Tag Archives: poetry

POETRY IS OFTEN “NOT THAT!”

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Can one talk about God except through poetry?
No and yes,
Because without song there’d be nothing memorable to say
But God insists upon our being intelligent, or, at the very least, intelligible,
And poetry often is “not that!”

Without inspiration, (taking a spiritual breath), there’d be no God –
But that’s about breathing “in” – not “out” –
Yet, when we’re talking about God, isn’t it always a mix?
Part understanding and part a tapping of the feet.

Isn’t it true that as soon as God comes to mind
Our heart wants to start singing –
Isn’t it also true that as soon as black letters hit white pages
In an attempt to describe God –
A bucket of color gets thrown over the words –
Because God is so wild, alive, and unanticipated.

A newborn baby first opening its eyes to the world
Could not be more surprised
Than a poet sitting down and starting to write anything about God.

WHEN MEN ARE FREE TO BE BEAUTIFUL

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When men are free to be beautiful
And women become inspired by the bravery of Alexander –

When men start reflecting on the beauty of their surroundings
And women train night and day for competitive contests –

When men write poetry about their love of the natural world
And women burn with desire for stellar accomplishments –

Is the time when men and women will start switching roles –
And, then, switching back again –
Especially since such roles will no longer exist –
Nor the traditional hierarchies either –
And people’s historically stubborn egos will disappear forever.

When everyone becomes free enough to be their “true self”
They’ll also be free to ask what God would do – and then, actually, do it!

This is the spiritual space Jesus embodied himself,
Then perfected, and, subsequently, died for!

Now, two millennia later, it’s become somewhat easier to achieve –
Not, of course, a “gimme” –
But, certainly, more possible
Now than then!

THE GERMANS

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They like to measure things –
In fact, “things” constitute “poetry” for them –
Like manipulating microns
Or fashioning the best teeth in the world.

They often fall into harsh prejudices or judgments, however,
–  (like other people enjoy jumping into lakes) –
Against Jews or Blacks
Who have experienced Germans walking – not on water – but on their heads.

Life for Germans is Romantic
As opposed to Real.

Their religion is anti-spirit
Because it’s impossible to manipulate God
Without placing “Him” inside a spiritual-materialistic religious organization –
Far distant from any possible change.

Germans are heroic –
But sin in their lack of humbleness –
In fact, they’ve long believed – back to the time they were still living in forests –
That they’re a “race” of heroes –
Especially when it comes to manufacturing guns, swords, and sausages.

Hansel and Gretel are typical good Germans
Baked in an oven by a bad old witch –
Who tricked them –
Since Germans are always innocent of everything.

POETRY OF NEGATION

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Attempting to describe God
By analogy to any of the infinite number of creatures or creations
In or outside this world –
Is a futile exercise.

It’s much better to approach God through negation –
God is not like ….
Which illustrates how God exists beyond language –
Even beyond mind itself.

God, however, does accept direct communications from the heart
With its inexpressible promptings of joy.

The best thing about God is all the surprises –
Both good and bad –
That throughout our lives God sends us as “presents” –
Which we unwrap with great anticipation and trepidation.

The last surprise, however,
Is the one that turns out to really be the last!

THE NEXT ROOM

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In the West, poetry has pretty much been “dying on the vine”
Because there’s simply no “juice” left –
Especially since there’s no longer any believable God to write for.

In ancient Islam, mysticism and poetry frequently were allied –
And in medieval Sufism, with Hafiz and Rumi,
You might even say that, for a time, they became the same thing.

Christianity, knocking through a couple millennia of violent materialism
And repressible crimes,
Has, unfortunately, over time, devolved into contemporary Evangelical/Republican paternalism.

Sufi poets, however, spent their time and spiritual energy searching for the “heart of humanity”
And found it in “Love” –
Which enabled them to dance and sing ecstatically.

Westerners might one day experience this too –

But from way over, in the next room.

THE BIGGEST INVISIBLE PARTY

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Humanly, I think it’s impossible to know much about God
Except through “spirit” – and, primarily, through “love.”

Generally, God is unknowable to human beings
As if hidden behind a “mystical cloud”
Despite humanity’s best creative images and poetry.

But that cloud, surprisingly, sometimes opens to reveal God
When lightning flashes of radiant love
Break through our quotidian existence.

It’s certainly true that human beings are able to love
More than they’ll ever be able to fully understand.

For example, love is humanity’s “side entrance”
Into a timeless, ecstatic celebration
God has been producing on a regular basis for God’s closest friends –

The biggest invisible party
Held at infinite undisclosed locations
Ever given.

POETS ARE BAKERS (for National Poetry Month)

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Poets are bakers
Kneading wonder words into the food we need.

Sometimes, though, poets can start believing they’re even more ancient than the gods
And attempt to create greater worlds than those gods were ever able to achieve.

Poets’ most critical work, however, is discerning fresh uncharted paths
That they can barely see –
And have rarely had the opportunity to walk on themselves.

Poets also are carpenters
Building worlds not yet in focus – much less existence –
With unsettled words
Plucked out of the sweet invincible air.

Poets use words like nature uses colors –
And diligently work to design magic glasses
Through which “reality” may be seen.

Poets – humanity’s last surviving “world-makers.”