revealing time’s hand;
for the patient man the trickle
becomes the flood

The Song of the Wayfarer

The valley is wide, the desert dry,
The ocean deep and mountain high.
It’s said there’s a land on the other side;
I’ve been given a horse and told to ride!

The days are hot, the nights are cold,
I’ve forsaken my friends and my home of old.
It’s said there’s a place where I’ll be consoled;
I’ve been given directions and a cloak of gold.

The journey is long, the journey is far,
The dangers are many and deep are the scars.
They say there’s a Lord who must be redressed,
But hides his face from the one who is blessed.

There’s a cry in the wilderness year after year,
That only the faithful may know and may hear.
And the heart that is steadfast, firm and true
Will no longer want and will always make do.

“The turning seasons have honed thy skill,
The way it has narrowed and is narrowing still.
I say there’s a secret that heals the rift,
All who would love must return the gift!”

The valley is wide and the deserts dry,
The oceans deep and the mountains high.
They say there’s a world beyond the sky…
I’ve been given wings and told to fly.

we can only achieve something outwardly,
if first we are able to dream it inwardly…

All good, AHH. I wasn’t trying to “set the record straight” in any way etc. just elaborating on my take. I’m unfamiliar with the story and have never read Clavell. I appreciate your responses and most importantly, the way you look for and find the diamonds in the rough. Otherwise, what can we say about human beings that hasn’t been said? Human motives will always be mixed, we make the wrong choices time and again, and yet we’re always given another chance to right things. To me, beauty, harmony, love and so on are more than poetic concepts, they are spiritual realities and so bear constant reiteration. After all, we can only advance if we’re inspired enough to overcome the inertia of the human state of consciousness. On a personal note, I have been distracted by an ongoing situation within my family that has affected my health and has consumed enormous amounts of not only coin, but reserves of patience etc. etc. I am on track to resolve the initial ‘instalment’ of imposed drama in a matter of months, and expect to be able to devote a little more time to pursuits such as poetry, although I have taken the step of picking up work on a number of visual art projects which have brought fresh life and energy and so have helped me walk these “last few miles”. As such, I look through the archive and with the benefit of hindsight, make the odd revisions on some of the earlier poetry. And so, in relation to the difficulties we face when confronted with the necessity of dropping dead weight in order to survive new conditions, I dug up the following…

I’ll Go No More A Roving O’

I’ll go no more a roving o’
A wandering over hills and lea.
I’ll rove no more with you fair maid,
Nor revel in your company.

I’ll go no more a roving o’,
From north to south and east to west.
I’ll weave no wreathes, no maiden’s crowns
Nor lay my head against thy breast.

I’ll go no more a roving o’
Through verdant lands and sylvan wood.
I’ll free the owl and silver deer,
And bury all your gifts for good!

I’ll go no more a roving o’,
A wayfaring with you my dear;
No more I’ll cage my breathing heart
Whatever time or day of year!

I’ll go no more a roving o’,
With you no more I’ll range;
I’ll bite my lip, I’ll clench my teeth,
And do everything I can to change!

Thank so much, Sudhi. It’s an unassuming poem yet its message bears repeating. We have the choice of being either our own best friend or worst enemy, yet it’s surprising how often we choose the latter, if only because the Being or Force whose task it is to keep Soul moribund and ineffectual is so effective in Its rule of this world. By and large, Soul is left to Its own devices and must make the commitment to walk the spiritual path of Its own volition, yet when It does Its fortunes take a turn for the better. A line from Episode 3 of the excellent series, “Shogun”, [https://movies7.to/tv/shogun2-jw2l2/1-3], uttered by the protagonist Toranaga to his impatient son comes to mind; “When will you understand? You are playing a game of friends and enemies, when you have only yourself in this life”. Toranaga’s advice to his son explains the importance of self-reliance, but there is another very important part of the equation that the father leaves unspoken being that when Soul applies Its creativity to the problems of life, the Great Spirit steps in to take up the slack, and so enables miracles to occur. So how do we tap the great mystery of life known as the subtle yet very real line of communication between Divine Spirit and Soul? The first thing to understand is that Soul is an individuation of Divine Spirit, ie; Soul is made of the very same substance as Divine Spirit and hence It inherently has the power to know, be and see. Further, Its destiny is to become a co-worker with the Spiritual Hierarchy and this is done simply by doing all in the name of Divine Spirit, in the name of Divine Love, in doing whatever we can on a daily basis to consciously further the Divine Cause. This all begins with self forgiveness which enables Soul to step out from beneath the burden of guilt which the Negative Force imposes upon It (which is nothing more than Soul’s karmic burden). To this end, I’d like to share a story that came my way;

A horseman was riding along a road and far up ahead, he sees something lying smack in the middle of the road so he approaches and sees it’s a little sparrow and it’s lying on its back. He says, “Are you hurt?” The little sparrow says, “No”. The rider asks, “Well, then why are you lying on your back like that for?” The little bird says, “Well, I heard the sky’s going to fall today.” The horseman laughs, and says, “Why that’s foolish. Do you think you could hold up the whole sky with your spindly little legs?” And the little bird says, “One does what one can.” And that’s how it is with all of us. We’re drawing on this creative element within us and doing what we can, the best we can, one day at a time.

That’s the one I have as well.

One form of inspiration I have often referred to is to take a line from Shakespeare, to contemplate on it and then write a poem around it. The first such poem I will post here proceeds from Henry VI Part 3; “My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not deck’d with diamonds and Indian stones; Not to be seen. My crown is call’d content; A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.” The title comes from an Irish jig.

Apples in Winter

I’ll bring you apples in winter, kisses in spring,
Bouquets of lavender and wreaths for your hair.
I’ll bring you songs that celebrate midsummer’s fling,
And content will be the crown I wear.

I’ll bring you apples in winter as crisp as snow,
With two strong arms and legs to bear.
I’ll bring you laughter and joy and friendship to grow,
And content will be the crown I wear.

I’ll bring you apples in winter, both tart and sweet;
Red, gold and green, should you ever despair.
I’ll bring you fire at midnight to make you complete,
And content will be the crown I wear.

I’ll bring you apples in winter and kisses in spring,
The fruits of high summer and autumn so spare.
I’ll bring you bouquets and banquets, the envy of kings,
And content will be the crown I wear.

whoosh of owl’s wings
as a mouse scurries away;
petals scattering