Inspirations: Poetry

Night falls fast over A rising cup of Crescent Moon Snugged behind blind clouds, Stealing her silver coin As they cross her face Reminding me, reminding me. Freely she proffers Grace against November chill, The lengthening dark, the silence, the weight, Patterns of lonliness. Every gift given, she lifts Unencumbered, into stars, through Milky Way. Reminding me, reminding me. Dear Loved Ones, far and wide, May the moon reward your desires, and drop coin of our shared memories into your pocket, May she cross your face with gratitude for all you are and all you have. As Allan and I stand under her spacious light, we travel to you, pockets filled to overflowing. Samantha

When the cold rules I lean skeletal against skies sullen in wetness. I have gone under, within the marrow, Where the great heart rules, Pulled from the ground before freezing To fill out the form of life to come, Not to defeat the dying, Or what others say of shape-shifting For my shape is source, not fashion. My leaves, torn from limbs, Shimmered red and orange lights, Wooed the darkness, Depart in a festival of sacrifice To dance at the Gates of Heaven. Forlorn fingers reach, a mother for her children, Anguish of emptiness where fullness grew. This different life, this spiraling core, Is the Crone’s turning Her velvet storehouse winter’s deepest secret. Is the earth wearied by this surrender? If ever there were a love story If ever the soul might speak It speaks here for bleak, cold gifts And prayers barren of demand. To meet headlong The awaited annihilation.

I believe in the moon, her palette of stars her cycles of light. The day consumes and burns But in the night I turn myself To the heavens of her still-peace, Her rabbit face of gold and silver Set in the amethyst sky. Her changes-only fodder In becoming potent, feminine, radiant. More lovely than Ariadne, or Athene. Oh lunar Goddess, grant me Stability in metamorphosis, Resilience in surrender Grant revolution upon revolution Of dark birth, adumbration, illumination.

Torpid heat closes Buddha’s eyes, His immutability facing mine. Our low force of gravity matching, Inscrutable selves fleshed-out In long grasses. Only breath shuttles between Back and forth prayers Asking release, Wishing wings, not weight Not the dense, hopeless wasteland Of unalterable law Unanswered desire. Rather, redemption In wings of dragonfly/butterfly/moth. The Red Hawk’s scream soaring Above cadenced Cicadas. Life rising and falling on the heat In a fever to live If only a single season. This, this transmutes Unalterable laws, unanswered desires. Asana: Baddha Konasana/Cobbler’s Pose. Sit on the floor, drawing the feet closely into the groin, soles together, knees on, or toward floor. Lengthen spine, and gaze ahead, or close eyes. Hands can rest on knees, or come into any mudra desired. Health Notes: This is a calming, restorative pose, wonderful for meditation, and Pranayama. It is also beneficial for relieving sciatica, and urinary disorders, as blood is stimulated to flow easily to kidneys, bladder, ovaries, and prostate. It helps prevent hernia, assists when there is irregular menses, and eases pain of childbirth, if practiced regularly beforehand. It also helps prevent varicose veins in a pregnancy. Astrologly Notes: Leos, and/or those with strong Leo energy, have powerful physical hearts and therefore usually strong constitutions. It is the emotions of the heart that unbalance Leos. This energy is all too easily hurt by not feeling appreciated, or loved enough. Sitting in Baddha Konasana, taking time to appreciate oneself, to feel loved by the Universe in simply being, is an antidote to Leo dis-ease. Ayurvedic Notes: Charaka, an ancient Indian physician and sage who codified Ayurveda principles and practices, wrote thousands of years ago: “One who wishes to protect the heart, circulatory system and vital essence should avoid, above all else, those causes leading to mental stress and instability….” Sitting… Read more »

The Sea, in sonorous mantras of surf Repeating its curl and heave, curl and heave Slushes gold along tide lines, Strafed in sand dollars. Flatulent smells of warm seaweed, Wet, then dry, and wet again, Surprise the nose as winds shift, Strands drag silky against skin, Sensuous and creepy, Octopus legs wrapping ankles. Botticelli’s Venus stood thus Waiting on wind and tide to give birth. Her placenta holding the sea We seek again in this parched time, Doing time, wanting to be born anew. A wave’s jade curtain rises, washes over, Foam rises around thighs and belly As the sea calls me hers again.

Your life, left out in the rain, rises from green folds, Dropping memories, sodden shirts, and ties Across the garden, Planting them selves the moment they are forgotten. Returning as quiet secrets. Did I wait for you thus Once in WW II? I called you in from the rain that night Bombs fell, and stars fell. In the morning I found a shoe, thrown off Lying beside the red Poppies. You stand here, by the bird feeder Arms open to the rain, and darting Gold Finch. A shadow memory held in the smile As you turn toward me. You, beside a blue-tiled pool, Rain sluicing off bare shoulders, arms lifted, Setting free your Falcon. I was there as I am here, Living in the penumbra of my mysteries, Photographs in pentimiento visions Grafted to time, and love, and longing.

Cradled in winter’s cold Nine months she’s dreamed this hour Waiting warmth Loins opening to green shoots. Snowdrops crowning crusted snows. Soon, the fertile womb surrenders Daffodil, Forsythia, Pear, Tulip, Greedily forcing life from the dark mother. Tiny, mewling cries rise and fall Minute featherd bird-babies Lie upon her fecund belly, gasping first breath. In a tearing orgy, “I am, I am!” Sings every hour’s chorus. Soon spent, she begs days of languor and sweet succor. Asana/Pose: Jathara Parivartanasana/Stomach Turning Pose. Lie on back, arms outstretched to sides. Exhaling raise both legs straight up over hips. Inhale, lift hips up and move them to R. Exhale, slowly lowering legs down to L hand, try to keep back on floor, and legs together and straight. Take 5-10 breaths, then slowly raise legs back to center. Repeat other side by first moving hips to L. It helps to either hold onto something heavy as you do first attempts so that shoulders remain flat on floor. *Do not do this pose if you have lower back issues, as it strongly pulls on psoas muscle, attached to spine. Health Notes: Jathara is wonderful for toning abdominal organs; pancreas, spleen, liver. It also strengthens intestines, helping with gastritis. The lower back and abdominal muscles are strengthened, reducing excess belly fat. Ayurvedic Notes: Thousands of years ago, when Ayurveda medicine came into being, we were much more intertwined with Ma Nature, therefore routines, treatments, and reasoning were formed as practical responses to living well with cycles and seasons. One of the more important routines is to begin and end each day with observance and honor to Universal Source….call it what you will. Letting a few short minutes of joy, gratitude, and peace be part of the daily heart-space changes our world. Astrology Notes: Venus ruled Taurus… Read more »

When I cease to be a fool, hang me by my ears Until a giggle sputters forth to challenge woeful tears. If I stop all silly sounding vowels and verbs, Have the bloody pen run dry… I’ll sit in ashes on the porch where boredom waits along with port And pontificating lies. Oh Lordy Lord, don’t let me wait too late, Insensate to magic in the moon, Send me out to howl at CW’s hot-air-balloons, And rave against a world dismissive of its fools, Of lovers, Queens, and English Aunts Who make us smile because they dance on every misbegotten chance. An ego marching lock-step with others in the room Munificently speaks of dignity, and puffing up bozooms. Oh give me inanity and nonsense, lest I imitate the flock, And fear a loss of inches, never mind my stock. We precious few, we all too mortal band ‘Tis time for foolish frolic lest we lose our way—then can’t. Asana: ‘Happy Baby’ comes to mind if we have a mind for foolishness. Lie on the back, grab feet, and bending the knees draw them back toward the ribs. It is important to leave the tail bone imbedded on the floor. For some, the back of the thighs may be too tight to hold the feet, then grab the knees. Rock side to side if you wish. Either way, we happily and foolishly look like a dead bug, or a ‘happy baby.’ Health Notes: Extending the tail bone down, allowing it to lengthen, even stretch is the physical importance of this Pose. The emotional importance– is to be happy, to breathe the sweet simplicity that we assume children breathe, to stop monkey chatter and criticism for a moment, and feel life is full. Astrologic Notes: Aires folk, because of their innate leadership… Read more »