a poem by ~GEOFFREY GORDON~ HANDS IN THE WIND In a single breath, our heart drum keeps time and ignites ancient empathy inside our bones Happiness in love sounds opens all possibilities in the eternal presence of now Separateness merges in the waters of our breath Vital energy continues walking and is awake to itself Krishna takes off his battle armor Sita, hearing Rama's name, offers her hands in the wind, listening for all time in a single breath oh, this precious life! poems by ~RABIA~ IT ACTS LIKE LOVE It acts like love-music- it reaches toward the face, touches it, and tries to let you know God's promise: that all will be okay. It acts like love-music and, tells the feet, "You don't have to be so burdened." My body is covered with wounds this world made, but I longed to kiss God, even when He said, "Could you also kiss the hand that caused each scar, for you will not find me until you do." It does that-music-helps us to forgive. A BREAST IN THE SKY I hear talk about the famous. I hear talk about different cities. The most intimate events of families come to my ears. I hear about temples and mosques and saints. All that can be said I have heard. All that can be wanted I have seen. My interest in this world has waned though, not because I am depressed. A fish in a bowl I was, a bottom feeder, but now I nurse upon a breast in the sky. a poem by ~SAINT THERESA OF AVILA~ THE SKY'S SHEETS When He touches me I clutch the sky's sheets, the way other lovers do. the earth's weave of clay. Any real ecstacy is a sign you are moving in the right direction, don't let any prude tell you otherwise. a poem by ~MIRABAI~ I WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS I want you to have this, all the beauty in my eyes, and the grace of my mouth, all the splendor of my strength, all the wonder of the musk parts of my body, for are we not talking about real love, real love? poems by ~LALLA~ Dance, Lalla, with nothing on but air. Sing Lalla, wearing the sky. Look at this glowing day! What clothes could be so beautiful, or more sacred? ~~~ Everything is new now for me. My mind is new, the moon, the sun. The whole world looks rinsed with water, washed in the rain of I am That. Lalla leaps and dances inside the energy that creates and sustains the universe. ~~~ If you've melted your desires in the river of time, choose to be a recluse, or choose a family, the villiage job. If you know the pure Lord within you, you'll be That, wherever. The Bible ~THE SONG OF SONGS~ Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth for your love is sweater than wine The oils of your body are fragrant, the sound of your name is perfume For good reason the people love you Take me with you and we will run The king brings us into his bedchamber We will rejoice and celebrate sipping our fragrant love rather than wine No wonder the people love you Arise my love, arise and come away with me Behold the winter has passed and the rains have come pushing the buds up from the earth The time of singing has come The song of the nightingale and turtledove are heard in the land The fig tree forms it's first fruit, the blossoming vine gives off it's fragrance Arise my love and come away with me Come away with me my love, come away with me We will leap over the mountains From the dens of lions and the lairs of panthers You have ravished my heart with one bead of your necklace You have incited my soul with one glance of your eyes How wonderful you are, how beautiful you are You are love, with all it's delights I went down to the walnut garden to see if the grapevines were in blossom and if the pomegranates were in flower I do not know how it was, but my soul swooned and I found myself in a chariot, next to my prince a poem by ~GHALIB~ The world is no more than the beloved's single face; In the desire of the One to know it's own beauty, we exist. Each place, each moment, sings its particular song of being and not being. Without reason,the clear glass equally mirrors wisdom and madness. Those who claim knowledge are wrong; prayer just leads to trance; Appearance and faith are mere lees in the Unkowing Wine. Wherever the Footprint is found, that handful of dust holds the oneness of worlds. This earth, burnished by hearing the Name, is so certain of Love That the sky bends unceasingly down, to greet its own light. from the story of ~INANNA~ The people of the city loosened the tree. From the roots of the tree Gigamesh carved for Inanna a bed. From the trunk of the tree he carved for Inanna a throne. From the branches of the tree Inanna carved for Gilgamesh a drum stick And from the trunk of the tree a drum. She gave the drum and drum stick to Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh struck the drum And awoke the people of Uruk. a poem by ~KABIR~ My inside, listen to me, the greatest spirit the Teacher, is near, wake, wake up! Run to God's feet- he is standing close to your head right now. You have slept for millions and millions of years. Why not wake up this morning? a poem by ~ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI~ It was easy to love God in all that was beautiful. The lessons of deeper knowledge though, instructed me to embrace God in all things.