when I look in the mirror:

lepers and prostitutes,
tiny weather-worn women,
naughty dirty beautiful
children running in the street,
a man who sits on the floor
in his humble brick dwelling
speaking of the peace of God
as the thing he treasures most,
orphan girls who whisper songs,
strong young women who gently 
teach me how to hand wash clothes
then serve me chai and biscuits,
the rickshaw driver who speeds
through the dusk safely toward home,
cow herds dressed in their finest,
the old corner-store owner
who is caught dancing with his
grandson in the dusty street


(the Hindi for "family" is "pariwar") 

constancy

the sun is always setting and rising
sweet light makes for glorious afternoon
while the same sun awakens a dear friend
miles away...

the sun is like God
sometimes you can see
its glow, feel its heat
sometimes wind, clouds, rain,
storms get in between

that doesn't change the sun, billions of miles
away it burns, faithfully emitting
heat light life, constantly working somewhere
always the same...

(adapted from journal entree on 10-6-09)

Morning in Udaipur

The light finally reaches me
It has traveled so far, ending
Its journey by warming my skin.
Everything beautiful and bright
Surrounding me with abundance
The goodness of God made evident,
Here is glory, awakening
My heart to life, breath, love, beauty.
The sun dances on the whitewashed
Balcony, bougainvillea vines,
Rattan chairs with faded cushions.
Here I can rest, letting down my
Guard, unfurling leaves and opening bud.
"Look I am doing a new thing,
See how it springs up before you."


written December 3rd, 2009 

 

Yours and Mine

So I have not written in quite a long time. I have been in New Delhi, India for the past three months and have not had enough internet access to update this blog, but I have not stopped writing.
This poem really encapsulates what God taught me these past three months. So as I am catching you up I will start here:


Yours and Mine

Like the universe
My understanding of you
Is ever expanding.
You need neither our words
Nor our clever tracts
Nor our knowledge
Nor our talents.
We are worthless dust
That is only good
When the breath of God
Is breathed into us.
Our truth is nothing
Our joy is nothing
Our hope is nothing
Our love is nothing
Our life is nothing
Without you replacing
Ours with yours.

written October 11th, 2009 

I AM

Remember who I am
The earth shaper
The tree birther
The breath behind the wind
The light inside the sun
The giver of cleansing rain and quenching water

I am the Christ
The life giver
The death conqueror
The unconditional lover
The unwavering friend
The all-sufficient one
The archetype of purity

When I choose to remember
I feel you,
How could I not?
I hear you,
How could I not?
I see you,
How could I not?

Always remember who I am
And you will see who you are

The Night is Alive

The moon is pearly white
Like a glowing jelly bean behind the clouds
More that half, but not yet full.
It is bright
Lighting up the sky, clouds, trees
A sky of beauty.
The dark green organic arms
With white bones reaching up
To the unearthly glow,
The velvety darkness,
And the puffy cumuli
Moving, changing,
Dancing with the moon.
The night is alive with movement and sound
The sky dances to the orchestra
Of a thousand insects
Scratches of cicadas
Chirrup of crickets
Silent deadly web-making of spiders
Gentle churning of earthworms.

The night is alive
And it is beautiful