an unexpected journey

the hobbit ..
an adventure..
in 48 frames per second..

lots of chat about the format..
saw the early morning show..
will share my staggerment
after saturation..

as bilbo says himself:
don't laugh at live dragons..
we shall see for ourselves..

there is a long road yet..
we won't meet smaug on this one,
sad to say ~

saw the matinee today..
something about the film makes me
want it
to go on
and on
and on...

it's bilbo..
could be his pantry..
definitely gandalf..
probably thorin has alot to do with it..
the dwarves song..
the mountains themselves..
the dwarves themselves..
radagast and his rhosgobel rabbits-
galadriel and elrond..
sting!
the ponies, the eagles..
the arkenstone ~
did i mention bilbo's pantry?
the list goes ever on and on..

we will have a long wait for the next one.
how many times will i be enchanted by this one ..
until then?

only gandalf knows ~

light of sacredness

the inner space inside
that we call the heart
has become many different
living scenes and stories.

a pasture for sleek gazelles,
a monastery for christian monks,
a temple with shiva dancing,
a kaaba for pilgrimage.

the tablets of moses are there,
the qur'an, the vedas,
the sutras, and the gospels.

love is the religion in me.
whichever way love's camel goes,
that way becomes my faith,
the source of beauty, and a light
of sacredness over everything.
                ~ ibn arabi

lullaby

it is what i want very much to write..
for the dark misgivings of our world..
for the savagery our hearts take up..
a song, a poem, a verse..

that will rather break the spell ~
for instead of putting us to sleep
it must be a lullaby
to wake us up..
to the great sea of lovingkindness..
yes,
a lullaby to rouse us from our ruse..

it must be tender..
a song that will embrace the fire of a brutal one..
a hymn that would love a hand away from a trigger ..
an anthem that would draw close the hurt that harms..
a psalm .. benevolent  &  kind..

sweet one, who rocks this boat by night..
dear one, please find your rest in breath
sweet one, who tethers to the might
let me rock you, let me roll you

away, away from any thought
that splits your heart in two
dear one sweet one, find your breath
for i am seeking you..

awaken to the morning bright
that holds your heart at peace
yawn off the dark charms you possess
rest in the breath, be blessed..

ravi 1920 - 2012

i was fortunate..o so fortunate
to meet ravi shankar when i was living
in los angeles..1979.. per chance..?

one of my yoga students was his agent..
she asked if i would like to meet him..
does the pope dance with bears?
of course, of course..i squealed in delight..
i'll have him call you, she said nonchalantly..
ooo weeeee!

as i was luxuriating in my tub a few nights later
the phone rang - the message box picked up..
it was ravi shankar calling..
would i like to have lunch with him one day that week?
screaming, laughing, splashing ... o my o ...
i did not get to the phone in time..
though that message was saved for months!

after i had calmed down.. days later..
i returned his call & we had a date..

remember those american express ads?
where you are not really familiar with the face
yet when the name is tickered on the card, you go..
AH YES!

we walked to a restaurant in westwood from his hotel..

we spoke of music, gurus, our prayer malas..

we had a fine lunch and spirited conversation

about yoga, ragas and spiritual practice..

enjoying a quiet heart to heart at a tucked-in corner table ..

just a young blondie and a slight indian fella ~
after our meal, we were presented with the bill
& ravi placed his american express on the tray..
when the card went down..and around..
the whole place was a buzzin' and a poppin'..

don't leave home without it!

we planned a possible rendezvous in india sometime
when we were both on the continent..
our timing never matched up for that second meeting..

i remember his hands..
his eyes.. twinkling precious gemstones..
his simplicity and elegance
his laughter, his kindness ~

and life flows on within you and without you...

o morning star

o morning star, incandescence of pure light,
radiant sun of righteousness:
o come and enlighten
those who sit there in darkness
and in the shadow of death.

o morgenstern -arvo part
the fifth antiphon
from seven magnificent antiphons
liturgy of decembre 21

12 ~ 12 ~ 12
adds up to 9
o my o..
auspicious day this day..
12 daze until christ mas

be kind today
scatter joy
do not be afraid

morning song
the red dawn now is rearranging the earth
thought by thought
beauty by beauty
each sunrise a link on the ladder
thought by thought
beauty by beauty
the ladder the backbone of shimmering deity
thought by thought
beauty by beauty
child stirring in the web of your mother
don't be afraid
old man turning to walk through the door
do not be afraid.
   ~ jo harjo

in the company of strangers

...in the generosity of friends..

who is a stranger to us..?
~ simply an unearned friend ~
yes?

astonishing..the kindness of strangers..
astounding..the boundless big-heartedness of friends..
year after year..
they continue to offer noble friendship..
companionship..
knowing our foibles and faults
they offer a mirror
to polish our sacred-ness..
to dust off our human-ness..

strangers do that too..
hold up a looking-glass..
if we are fully alive to the moment..
yet
the dull dust of past and future settles
every nana - nano second..
bingo! out of the moment..

spurt, sputter, cough, choke..
the joke's on me..

shiver, shake, awake..
no longer host to the ghost
gone byes..yet to comes..

a smile,
a twinkle,
a gaze,
a phrase..
can break this spell..
i, me, mine
ah!

all are true companions..
stranger, friend, foe..  o woe!
indeedy ~
those petty tyrants
who scrape every scale of self- importance
off our crusty creature coeur..

lo! light-burst!
 see..
    hear..
         rest..
 alive in the this very

with no me to build a shrine.. a line to..
just the row, row, row
propelling this dreamjoy of existence..
in the company of strangers..
the fellowship of friends ~

lighten up..

hanukkah!
the candelabrum of light ~

rohatsu!
the big awake ~

midwinter!
brrrrr-ight ~



time for serenity, anyone?

i like to live in the sound of water,
in the feel of mountain air.  a sharp
reminder hits me: this world is still alive;
it stretches out there shivering toward its own
creation, and i'm part of it.  even my breathing
enters into this elaborate give - and - take,
this bowing to sun and moon, day and night,
winter, summer, storm, still -- this tranquil
chaos that seems to be going somewhere.
this wilderness with a great peacefulness in it.
this motionless turmoil, this everything dance.
                           ~ william stafford


dance me to the end of the beginning?


to carry yourself forward and experience myriad things is delusion.
that myriad things come forth and experience themselves is awakening.
                               ~ dogen

listening

listen and feel the beauty of your separation,
the unsayable absence.

there is a moon inside every human being.
learn to be companions with it.

give more of your life to this listening.

as brightness is to time,
so you are to the one who talks
to the deep ear in your chest.

i should sell my tongue and buy a thousand ears
when that one steps near and begins to speak.
  ~ rumi