A new beginning

In the beginning it may appear dark

The wise say, fear not

As the witness within isn’t blind

Who sees by light of another kind

And is patience personified

Whose existence is sadly denied

There’s no getting around this gatekeeper

Who outlives even the grim reaper

The knot hardens, as if tendered by hot glue

As we relentlessly pass through

Stations of existence

With growing ignorance

Fool's gold

Everyone carries a heavy bag

Whether it’s made of silk, or a dusty old rag

Led to believe there are valuables inside

By the silent voice of inner pride

That beckons to the door of an inexhaustible mine

At the entrance, a clearly marked sign

A cautionary one, easily missed

When it’s not on the checklist

The sign warns, avoid

The lust for gold, instead seek a void

Where there is neither a ripple, nor a storm

It is only there one can truly transform

Le Bataclan

The horrors at the Bataclan

May finally wake up the human clan

There is no middle ground

For this type of evil to sound

The heavy hammer of humanity

Must be forged in the fire of unity

There’s ever present danger of further calamity

Seven continents must hold hands, in amity

To prevent further catastrophe

Whose pain cannot be lightened by any philosophy

How much more pain can we bear?

Our hearts are already bleeding and bare

Thrice

Nights and days pass in a trice

Chances come not once or twice, but thrice

They are visible through different windows

One lets in light, the other two only shadows

Nature leans on humankind, to act as a bridge

Every individual’s mind is a stitch

Holding together the cloth of consciousness

The matter we love, is not the cause but the consequence

The eyes see a lesser light

When the mind is closed for the night

Not even thieves can enter

But only to a dissenter

Who isn’t enslaved by instinct

Or living within the intellect’s precinct

The eye of intuition

Offers an admission

String of pearls

It comes one second at a time

Strung like pearls in a long line

Each one so precious

Those who value it are left breathless

Jewels hiding in plain sight

They melt away like candle light

Unless we turn this brief tryst

Into greatness that cannot be dismissed

Leveling the playing field

Whether poor or well heeled

Each is gifted the same time

Whatever maybe one’s pastime

Gift exchange

We are neither owners or renters

Of the gifts given to us

Subscribing to this false notion

Has snowballed into centuries of commotion

Nature has been kind to bestow

Gifts in all colors of the rainbow

All it can do is silently watch

As we plunder and botch

What has taken the earth’s age to create

In order to enhance our growth rate

There is a way to strike a balance

It can’t happen in aloof silence

A free miracle

Life is a great miracle

Nothing else is comparable

It’s free for anyone to use

As they may choose

That freedom carries a price

It is not a random roll of dice

Carefully laid out in advance

Nothing is left to chance

It may appear so

But not to those in the know

They can identify the seeds

That sprout from one’s deeds

Answers

Seeking answers in silence

Will put an end to senseless violence

When there isn’t anyone to grapple with

The world may be put aside as a myth

Reigniting the passion

To live life to full abandon

Everyday is a celebration

When thoughts have ceased flirtation

With the constant quest for answers

Which have been held back, by the masters

They are willing to freely dispense

But few attach value, unless there is an expense

Thoughtful mind

We are all for it

When it comes to our own fleshy bit

Safeguarding this station

Has become a prime occupation

It plays host to the mind

That has become dangerously blind

It isn’t a dark dead end

If it can be turned into a loyal friend

A thoughtful mind burns bright

But it is hard to see truth by that light

Having set sail a long time ago

In its wake, a turbulent flow

Opportunities

Opportunities return repackaged

When we are fully engaged

It takes practice to fully tune

Into the moments that are opportune

Many miss the first chance

There isn’t a clue given in advance

The journey is many miles long

There will be opportunities as we journey along

Walk, swim or fly

There’s a rule all creatures have to live by

This jaunt is in sync with time

Nothing may step out of that line

Soul song

The mysteries of the black hole

Parallel that of the soul

Both invisible to the naked eye

Forming the center of the outer and inner sky

The nucleus of who we are

Is difficult to divine from a star

But deep within

There is a miniature twin

Seen in the depths of silence

That’s maintained with great resilience

One wakes up to an hitherto unknown realm

Of the deepest peace, which is sure to whelm

Memories

Memories are transient as a bubble

There’s only rubble after they crumble

These edifices built to individual taste

Can never be fully erased

Through permanent or impermanent sleep

Where they are neatly stacked in a heap

Waiting for the right blend of consciousness

To bring them back to prominence

Giving them weight and density

Is emotional intensity

It keeps us running back

For even more such knick knacks

Upside down

A mind weighed down by cares

Isn’t one that easily shares

With pockets so full

There’s ever present danger of a lazy lull

Between birth and death

Linked by a tireless breath

Coming in endless waves that wash the chest

Even as the mind forgets how much we’re blessed

So heavy, it cannot be turned upside down

One who fears its depths may easily drown

It's become a begging bowl

Overflowing with desires, and camouflaging the soul

Diamond in the rough

The quality of diamond ore

Depends on pressure known to a miner’s bore

In the depths, survival is for the tough

The first to burn up is fluff

The mind is a diamond in the rough

It’s a wonder it survives, amidst conditions so tough

Wrought by self inflicted worry

Of a future, an unwritten book of mystery

It may be boring or thrilling

Either way one must be willing

The present is ruined

Through nervous milling

Adversity

Running into adversity

Is a universal certainty

It can kindle life

If it is doesn’t throw the mind into strife

Few know how to extract essence

That can turn this place into heaven

There is a course that is taught

In life’s university, everyone is guaranteed a spot

There are many variations

Of the test, meeting all expectations

Some come prepared

Others are deathly scared

Opportunities

Opportunities return repackaged

When we are fully engaged

It takes practice to fully tune

Into the moments that are opportune

Many miss the first chance

There isn’t a clue given in advance

The journey is many miles long

There will be opportunities as we journey along

Walk, swim or fly

There’s a rule all creatures have to live by

This jaunt is in sync with time

Nothing may step out of that line