Poem #345 - Light and Shadows

From Missoula, Montana

All the world’s a shadow -
A reflection of the Light
Where that which shines most brightly
Is often hid from sight.

The world of matter is the clouds
Which Spirit hides behind.
And there beyond the wispy mist
The rainbow you will find…

The full spectrum of experience
Real life in all its glory …
Where Light holds all the answers
Reflected in Its story.

Shed the darkness from your life
Step out of the shadows dim
Behold the glory of your soul
That’s waiting there within.

Just how do you reveal it?
Simply push aside the curtain.
Know the Light is in you.
Of this you can be certain.

The Light of God shines brightly
Just waiting for your call.
The mere intention to reflect It
Will help you shine the Light on all.

Behold the shining beacon
That does shine within your heart
And be the Light which gave you birth—
That Source from which you cannot part.

Poem #344 - The True Test

From Bozeman, Montana

There, in the recesses of your heart
You know the truth.
Stop and listen …
How do they feel –
These words you read and hear?
Do they flow with rhythm clear?
Or do they stop,
As if blocked?
The true test
Better than the rest
Lies there inside.
From this answer you cannot hide.
When in doubt
Look not without
But always
Always
Go within.
There lie the answers that you seek.
There where your trust you keep.
Use this tool
Be not the fool
Who dances through the fields with glee
But does not truly see
The weeds.
On these he feeds.
For he is taken by the color
Not the taste.
Do not waste your time on these.
For your heart, dear one, it sees
The truth.
There inside please place your trust.
This action is a must
If you truly wish to grow and flourish
Your soul it will nourish
You with truth and love.
Trust yourself.
Therein lies the greatest wealth.

Poem #343 - Ups and Downs

Take stock of your life.
Are you happy so far?
Do things like sadness and jealousy
Your happiness mar?

The ups and the downs –
Those most human emotions
Are all part of your nature
Just as waves are to the oceans.

Do not try to delete
Negativity from life
For along with your humanity
There will always be strife.

Knowing this fact
And not being thrown by the changes
Will help you to deal
With the emotional ranges.

Ups and downs, highs and lows,
This is why you are here …
To experience life
Yet through it all, have no fear.

So know that these waves –
These tidal changes you feel
Are unavoidable lessons
With which all humans must deal.

So keep in your mind
A most helpful phrase.
Know that “this too shall pass”
As you go through your days.

For what goes up must come down.
It is natural law.
When this fact you accept
The breath of peace can you draw.

Poem 342 - Real Life Fairy Tales

Fairy tales describe a world
Where all that exists does glisten …
Where dew drops have a voice and sing
If you would only listen.

But here’s a little secret:
You need not read a child’s story
To hear the voices as they sing
Of God and nature’s glory.

Rise early with the sun and watch
The world as it arises.
Listen closely with the spirit’s ear
And wait for some surprises.

In the stillness of the morn
You’ll hear the voices there quite clear …
The subtle whisper of a song
That’s singing in your ear.

Don’t listen with your left brain.
Leave the physical behind.
Listen with your heart, my friend
And you will hear within your mind.

All nature has a song to sing
A fairies’ tale unlike the rest.
And when you learn to read it
You’ll find God’s story is the best.

Poem #341 - Those Little Annoyances

From Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Disturbances …
Things which take you from your goal.
These small and big annoyances,
They play a valued role.

For how you handle what impedes
Those things for which you’re yearning
As you continue on your path
Is all part of what you’re learning.

Do you grumble and get short
With that which does annoy?
Or do you see it as a bump
Along the road to joy?

Once again, we tell you
All is nothing but perception.
Do you see things as annoyance
Or just part of God’s perfection?

Everything is neutral
Until you color it with thought.
If you see something as negative
Then into negativity you’re brought.

While it’s fine to maintain reason
And know that big things can upset you,
The small disturbances of life
Are the ones that should not “get you.”

Try to walk the even path
With quite tempered a reaction
And you will find you pass your days
With much greater satisfaction.

Poem #340 - In All Things

Animals and flowers,
Birds, and plants, and trees …
All that you can name like this --
You can see God in these.

Stop and take a moment.
Pause long enough to sit.
Then focus on an object
And say, “God is in it.”

“God is that, and God is that,”
Say it as you move your gaze,
And doing this you’ll start to see
God manifest in many ways.

Then find a group of people
And do this for all you see.
Say, “God is that, and God is that,”
Then say, “And God is me.”

In this way you’ll strengthen
Your connection with all things
And find the joy and oneness that
This understanding brings.

Note from Suzanne: I love this! It fits right in with the phrase "I AM THAT I AM." I did as the poem said ... sat and moved my gaze from the glorious Grand Tetons to the birds, a chipmunk, the wildflowers, saying "God is that ... God is that ... God is that ... " Then I saw some people and said the same thing, letting it sink in. Then I finished by saying, "And I AM THAT." Powerful. (It's also interesting to change the name God to various names and repeat the exercise ...Great Spirit, Infinite Intelligence, Consciousness, The Source, etc. ... and see how it feels.) Love to all ...

Poem #339 - Your Personal Temple

The body has its needs.
To these you must attend.
When tired you must rest it.
When injured, it must mend.

Do not neglect this temple.
It serves a vital role.
While there upon the earth you walk,
It provides housing for the soul.

Some give it far too little care.
Some tax it a bit much.
Some fail to treat it lovingly
And ensure a gentle touch.

For years it’s made to serve you.
So treat it with respect.
Honor it, this holy church.
Its needs do not neglect.

It’s harmony that you should seek
‘Tween your body, spirit, and the mind.
And when this balance you achieve
Then peace and joy you’ll find.

Poem #338 - Right There Within You

From Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wherever you wander
You are never alone
For right there within you
Is a strength you can hone.

It’s the power of love
The theme of many a song
But there’s a reason for this
For it’s a power quite strong.

So many spend their lives seeking
For one to give them this gift,
Looking outside themselves
For an emotional lift.

But as stated before
You need not look far
For the love that you seek
Is as close as you are.

Place your mind on your heart
And ask for it to fill.
If your intention is real
Then feel it you will.

There are many who love you
But God most of all.
Your Higher Self
Is the one you should call.

Then this feeling you seek
Will always be there
For the Source is quite boundless
And ready to share.

Poem #337 - Your World of Duality

From Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Peace will come
When all think as one.
But in a world of black and white
Who’s to say who’s wrong or right?

Yours is a world of duality,
Which you think is your reality.
When, in fact, it’s all illusion
Leading you to spiritual confusion.

But don’t forget that there is gray
That ‘tween the black and white does play.
For there can be no clear division
When in two or more have thoughts arisen.

For all is based upon perception
And all attune with their own reception
To the differing energies which they sense
Where slow vibrations create matter most dense.

So in your world, as much as you try,
True peace and happiness seem to slip by.
It’s because you have the will to choose
Between happy or sad—win or lose.

The only place where you are free
Is the part of you that you can’t see.
The Self’s the part that’s solely true--
That timeless, ageless part that’s You.

Poem #336 - Many Paths

From southwestern Wyoming (no towns in sight)

So many different paths
Along the road to understanding.
Which one is the right one?
Why, the one on which you’re standing.

No matter which you choose,
All lead to the same place.
If indeed your searching takes you
To that special inner space.

It matters not the words
Nor the concepts that you use.
That is the beauty of this life—
You all are free to choose.

The longing that’s inside you
Will always lead you on.
A subtle, gentle tugging
That you can rely upon.

It will whisper in the silence,
“I’m here – please notice me.”
And when understanding comes to you
Then finally you will see

That the God that all are seeking
Knows no boundaries nor no limit.
So seek your Source in all that is
And you will find God there within it.

Poem #335 - Mind and Body

From Ogden, Utah

Body and mind
Are inextricably linked.
The body reflects
How your mind it does think.

But this goes both ways
For when the body’s not well,
Then thinking is muddled.
Good from bad’s hard to tell.

Be on guard not to fall
In this treacherous trap.
Where thoughts create illness
And your vitality sap.

From there things can spiral
For it’s hard to get up
Once the body does drink
From this poisonous cup.

Focus not on the body
But always on the mind.
For by habit on problems
In your body you’ll find.

But by placing your thoughts
In that positive place
Then far fewer symptoms
Of body you’ll face.

Know that in truth you are spirit
And spirit knows not of ills
And once this you’ve learned
You’ll look far less for pills.

Poem #334 - On Being Open

From Provo, Utah

Curtains drawn across a window
So none can see inside
Heavy and impenetrable
What secrets do they hide?

All humans have these curtains.
They draw them ‘cross the soul.
As if to give the world a glimpse
Would take a mighty toll.

But there is something few do realize.
All men are just the same.
Universal are emotions
Be they love, or hate, or shame.

There’s no need to hide inside the self.
True freedom does await.
When the curtains you do open wide
And with other souls relate.

Closed off you feel so all alone
But when you open up the blind
No longer are you separate
True companionship you’ll find.

Send loving thoughts of what you need
And this you will attract
For like draws like when free to flow.
This is a given fact.

Try it for yourself, my friend.
Let in the light and hide no more.
True goodness will come unto you
As you open your soul’s door.

Poem #333 - You Are Loved

From Provo, Utah

You are loved
Know this now
Search not in others
For them to endow
That which you seek
Here and there you do peek
Lifting a cover …
Where is my lover?
The lover you yearn for
You need only discern for
It’s there right inside
In your heart it does abide
It’s your Source
And that of all others
Your sisters and brothers
All share this same friend
From beginning to end
Ne’er to dessert you
This lover won’t hurt you
Breath it in, let it fill you
Try it now, it won’t kill you…
There, you see
You are free
Flying high
In the sky…
On the wings
Of love.

Poem #332 - Step Outside

From Bryce Canyon, Utah

Step outside your body.
Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.
We’re going on a little trip
Across that worldly line.

We’re going with the spirit
To another way of being.
Where you have no eyes nor hands
Yet in another way you’re seeing.

This is how real life is
When you step outside your skin.
It’s how the world will seem to you
When the next life you begin.

But there’s no need to wait
Until from this life you go.
This world is there just waiting
For its treasures you to know.

Sit with us now quite quietly.
Trust that your body will be fine.
Then with your mind step out of it
To where there is no space, no time.

All it takes is just a shifting
A mental movement, if you will.
Just place your Self beyond the skin
Where all is calm and still.

No great difference will you feel at first.
Just sit back, relax, and feel.
For now be the observer
And you’ll know what’s truly real.

There in the now-ness of this state
The past and future matter not.
It’s there that you can simply “be” -
Where all you need you now have got.

Slide back in your body when you’re done.
It’s waiting there for you.
But come back to this place quite often,
When you feel a visit’s due.

Doing this repeatedly
Will bring you great release.
For it’s the realm of spirit -
The place you always will find peace.

Poem #331 - Let it Flow

From Bryce Canyon, Utah

See not the world as separate
Hold yourself not so apart.
But see yourself like water
Flowing from the source – your heart.

Allow this vital liquid
To flow where there is need,
Blending with all that exists
And there implanting love’s pure seed.

From you can flow this river,
For you a channel are –
A conduit of God’s great love
That travels near and far.

Each human has the power
To stop this flow at will.
And thus dammed up, this vital force
The love inside can kill.

It’s up to you – you have a choice
To dam the source or let it flow.
But you can be as God, my friend,
As above, so as below.

Hold yourself wide open.
Allow God’s love to enter in.
Then open up your flood gates
And share what’s there within.

What goes out from there inside you
Will flow back in your direction.
You’ll feel the love from others
And realize God’s grand perfection.

Poem #330 - Never Stop Trying

From Zion National Park

Second chances
When at first things go awry
You’re given yet another choice –
Once again you get to try.

All of life is like this.
Opportunities abound.
Another chance to try again,
A second go-around.

So don’t dismay when things go wrong.
All life is made for this –
To pick yourself up off the ground
When some target you did miss.

It’s all about progression –
Moving forward when you fail.
Reaching for the next big gust
That comes to fill your sail.

And yes, that wind will always come
For never will it die.
A lull—some lack you may have to face
But always should you try.

Poem #329 - A Recipe for Peace of Mind

From Zion National Park, Utah

Understanding and forgiveness –
Two good traits to have.
When used they bring relief
Like a calming, soothing salve.

Carry not the burden
Of hate and discontent.
These attributes will sap the soul
When there your energy is spent.

Realize that all your feelings
Do originate with you.
And as for others’ actions,
There’s little you can do.

But when it comes to your own thinking,
Why, that’s what you control.
So keep loving thoughts foremost in mind
And purify your soul.

“I forgive you. I understand
That you and I don’t think the same.”
It’s thoughts like this that free you
And your ego’s mind do tame.

For it’s ego that keeps you thinking
That others do you wrong.
But you can create miracles
When you change to a new song.

Poem #328 - You Reap What You Sow

If you want to receive
Then you first should give.
A very good rule
By which to live.

So many are thinking
“Why don’t I feel love?”
As if it should flow freely
To you from above.

But while it is true
That love’s always there
It flows much more freely
When this love you do share.

So be not so selfish
Think not always of you.
Think instead of the others
And give to them what is due.

You’ll quite soon find out
When you hold nothing back
That what you are giving
You no longer lack.

Poem #327 - Held Captive

Sickness of the heart –
That which pills can’t cure.
It comes from misunderstanding.
But misunderstand no more.

The killing has to stop.
The taking of a life is wrong.
But so many minds are poisoned
When they see killing all day long.

It’s there in your entertainment.
To which you give all your devotion.
You see the bloodshed by the hour
And watch without emotion.

How can this not affect you?
How can it not hurt the soul?
You place more attention on what is false
Than to that which makes you whole.

Turn off the entertainment.
Deal with each other face to face.
Instead of blood and killing
Let true love then take its place.

Your television holds you captive
When you watch it by the hour.
Release the chains and feel the love
And then you’ll know true power.

Poem #326 - Always There

From Virginia Beach, VA

Riding a wave of pleasure
The senses heightened …
As if suddenly in the darkness
The room was brightened.

What just happened?
Why this jolt?
Why are you awakened
As if by a lightning bolt?

Just a reminder
And not so subtle, in fact –
That you are not just the body
But I AM THAT… I AM THAT.

All tiredness is gone,
Replaced with an inner glow
The light shines brightly now inside you
As above, dear one, so below.

Walk with God each step you take.
Have lightness in your step today.
For never do you walk alone
While on the earth you play.

Poem #325 - Perfect in Design

From Las Vegas, Nevada

As above, so below.
The world is one big mirror.
Look for the sameness in all things
And things will get much clearer.

In shapes you see the patterns.
Lines and circles are repeated.
Symbols of eternity
Where nothing is deleted.

In your very body
You can see the great perfection.
Look into a mirror
At the God in your reflection.

Perfect in proportion
Though this you may not see.
But study sacred ratios
And there will be revealed great mastery.

All you see around you
Is a sign of God in action.
The more you see the signs of this
The more your satisfaction.

History repeats itself,
But so do shapes and signs.
Divinity is there to see –
On display in God’s designs.

Poem #324 - Transcending

Sit down and do not move.
Now quiet your brain.
Release all negativity
And all such thoughts which do remain.

And when you’ve thus prepared,
Place your focus on your heart.
It’s there you will experience
The fullness of which you’re part.

So wrapped up you do become
In your day to day relations,
That you fail to recognize
That you have no limitations.

The dense vibrations of your world
Hold you trapped in this dire state
But you can find release at will
When in prayer you participate.

Ask to feel the love –
The highest of all vibrations.
And when it comes to fill you
Quite pleasant are these new sensations.

They will remind you who you are –
Not this temporary being.
But your true self – your very nature
Who with new eyes you now are seeing.

If reminders you do need,
Then remind yourself you must.
So in this way make your acquaintance
Until this reality you come to trust.

Poem #323 - Patience

Patience is a virtue -
Knowing everything can wait.
When there is only here and now
Then nothing can be late.

You say to others, “Do it now.”
But this is by your rules.
You’d find you could be more relaxed
If you practiced other tools.

Dictate not how things should go;
Whether they be fast or slow.
For how are you the one to know
When you see only from below?

So many things they interact.
Life’s not just about you.
You’re just one facet of the jewel
Where others may shine, too.

Sometimes you sparkle, sometimes not.
Sometimes it’s others’ turn.
By asking how you all do fit,
There’s much that you can learn.

In a comment to poem #322, Bill asked, how do we reach enlightenment and achieve the things stated in poems 322 and 321. I realized I could ask the poets, but they would most likely ask me how many ways they need to answer that question. I don’t know that anyone holds the one key to enlightenment, but summarizing the 322 poems, it seems they’ve been telling us that things that help would be:
- meditate/sit in the silence regularly
- while there, ask to be aware of/to connect with your spirit and the Great Spirit/God
- while in this state, simply “be” without trying
- feel the love!
- in a more active meditation, pray to feel spirit as much as possible
- meditate/sit in the silence regularly
- when in full rational mind/active mode, be the loving spiritual being you are by practicing unconditional love, kindness, compassion, non-judmentalism, self-acceptance, understanding, and forgiveness of those who don’t “get it”
- love
- meditate/sit in the silence regularly
- remind yourself regularly that you are a spirit temporarily in a physical body and contemplate what that means
- love with all your heart and soul
- sit with God and trust that the Force is with you and IS you.
- thank God for Life
- ask for guidance
- listen for the answers
- trust that you are being guided
- act on guidance you receive
- love everyone and everything
- sit in the silence and give thanks
- ask to feel the love that is your essence
- sit in the dark and ask to be enlightened
- wait and see what happens
- expect nothing
- recognize that you may never get “there” for “here” is all that is
- relax, and be happy
- radiate love
- sit in the silence ...........
LOVE.
Comments?

Poem #322 - Slow and Steady

So many hurting souls…
Such pain they carry in their heart.
Seeking, always searching
To feel not so much apart.

They think the grand solution
Will descend in one big burst.
And so they go on seeking
As if they suffer from great thirst.

But oft there’s no one moment
In which the answer it appears.
For many of their problems
Have been building up for years.

These aren’t problems of the spirit.
For the spirit’s always whole.
It’s the false beliefs of ego
That keep humans from their soul.

Clearing out the layers
Can be a process of great length.
But it’s the knowledge of the love inside
That gives to all the strength.

The strength to clear the falsehoods –
The lies that keep all feeling less
As you open up to Spirit’s presence
Then Spirit you does bless.

This Force is always calling
Awaiting all to hear it
But it’s the dedicated effort
That allows awareness of the spirit.

Expect no “aha” moment.
Strive instead for daily peace.
Great happiness and joy await
Once old habits you release.

Work towards a slow awakening.
Enjoy the journey as you grow.
Then feel Spirit in each moment
As you allow God’s love to flow.

Poem #321 -The World Beyond

We will take you on a journey
Now that you have asked.
Back to a place and time
Where once in bliss you basked.

A place without the troubles
Or the cares that you have here.
Where all was bright and shining
And all understanding seemed quite clear.

Not a place as you would know it
But a different state of being
Where thoughts and sound are energy
And without eyes still seeing.

You can imagine such a place at will
For you go there in your dreams.
And so this place of fantasy
Is not as fantastic as it seems.

We’d like to introduce you
To this place that we call home.
For you came from there and will return
One day again to roam.

Another world – a different realm
But a stranger you are not
For you go there now quite frequently
When your brain’s without a thought.

Poem #320 - Beyond the Physical

Awesome experience today. I was sitting outside to meditate with the rising sun behind me. It became so hot that it was burning my back (I had a protective shirt on). I had the fleeting thought to get up and move, when I was pushed back in my chair, my head rolled back, and I felt as if I were taken out of my body. I no longer felt the sun, or anything for that matter. Then I heard the first two lines of this poem, so brought myself "back", picked up the pen, and the rest just flowed ... (needless to say, I found no need to move from where I sat)

Transcend your physical body.
Forget your aches and pains.
It’s then, when you go beyond the skin
You realize the greatest gains.

You pay so much attention
To what you feel and smell.
But beyond that which you see and hear
There’s another world as well.

Take your mind and place it there -
Outside the limits of your skin:
In your field of consciousness
That extends outside, not just within.

There you exist as well, my friend,
You function oh so clearly
Unencumbered by the physical –
That part which now you hold so dearly.

If you only realized
Your pain and suffering you could relieve
By removing your attention from that which hurts
So much you could achieve.

It’s not just mere distraction.
It’s finally, truly seeing
That there is so much more to you
Than just a physical being.

Poem #319 - The Puzzle of Life

Sifting through the rubble
The damage has been done.
Recovery begins at once
When you realize all is one.

You life sometimes seems shattered –
Separate pieces spread around.
Fragments of what used to be …
Your balance can’t be found.

This is the ego acting.
It wants you not to know
That nothing’s really separate
And so illusion it does show.

As a puzzle you do see things:
One piece round and one piece square.
But there’s a sense of unity
When at the parts you look with care.

All pieces fit together.
For great symmetry exists.
The pieces do fit perfectly
Yet this tense feeling it persists.

Just know if you could only see
The puzzle put together whole,
You’d understand the part you play –
You have a valued role.

What seems at times quite scattered
Is the way the puzzle you do see.
But trust that all will come together
Just as it’s truly meant to be.

Poem #318 - Time

Forever seems a long, long time
When using measurements of man.
But when there’s no beginning or end
Then understand eternity you can.

In a world where time exists,
You measure time as fast or slow.
But this just shows how false time is
For where does time truly go?

It’s all about experience -
One moment added to the last.
Each one its own small universe,
With no present or no past.

So live each moment consciously,
Enjoying just its “now.”
And watch the universe unfold
Without needing to ask how.

Poem #318 - Time

Forever seems a long, long time
When using measurements of man.
But when there’s no beginning or end
Then understand eternity you can.

In a world where time exists,
You measure time as fast or slow.
But this just shows how false time is
For where does time truly go?

It’s all about experience -
One moment added to the last.
Each one its own small universe,
With no present or no past.

So live each moment consciously,
Enjoying just its “now.”
And watch the universe unfold
Without needing to ask how.

Poem #317 - Rituals and Ceremonies

Ceremonies … rituals …
Steps you follow as you’re told.
Purposeful and meaningful
To some more valuable than gold.

Examine why you do these things.
What’s the purpose of these acts?
Do they bring you closer to your Source?
Or are you reciting only facts?

There can be great value in these things
When the purpose is ideal –
In those which touch your heart and soul
In which a true connection you do feel.

But guard against the rituals
In which you participate by rote.
These emotionless performances
True love and growth do not promote.

Whether in a group or by yourself
If rituals you do perform,
Remember why you do them
And with their true purpose then conform.

If they promote your spirit’s growth
Then a true purpose they do serve.
Participate with all your heart
And reap the rewards you so deserve.

Poem #316 - Chill Out, Already!

Since I’ve been in Sedona I’ve felt unsettlingly disconnected during my meditations. Before getting the poem today I was given the insight that it’s just like when a person takes golfing lessons and you try a bunch of new techniques at once – suddenly nothing works. I went back to my old ways of meditating and – voila’ – the wonderful connection was back. Aaahhh. This connection was followed with another poem in which, for the second time in a week, the Poets set me straight in no uncertain terms! I share this personal poem because it does seem to pertain to all of us … we are all one, after all, aren’t we?

Hear us when we speak to you.
There is nothing you need do.
All will unfold exactly right.
No need to furl your brow so tight.

The worries that you carry there
Fill you with such needless care.
For all is in its proper place.
Sit back and give yourself some space.

Great strides you do expect to see.
But who’s in charge here – you or we?
Those who know what’s best for you…
Your guides who’re here to see you through.

You block us when you exert your will.
This our vibration, yes, does kill.
For ego is a heavy thing.
Back to earth it will you bring.

So hurry not to see advances.
To grow you will have many chances.
Live each day with gratitude.
This is the proper attitude.

So yes, relax, and have some fun.
We know just what’s to be done.
So leave your future in our hands.
Sit back and watch the shifting sands.

If there’s something you need to do,
Rest assured we’ll come to you.
For now step back and simply BE.
Be not uptight, but in all ways free.