Wound-Wisdom-Poetry. See also
http://wound-wisdom-letters.blogspot.com , www.wound-wisdom.tk , and www.thingsihavelearnedinmylife.com/users/apipertoo .
These poems were all collected and/or written after my completion of my “picture-puzzle” artwork of love, for love’s sake, which I named “Peace and Harmony”, and which may be viewed at www.wound-wisdom.tk :
Religion: Unknown Wise Poet
If man's religion cramps his soul
And takes away his song,
Or puts his spirit in a cell….
It's wrong - all wrong!
If man's religion frees his soul,
His spirit fills with light,
And weaves a song into his life….
It's right - all right!
Religion: The Prayer of Jesus
God our Mother, God our Father,
God of Earth and Heaven,
God among us and within us, you are holy!
Continue your reign in us.
Do your will in us, as in all creation.
Forgive us our failings and shortcomings, as
We forgive others too.
Lead us through our temptations, and
Strengthen us to contend with evil.
For all love, healing and life are yours,
Now and forever,
Amen: It is so; So be It; Praise God !
Love of God, and each Other: Frederick M. Lehman
Read about its origins at http://nickel-notes.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/hymn-history-love-of-god.html . Hear this primal sweet harmony at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeBSv4dQ6BU&list=RDnEi463LcxxA&index=19 .
France Prešeren: “A Toast”
Let’s drink that every nation
Will live to see that bright day’s birth
When ‘neath the sun’s rotation
Dissent is banished from the earth
All will be
Kinfolk free
With neighbours none in enmity.
Rudyard Kipling, 1892: “Last Picture”
When Earth’s last picture is painted,
And the tubes are twisted and dried,
When all the oldest colours have faded,
And the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest. And faith, we shall need it –
Lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Creator of all Good Workers
Shall put us to work anew.
And those that were good shall be happy:
They shall sit in the golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comets hair.
They shall find real saints to draw from:
Magdalene, Peter and Paul –
They shall work for an age at a sitting,
And never be tired at all.
And only The Creator shall praise us,
And only Our God shall blame;
And no one shall work for money,
And no one shall work for fame –
But each for joy of the working,
And each, in a separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as they see it –
For the God of Things as They are !
Adam Lindsay Gordon (1833-70): “Question Not”
Question not, but live and labour
Till your goal be won,
Helping every feeble neighbour,
Seeking help from none:
Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble,
Courage in your own.
Omar Khayyám (1048-1123): “Rubáiyát”
Allah, perchance, the secret word might spell;
If Allah be, God keeps God’s secret well;
What God hath hidden, who shall hope to find ?
Shall God’s own secret to a maggot tell ?
Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.
Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out of the same Door as I went.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd -
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
Into this Universe, and why not knowing,
Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing:
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help - for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.
This circle in which we ebb and flow,
Neither beginning, nor an end does know.
The Riddle stands as posed long ago:
Where to we come from ? Where do we go ?
And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in the Nothing all Things end in — Yes —
Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what
Thou shalt be — Nothing — Thou shalt not be less.
William Earnest Henley (1849-1903): “Invictus”
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the owner of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Donald Chalmers: (2003) “Love, not Hate !”
Why Hate when you Rage against Fate !
It's too late to Latch the Gate, turn Tide and Date,
Finger the Dyke, Rail against Life… it will Bleed You !
Fools may Heed you, Ape you, and
Berate, Hate and Rape you, rather than Fête you !
Shove to Escape you !
Make No Mistake, Don't Hate. LOVE !
LOVE, you Log, 'Cause
Life 'twill be better off Without you…
Unless YOU Choose to Love !
That’s the Message of Jesus, the Jew,
A Better Person than You, who Sees Us,
And Believes in Us…
'Tis LOVE…'Tis !
First Published at www.wound-wisdom.tk .
Rudyard Kipling: “If”
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all folk doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on !"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all folk count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be full grown, my child !
Donald Chalmers (2004): “Fear Not”
Fear Not, my Dear, for Love is Here !
When in Pain, I am Here.
Gain Love - Love Gain,
All Yours, Yours All. I'm Here !
Fear Not, Be Clear, I'm Here, Near, My Dear !
Robert Burns (1759-96): “A ‘Man’s’ just a ‘Man’ ”
Is there, for honest poverty
That hangs his head and all that;
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for all that !
For all that, and all that,
Our toils obscure, and all that,
The rank is but gold money’s stamp,
The Man’s but gold for all that.
What though on homely fare we dine,
Wear the drab grey, and all that;
Give fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man’s a man for all that !
For all that, and all that,
Their tinsel show, and all that;
The honest man, though ever so poor,
Is king of men for all that !
You see that fellow, called a “lord”,
Who struts, and stares, and all that;
Though hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a fool for all that.
For all that, and all that,
His riband, star, and all that,
The “man” of independent mind
“He” looks and laughs at all that.
A king can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and all that;
But an honest “man’s” above his might,
Good faith,we mustn’t fall for that !
For all that, and all that,
Their dignities, and all that,
The pith of sense, and pride of worth,
Are higher rank than all that.
Then let us pray that come it may –
As come it will for all that –
That sense and worth, over all the earth,
May bear the prize, and all that.
For all that, and all that,
It’s coming yet for all that,
That “man” to “man”, the world over,
Shall “brothers” be for all that !
Donald Chalmers (2003): “The Universal ‘Man’ ”
When I Approached the
Figure of the Universal "Man", Expressing "Rage" -
The Figure said - "It's All Right to Rage,
'Cause that Just Means - to 'More Party',
And to Express 'Passion' - and that’s
All Right ! All Right !
But then You just Have To - Move On –
As I'm Doing ! As You See !
You Must Have True Vision,
Both the Short and the Long to Get On with Life, and
Not Stumble About In the Dark !
You Must Hear Plainly Both the High and the Low,
All Such Sounds are Pleasing to God –
Our Creator !
Be of Kind Mind, Forgiving and Generous, and
Then You'll be Able to 'Move On', 'Right On" !
Thanking Our God the Creator of All that’s
On Earth and Within.
The Seeing and the Blind - the Deaf Too -
Can Hear Gods true Tune, if they
Seek, they Shall Find It ! A Fine Tune !
Each of You Have Inside, what's
Required to be Free –
And That’s what's at the Heart of ME !
Courage and Wisdom, Stamina and Fulfilment
Will be Yours, if You Have 'Fruitfulness' Too !
And True Gut Feeling Will Come, when You
Realise that All of 'Us' are Male and Female 'Inside' !
Capable of Creating, in Friendship and Love
New Beings, All Right 'Inside' ! Inside !
So Use All Your 'Gifts' and 'Talents' Provided, and
Sing to Your Great God of Love and 'Just' Love !
And Balance and Justice, and Fidelity and Faithfulness will be Yours !
All Yours to Enjoy !
Enjoy and 'Move On' !
Enjoy and Move On, Using Different Words,
Many Languages and Colours !
Say the Same Thing ! 'Move On' !
Use Your Heart Hands, to Give and Produce,
Something quite Worthy, for Guidance of 'Youth',
For the Young and the Old Together, with Much Combined Experience -Shall See ME -
The Universal 'Man' ! *The Servant-Leader of your choice*
And as You Move Forward, when You See ME,
You Will Be Nourished, from the Fruit of the Tree !
Which draws from the Earth, Creator, much
Water and Goodness, which is Plain to See !
When You are Set Free ! Be FREE !
Free to be Kind and Tolerant of All -
Even of those of Great Difference !
For 'Each Kind' has It's Place, in God's Place !
The Birds of the Air, the Fish of the Sea -
Things Crawling on Land or on Sea -
Are Part of My Creation for Thee and Thee and Thee:
Even Thee !
To Share the Resources which have been Provided, With Passion, Great Passion !
With Balance and Justice and Dignity !
Have Respect !
Have Respect for Each Other, You Children of God,
Or You'll be Lost in the Fog and 'Get Lost' !
All Lost ! Last !
And won't 'Find' the 'Love of Life' that’s 'Within'.
Within the 'Universal "Man" ' !
'God Among Us, and Within Us' !
Then there are the Sick and the Dying,
the Limp and the Lame,
All Needing a Kindness to
Help 'Them' to 'Get Through' !
The Starving and Hungry:
All Needing 'Your' Touch !
So when You Look at 'ME',
Remember All Things 'Said' !
I Am the Universal 'Man',
God Among Us and Within 'Us' !
Moving On !
For All Healing Love and Power are
Yours to Use Wisely ! Wisely and 'Sagely' !
So You can Move 'ON' with 'NO' Pain and Regret
For the Destruction You've Left - Behind you !
So Look at ME again 'Friend',
Remembering all things Said -
And Leave Regrets Behind You, and
Make Up for them Instead !
Be Fruitful and Multiply, the Fruit of My 'Tree', and
You will Reap Rewards Undreamed of - because,
'I'm the Universal "Man" ' !
It Matters Not, When You Seek ME,
Many Paths I have Trod,
Whether You Call ME Mohammed, Sai Baba, God, Allah, the Buddha, or 'Just Jesus', the Jew –
I'm the God Creator, and
Within You, and You, and You ! Even 'YOU' !
So Hate Not, and Rail Not, against Fate, Everywhere,
Just Make up 'Your Mind' to be 'All' You can Be !
Just, Good and Fair, because -
I Am, the Universal 'Man' ! GOD ! Creator !
I Need Not a Dome !
I Am GOD Among You and Within You !
Even YOU !
My 'Peace' to YOU ! 'Always' !
'Long May Your Light Shine Long' !
May All of Life's Blessings be Yours ! For -
I'll be Loving YOU - Always !
And All 'That' - Always !
So 'That' leaves the 'Amen' !
And If You will All say 'It' Wisely, and Warmly,
And Kindly, and with Great Empathy,
You Will Intend to Follow My Instructions just Given, With Action !
And You will be Acting in the Way
Your Good God Intended ! "
AMEN ! ACTION !
It is So ! So be It ! Praise God, Only !
First Published at www.wound-wisdom.tk .
Tania de Jong: “Life’s Lessons/ Comes the Dawn”
After a while you learn the difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul.
You learn that love isn't leaning,
but lending support.
You begin to accept your defeats with
the grace of an adult,
not the grief of a child.
You decide to build your roads on today,
for tomorrows ground is too uncertain.
You help someone plant a garden
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
You learn that you have been given
The strength to endure, and that
You really do have worth.
Donald Chalmers (2004): “True Message/All Yours”
And how I long for your soft breath
To rest once more upon my neck,
So I may whisper in your ear, the sweet music
I feel stirring from Heart and Mind and Loin -
Impatient Yet, yet Patient Still !
My Love, My Heart, My Mind - all Yours !
Whether or Not our Differences Lean, and try to
Confuse my Pure Intent, with Yours.
And how I long for your soft lip
To rest once more on mine,
So I may feel again that Life’s Elixir – Exultation –
Which sets my Heart a thumping in it’s pumping –
My Soul - Alive !
But in the meantime, all I can do is Pray,
That your hand in mine will stay,
As you allow me, to walk with you each day,
Sharing your load, of Mind.
So Fear Not, my Dear, for Love is Here !
When in Pain, I am Here.
Gain Love - Love Gain,
All Yours, Yours All. I'm Here !
Fear Not, Be Clear, I'm Here, Near, My Dear !
Baker Knight: “The Wonder of You”
When no one else can understand me,
When everything I do is wrong;
You give me hope and consolation –
You give me strength to carry on !
And you try to show your love for me,
In everything that you do –
That’s the wonder, the wonder of you !
And when you smile the world is brighter,
You touch my hand and I’m a king;
Your kiss to me is worth a fortune –
Your love for me is everything !
And you’re always there to lend a hand,
In all I try to do –
That’s the wonder, the wonder of you !
You’ll never know how much I love you,
My love is yours and yours alone;
‘Cause it’s so wonderful to have you –
To have you for my very own !
Yet I’ll never know the reason why,
You love me as you do –
That’s the wonder, the wonder of you !
Wise Poet Unknown: “What is Love”
Love is giving someone
A portion of your heart….
Love is thinking of them
Though you’re close, or far apart….
Love is feeling tenderness
About the smallest things….
Love is glowing in the warmth
A special moment brings….
Love is finding happiness
In just a touch… or smile….
Love is everything that counts,
It’s what makes life worthwhile.
Wise Poet Unknown: “Joy”
May all the joy of each new day
Greet you with the rising sun,
And may it wrap you close around,
Until the day is done.
May you share your many blessings
With someone else along the way,
For thus you’ll find the beauty
And the joy of each new day.
Wise Poet Unknown: “The Bridge Builder”
The old man, going along a lone highway,
Came in the evening, cold and grey
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was sweeping a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim –
The sullen stream had no fears for him.
But he stopped, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a stranger standing near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here –
Your journey will end with the close of day,
And you never again will pass this way.
You’ve crossed the chasm deep and wide,
Why build you this bridge at eventide ?”
The builder lifted his old grey head,
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said
“There follows after me today
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm, which has been naught to me –
To that fair-faced youth might a pitfall be.
He too, must cross in the twilight dim….
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.”
Lesléa Newman (2009): “The Woodgatherer Speaks”
This work is a commentary on a “Biblical” account of a “stoning” as related in Numbers 15:32-15:36: “Once when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they came upon a man gathering wood on the sabbath day. Those who found him as he was gathering wood brought him before Moses, Aaron and the whole community. He was placed in custody, for it had not been specified what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death: the whole community shall pelt him with stones outside the camp.” So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death—as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
My life ended thousands of years ago
I am alive today
I gather wood on the scrolls of your Torah
I dance on the fringes of your tzitzit
I wander through the corners of your mind
as you sit in shul on Shabbat
and contemplate
the meaning of your life
the meaning of mine….
The full text of this epic poem may be viewed at:
http://jendireiter.com/2009/05/02/book-notes-nobodys-mother.aspx .
Wise Poet Unknown: “The Parade of Masks”
A sample:
You alone can break down that wall behind which I tremble. You alone can remove my mask.
Please ....... do not pass me by.
It will not be easy for you.
I fight against the very thing I cry out for, but
I am told that love is stronger than walls, and
In this lies my hope.
Please try to beat down those walls with firm hands,
But with gentle hands - for a child is very sensitive….
Who am I, you may wonder.
I am someone you know well.
For I am every man you meet.
And I am every woman you meet.
Wise Poet Unknown: “Desiderata”
Go Placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons - they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is:
Many persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical of love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the counsel of years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are borne of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive the Creator to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham and drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be Careful. Strive to be happy.
Wise Poet Unknown: “Your Face”
You don't have to tell how you live each day,
You don't have to say if you work or play;
A tried, true barometer serves in place -
However you live, will show in your face!
The false, the deceit, that you bear in your heart,
Will not stay inside where it first got the start,
For sinew and blood are thin veils of lace -
What you wear in your heart,
You wear in your face !
If your life is unselfish, if for others you live,
For not what you get, but how much you give;
If you live close to God in infinite grace -
You don't have to tell it - it shows in your face !
Wise Poet Unknown:
Today is ours - let's live it !
And love is strong - let's give it !
A song can help - let's sing it !
And peace is dear - let's bring it !
The past is gone - don't rue it !
Our work is here - let's do it !
The world is wrong - let's right it !
If evil comes - let's fight it !
The road is rough - let's clear it !
The future vast - don't fear it !
If faith's asleep - let's wake it !
Today is free - let's take it !
Wise Poet Unknown:
Remember friend, as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I
As I am now, so you will be -
So thou prepare to follow me !
Wise Poet Unknown:
If I knew that a word of mine,
A word not kind or true,
Might leave its trace on a loved one's face,
I wouldn't speak harshly, would you ?
If I knew that the light of a smile
Might linger the whole day through,
And lighten a heart with a heavier part,
I wouldn’t withhold it, would you ?
Donald Chalmers (2004): “Be humble”
You have to Walk on the Land,
As well as Through Life,
To Know "It" and Yourself !
Don’t Always get About in
Tinted Glass and Car Windows,
Air Conditioned, and Protected,
And Comfortable, Or You'll Rue It !
Life is Meant to be Lived with Wholesome Intent,
And with Goodness and Productivity as
Your Only Goal -
Not to Waste and Pillage, Pilfer and Steal,
All things Good, which are Meant to be Shared,
And Laid By in the Larder, for Bad Times Ahead !
A Contemplative Life: Know Yourself First !
Wise Thoughts, Cliff Cullin 2001:
Donald Chalmers (2004):
Book of Life
Live Life Life Live
Live Love Love Live
Live Long Long Live
Love Long Long Love
Long Life Life Long
Live Well Well Live
Love Well Well Love
Love Content Content Love
That's All There is to it !
Just Do it !
Smile !
Be Happy !
α Have Content, and be Content ! Ω
± Tree of Life ! lll
http://wound-wisdom-letters.blogspot.com , www.wound-wisdom.tk , and www.thingsihavelearnedinmylife.com/users/apipertoo .
These poems were all collected and/or written after my completion of my “picture-puzzle” artwork of love, for love’s sake, which I named “Peace and Harmony”, and which may be viewed at www.wound-wisdom.tk :
Religion: Unknown Wise Poet
If man's religion cramps his soul
And takes away his song,
Or puts his spirit in a cell….
It's wrong - all wrong!
If man's religion frees his soul,
His spirit fills with light,
And weaves a song into his life….
It's right - all right!
Religion: The Prayer of Jesus
God our Mother, God our Father,
God of Earth and Heaven,
God among us and within us, you are holy!
Continue your reign in us.
Do your will in us, as in all creation.
Forgive us our failings and shortcomings, as
We forgive others too.
Lead us through our temptations, and
Strengthen us to contend with evil.
For all love, healing and life are yours,
Now and forever,
Amen: It is so; So be It; Praise God !
Love of God, and each Other: Frederick M. Lehman
Read about its origins at http://nickel-notes.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/hymn-history-love-of-god.html . Hear this primal sweet harmony at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeBSv4dQ6BU&list=RDnEi463LcxxA&index=19 .
Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Tho stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angel’s song.
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Tho stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angel’s song.
France Prešeren: “A Toast”
Let’s drink that every nation
Will live to see that bright day’s birth
When ‘neath the sun’s rotation
Dissent is banished from the earth
All will be
Kinfolk free
With neighbours none in enmity.
Rudyard Kipling, 1892: “Last Picture”
When Earth’s last picture is painted,
And the tubes are twisted and dried,
When all the oldest colours have faded,
And the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest. And faith, we shall need it –
Lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Creator of all Good Workers
Shall put us to work anew.
And those that were good shall be happy:
They shall sit in the golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comets hair.
They shall find real saints to draw from:
Magdalene, Peter and Paul –
They shall work for an age at a sitting,
And never be tired at all.
And only The Creator shall praise us,
And only Our God shall blame;
And no one shall work for money,
And no one shall work for fame –
But each for joy of the working,
And each, in a separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as they see it –
For the God of Things as They are !
Adam Lindsay Gordon (1833-70): “Question Not”
Question not, but live and labour
Till your goal be won,
Helping every feeble neighbour,
Seeking help from none:
Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble,
Courage in your own.
Omar Khayyám (1048-1123): “Rubáiyát”
Allah, perchance, the secret word might spell;
If Allah be, God keeps God’s secret well;
What God hath hidden, who shall hope to find ?
Shall God’s own secret to a maggot tell ?
Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.
Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out of the same Door as I went.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd -
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
Into this Universe, and why not knowing,
Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing:
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help - for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.
This circle in which we ebb and flow,
Neither beginning, nor an end does know.
The Riddle stands as posed long ago:
Where to we come from ? Where do we go ?
And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in the Nothing all Things end in — Yes —
Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what
Thou shalt be — Nothing — Thou shalt not be less.
William Earnest Henley (1849-1903): “Invictus”
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the owner of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Donald Chalmers: (2003) “Love, not Hate !”
Why Hate when you Rage against Fate !
It's too late to Latch the Gate, turn Tide and Date,
Finger the Dyke, Rail against Life… it will Bleed You !
Fools may Heed you, Ape you, and
Berate, Hate and Rape you, rather than Fête you !
Shove to Escape you !
Make No Mistake, Don't Hate. LOVE !
LOVE, you Log, 'Cause
Life 'twill be better off Without you…
Unless YOU Choose to Love !
That’s the Message of Jesus, the Jew,
A Better Person than You, who Sees Us,
And Believes in Us…
'Tis LOVE…'Tis !
First Published at www.wound-wisdom.tk .
Rudyard Kipling: “If”
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all folk doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on !"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all folk count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be full grown, my child !
Donald Chalmers (2004): “Fear Not”
Fear Not, my Dear, for Love is Here !
When in Pain, I am Here.
Gain Love - Love Gain,
All Yours, Yours All. I'm Here !
Fear Not, Be Clear, I'm Here, Near, My Dear !
Robert Burns (1759-96): “A ‘Man’s’ just a ‘Man’ ”
Is there, for honest poverty
That hangs his head and all that;
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for all that !
For all that, and all that,
Our toils obscure, and all that,
The rank is but gold money’s stamp,
The Man’s but gold for all that.
What though on homely fare we dine,
Wear the drab grey, and all that;
Give fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man’s a man for all that !
For all that, and all that,
Their tinsel show, and all that;
The honest man, though ever so poor,
Is king of men for all that !
You see that fellow, called a “lord”,
Who struts, and stares, and all that;
Though hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a fool for all that.
For all that, and all that,
His riband, star, and all that,
The “man” of independent mind
“He” looks and laughs at all that.
A king can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and all that;
But an honest “man’s” above his might,
Good faith,we mustn’t fall for that !
For all that, and all that,
Their dignities, and all that,
The pith of sense, and pride of worth,
Are higher rank than all that.
Then let us pray that come it may –
As come it will for all that –
That sense and worth, over all the earth,
May bear the prize, and all that.
For all that, and all that,
It’s coming yet for all that,
That “man” to “man”, the world over,
Shall “brothers” be for all that !
Donald Chalmers (2003): “The Universal ‘Man’ ”
When I Approached the
Figure of the Universal "Man", Expressing "Rage" -
The Figure said - "It's All Right to Rage,
'Cause that Just Means - to 'More Party',
And to Express 'Passion' - and that’s
All Right ! All Right !
But then You just Have To - Move On –
As I'm Doing ! As You See !
You Must Have True Vision,
Both the Short and the Long to Get On with Life, and
Not Stumble About In the Dark !
You Must Hear Plainly Both the High and the Low,
All Such Sounds are Pleasing to God –
Our Creator !
Be of Kind Mind, Forgiving and Generous, and
Then You'll be Able to 'Move On', 'Right On" !
Thanking Our God the Creator of All that’s
On Earth and Within.
The Seeing and the Blind - the Deaf Too -
Can Hear Gods true Tune, if they
Seek, they Shall Find It ! A Fine Tune !
Each of You Have Inside, what's
Required to be Free –
And That’s what's at the Heart of ME !
Courage and Wisdom, Stamina and Fulfilment
Will be Yours, if You Have 'Fruitfulness' Too !
And True Gut Feeling Will Come, when You
Realise that All of 'Us' are Male and Female 'Inside' !
Capable of Creating, in Friendship and Love
New Beings, All Right 'Inside' ! Inside !
So Use All Your 'Gifts' and 'Talents' Provided, and
Sing to Your Great God of Love and 'Just' Love !
And Balance and Justice, and Fidelity and Faithfulness will be Yours !
All Yours to Enjoy !
Enjoy and 'Move On' !
Enjoy and Move On, Using Different Words,
Many Languages and Colours !
Say the Same Thing ! 'Move On' !
Use Your Heart Hands, to Give and Produce,
Something quite Worthy, for Guidance of 'Youth',
For the Young and the Old Together, with Much Combined Experience -Shall See ME -
The Universal 'Man' ! *The Servant-Leader of your choice*
And as You Move Forward, when You See ME,
You Will Be Nourished, from the Fruit of the Tree !
Which draws from the Earth, Creator, much
Water and Goodness, which is Plain to See !
When You are Set Free ! Be FREE !
Free to be Kind and Tolerant of All -
Even of those of Great Difference !
For 'Each Kind' has It's Place, in God's Place !
The Birds of the Air, the Fish of the Sea -
Things Crawling on Land or on Sea -
Are Part of My Creation for Thee and Thee and Thee:
Even Thee !
To Share the Resources which have been Provided, With Passion, Great Passion !
With Balance and Justice and Dignity !
Have Respect !
Have Respect for Each Other, You Children of God,
Or You'll be Lost in the Fog and 'Get Lost' !
All Lost ! Last !
And won't 'Find' the 'Love of Life' that’s 'Within'.
Within the 'Universal "Man" ' !
'God Among Us, and Within Us' !
Then there are the Sick and the Dying,
the Limp and the Lame,
All Needing a Kindness to
Help 'Them' to 'Get Through' !
The Starving and Hungry:
All Needing 'Your' Touch !
So when You Look at 'ME',
Remember All Things 'Said' !
I Am the Universal 'Man',
God Among Us and Within 'Us' !
Moving On !
For All Healing Love and Power are
Yours to Use Wisely ! Wisely and 'Sagely' !
So You can Move 'ON' with 'NO' Pain and Regret
For the Destruction You've Left - Behind you !
So Look at ME again 'Friend',
Remembering all things Said -
And Leave Regrets Behind You, and
Make Up for them Instead !
Be Fruitful and Multiply, the Fruit of My 'Tree', and
You will Reap Rewards Undreamed of - because,
'I'm the Universal "Man" ' !
It Matters Not, When You Seek ME,
Many Paths I have Trod,
Whether You Call ME Mohammed, Sai Baba, God, Allah, the Buddha, or 'Just Jesus', the Jew –
I'm the God Creator, and
Within You, and You, and You ! Even 'YOU' !
So Hate Not, and Rail Not, against Fate, Everywhere,
Just Make up 'Your Mind' to be 'All' You can Be !
Just, Good and Fair, because -
I Am, the Universal 'Man' ! GOD ! Creator !
I Need Not a Dome !
I Am GOD Among You and Within You !
Even YOU !
My 'Peace' to YOU ! 'Always' !
'Long May Your Light Shine Long' !
May All of Life's Blessings be Yours ! For -
I'll be Loving YOU - Always !
And All 'That' - Always !
So 'That' leaves the 'Amen' !
And If You will All say 'It' Wisely, and Warmly,
And Kindly, and with Great Empathy,
You Will Intend to Follow My Instructions just Given, With Action !
And You will be Acting in the Way
Your Good God Intended ! "
AMEN ! ACTION !
It is So ! So be It ! Praise God, Only !
First Published at www.wound-wisdom.tk .
Tania de Jong: “Life’s Lessons/ Comes the Dawn”
After a while you learn the difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul.
You learn that love isn't leaning,
but lending support.
You begin to accept your defeats with
the grace of an adult,
not the grief of a child.
You decide to build your roads on today,
for tomorrows ground is too uncertain.
You help someone plant a garden
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
You learn that you have been given
The strength to endure, and that
You really do have worth.
Donald Chalmers (2004): “True Message/All Yours”
And how I long for your soft breath
To rest once more upon my neck,
So I may whisper in your ear, the sweet music
I feel stirring from Heart and Mind and Loin -
Impatient Yet, yet Patient Still !
My Love, My Heart, My Mind - all Yours !
Whether or Not our Differences Lean, and try to
Confuse my Pure Intent, with Yours.
And how I long for your soft lip
To rest once more on mine,
So I may feel again that Life’s Elixir – Exultation –
Which sets my Heart a thumping in it’s pumping –
My Soul - Alive !
But in the meantime, all I can do is Pray,
That your hand in mine will stay,
As you allow me, to walk with you each day,
Sharing your load, of Mind.
So Fear Not, my Dear, for Love is Here !
When in Pain, I am Here.
Gain Love - Love Gain,
All Yours, Yours All. I'm Here !
Fear Not, Be Clear, I'm Here, Near, My Dear !
Baker Knight: “The Wonder of You”
When no one else can understand me,
When everything I do is wrong;
You give me hope and consolation –
You give me strength to carry on !
And you try to show your love for me,
In everything that you do –
That’s the wonder, the wonder of you !
And when you smile the world is brighter,
You touch my hand and I’m a king;
Your kiss to me is worth a fortune –
Your love for me is everything !
And you’re always there to lend a hand,
In all I try to do –
That’s the wonder, the wonder of you !
You’ll never know how much I love you,
My love is yours and yours alone;
‘Cause it’s so wonderful to have you –
To have you for my very own !
Yet I’ll never know the reason why,
You love me as you do –
That’s the wonder, the wonder of you !
Wise Poet Unknown: “What is Love”
Love is giving someone
A portion of your heart….
Love is thinking of them
Though you’re close, or far apart….
Love is feeling tenderness
About the smallest things….
Love is glowing in the warmth
A special moment brings….
Love is finding happiness
In just a touch… or smile….
Love is everything that counts,
It’s what makes life worthwhile.
Wise Poet Unknown: “Joy”
May all the joy of each new day
Greet you with the rising sun,
And may it wrap you close around,
Until the day is done.
May you share your many blessings
With someone else along the way,
For thus you’ll find the beauty
And the joy of each new day.
Wise Poet Unknown: “The Bridge Builder”
The old man, going along a lone highway,
Came in the evening, cold and grey
To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was sweeping a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim –
The sullen stream had no fears for him.
But he stopped, when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a stranger standing near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here –
Your journey will end with the close of day,
And you never again will pass this way.
You’ve crossed the chasm deep and wide,
Why build you this bridge at eventide ?”
The builder lifted his old grey head,
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said
“There follows after me today
A youth, whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm, which has been naught to me –
To that fair-faced youth might a pitfall be.
He too, must cross in the twilight dim….
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.”
Lesléa Newman (2009): “The Woodgatherer Speaks”
This work is a commentary on a “Biblical” account of a “stoning” as related in Numbers 15:32-15:36: “Once when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they came upon a man gathering wood on the sabbath day. Those who found him as he was gathering wood brought him before Moses, Aaron and the whole community. He was placed in custody, for it had not been specified what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death: the whole community shall pelt him with stones outside the camp.” So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death—as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
My life ended thousands of years ago
I am alive today
I gather wood on the scrolls of your Torah
I dance on the fringes of your tzitzit
I wander through the corners of your mind
as you sit in shul on Shabbat
and contemplate
the meaning of your life
the meaning of mine….
The full text of this epic poem may be viewed at:
http://jendireiter.com/2009/05/02/book-notes-nobodys-mother.aspx .
Wise Poet Unknown: “The Parade of Masks”
A sample:
You alone can break down that wall behind which I tremble. You alone can remove my mask.
Please ....... do not pass me by.
It will not be easy for you.
I fight against the very thing I cry out for, but
I am told that love is stronger than walls, and
In this lies my hope.
Please try to beat down those walls with firm hands,
But with gentle hands - for a child is very sensitive….
Who am I, you may wonder.
I am someone you know well.
For I am every man you meet.
And I am every woman you meet.
Wise Poet Unknown: “Desiderata”
Go Placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons - they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is:
Many persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical of love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly to the counsel of years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are borne of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive the Creator to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham and drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be Careful. Strive to be happy.
Wise Poet Unknown: “Your Face”
You don't have to tell how you live each day,
You don't have to say if you work or play;
A tried, true barometer serves in place -
However you live, will show in your face!
The false, the deceit, that you bear in your heart,
Will not stay inside where it first got the start,
For sinew and blood are thin veils of lace -
What you wear in your heart,
You wear in your face !
If your life is unselfish, if for others you live,
For not what you get, but how much you give;
If you live close to God in infinite grace -
You don't have to tell it - it shows in your face !
Wise Poet Unknown:
Today is ours - let's live it !
And love is strong - let's give it !
A song can help - let's sing it !
And peace is dear - let's bring it !
The past is gone - don't rue it !
Our work is here - let's do it !
The world is wrong - let's right it !
If evil comes - let's fight it !
The road is rough - let's clear it !
The future vast - don't fear it !
If faith's asleep - let's wake it !
Today is free - let's take it !
Wise Poet Unknown:
Remember friend, as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I
As I am now, so you will be -
So thou prepare to follow me !
Wise Poet Unknown:
If I knew that a word of mine,
A word not kind or true,
Might leave its trace on a loved one's face,
I wouldn't speak harshly, would you ?
If I knew that the light of a smile
Might linger the whole day through,
And lighten a heart with a heavier part,
I wouldn’t withhold it, would you ?
Donald Chalmers (2004): “Be humble”
You have to Walk on the Land,
As well as Through Life,
To Know "It" and Yourself !
Don’t Always get About in
Tinted Glass and Car Windows,
Air Conditioned, and Protected,
And Comfortable, Or You'll Rue It !
Life is Meant to be Lived with Wholesome Intent,
And with Goodness and Productivity as
Your Only Goal -
Not to Waste and Pillage, Pilfer and Steal,
All things Good, which are Meant to be Shared,
And Laid By in the Larder, for Bad Times Ahead !
A Contemplative Life: Know Yourself First !
Wise Thoughts, Cliff Cullin 2001:
You
are a masterpiece of creation, totally unique; your nature fused with goodness,
unlimited potential and creative power. This is your dynamic bond with your
Creator. These attributes are only found in part in human nature and totally in
your Creator. You were born to create a master work, so important are you, so
special in your life.
You
activate this dynamic bond by the practice of goodness. Think good of yourself.
Let no fits of fear, anger or anxiety distract you from the practice of
goodness, nor desires or unnecessary wants. Goodness is the positive force of
your nature.
In
every activity focus on the doing it brings you back from the past and the
future to the present. Your nature, body and mind become one. Choose to
maintain this oneness. If our imagination roams it fragments us into negative
pieces.
Find
a quiet place to spend some time each day in stillness. Allow ten minutes
minimum; sit upright, breathe in and out through your nose into the bottom of
your lungs. Make it even, regular and with no pauses or sighs. Become aware of
you tension and sensations. Let the tension flow out through your hands and
feet, to bring your sensations to the same level of intensity. Awareness
controls your imagination.
The
dynamic bond is activated by goodness, maintained with focusing, and grows in
strength by stillness. Insight leads you to your master work. Fullness of being
within a lasting environment of health, happiness and fulfilment awaits you.
In
the beginning work hard; you are developing a new, natural way of living, not
dependent on anything or anybody, and placing your full faith and trust in your
Creator and in the exercises. You are breaking the shackles of the chains that
bind you. The power of goodness will overcome any problem, any evil.
Donald Chalmers (2004):
Book of Life
Live Life Life Live
Live Love Love Live
Live Long Long Live
Love Long Long Love
Long Life Life Long
Live Well Well Live
Love Well Well Love
Love Content Content Love
That's All There is to it !
Just Do it !
Smile !
Be Happy !
α Have Content, and be Content ! Ω
± Tree of Life ! lll
