Everywhere Camp of the Heart

It’s not about how many years you have to live, but how you live with the years you have left.

2007-03-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

2007-03-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Doctor's Visit

2007-03-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

Just enough teeth left
To chew my food
Just enough nose
To smell the flowers

Just enough urethra

To spray the weeds

Outside my bedroom door
Just enough sight
To take in the beauty
All around me…

Life is good

2007-03-13T01:15:00.000-07:00

The Pebble

2007-03-13T01:10:00.000-07:00

I drop the pebble of inquiry
Into the pond of my innermost
Reflection.
Ripples move out
And reverberate off the shores
Of my distant Self.
I see the images of eternal truth.
I feel the wholeness
Of my inner being.
This recognition is my homecoming.
Nothing has changed,
But for the light that illuminates all.
With gratitude and laughter,
I accept this wondrous gift
And heartfully extend it
To you.

2007-03-13T01:06:00.000-07:00

The Path of Beauty

2007-03-13T01:02:00.000-07:00

I walk the path of beauty.
I walk among the firefly stars of the night
Where silence embraces me
Like a warm blanket.
I hear sounds that tickle my ears and soothe me.
I lay upon the ground
That becomes my bed.
I sink into the Earth.
I listen to my heart
And it becomes the drum sound that guides me.
I feel the pulse of my blood,
Surging like a river into mystery.
I explore the depths of my breath,
And I become the Wind
That knows every place.
All my senses communicate
The beauty that surrounds me and is inside
My heart is full
And I am one with all creation.

2007-03-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

Song of Esalen

2007-03-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

I am spirit,
I’m a place beyond the World;
Caught on the edge
Where crystal sand has been hurled.
I’m the restless sea.
I am the rocks above.
I am the butterflies
High on love.
I am steep, ragged cliffs
Falling into the sea.
I am sudsy foam
Crashing in on me.
I am passing whales
Who spout white water.
I am joyful treasures,
I am dolphin and otter.
I am hot pools and rock pools
Where I am cleansed of my worry.
I am slow walks and quiet talks.
I don’t have to hurry.
I am dark fertile earth.
I am gardens that grow.
I am dreamtime succulents
Who say that they Know.
I am green, spongy grass
Who says, "Come play on me.”
I am the salt in the air
Rising out of the sea.
I am raccoon, masked robber,
Who steals in the night
Along with my brothers,
We hug in delight.
I’m a clear, happy creek,
Over rocks tumbling down.
I flow by a building
Where silence goes round.
And way back beyond
I’m a canyon that goes deep
In quiet solitude
I bathe in the creek.
I am giant redwoods
That long ago burned.
I made hollow cathedrals
Where people could learn.
I am tall reaching pines,
Home for butterfly dreams.
I am sky-diving hawks,
Feathers chasing their screams.
I am flowering vines,
Who climb over banks.
I am you passing by,
Our eyes touch in thanks.

I am Spirit
I am the rock that meets the sea.
I am Spirit.
I am all that I can be.

2007-03-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

2007-03-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

2007-03-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

Unity

2007-03-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

Let us not forget
That we have come here together
And this togetherness
Is part of our transformation
Part of the utter joy
Of the experience we are attaining:

A feather by itself
Floats to the earth
Feathers united in a wing
Ascend to Heaven

2007-03-05T22:19:00.000-08:00

Static

2007-03-05T22:15:00.000-08:00

The reactions of people
Are like Fall leaves
Tumbling and skidding
Across the ground

What I want
Is to find the tree
They came from
And follow her roots
Deep into the earth

2007-03-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

2007-03-05T02:59:00.001-08:00

The swallow swoops down to skim the pond and leaves with a mouthful of water.

2007-03-05T02:12:00.000-08:00

2007-03-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

Communication to the World

2007-03-05T02:02:00.000-08:00

Wake up!
Smell the roses!
Smell all the smells
Strip off your clothes
And walk naked
In the warm breeze

Let the rediscovery
Of your senses
Bring innocence again
But this time
Bring respect also
The child and the adult together
Hand in hand
Innocence and respect
We are the guardians
Or the destroyers
If we despoil
All that is beautiful
We will have nothing
Left to guard
Wake up, humans
Before it’s too late
And appreciate all
That is before you

2007-03-05T01:59:00.000-08:00

2007-03-05T01:43:00.000-08:00

Dave Ruka's Answer

2007-03-05T01:36:00.000-08:00

Which bird will eat me
When I am gone?
Who can transmute the poison
That has stolen my song?
Could it be raven, vulture or hawk?
Or will the stink of tainted meat
Cause the feathered ones to balk?
And take wing from this deceit?
Then alone I must die
With no atonement in view.
Even the phoenix avoids the pyre
And speaks not what must be true.

In those last waning moments
Trembling hands reach out for love.
Hark! Outside the hospice window,
The mourning of the dove.

It's impossible to achieve any peace if you have to deal with both a chattering mind and a chattering mouth.

2007-03-05T01:33:00.000-08:00

2007-03-05T01:19:00.000-08:00

You can call me friend, if we can go to that place that words can't touch and rest there a while.

2007-03-05T01:08:00.000-08:00

2007-03-05T01:03:00.000-08:00

A mosquito catcher floats in pieces in a hot brewed cup of tea.

2007-02-25T16:03:00.000-08:00

2007-02-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

2007-02-25T15:26:00.000-08:00

2007-02-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

The rocks are my bones...the ocean, my blood...the seagulls are my voice and the sun is my smile.

2007-02-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

Before the Altar

2007-02-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

I come to make an offering
To you,
Almighty One.
I am the incense
On the altar of your love.
Show me,
How I may be transfigured.
I offer myself
To the great flame of your love.
Let your heartfire
Leap to me
And catch me alight.

I am burning now.
My body is your incense.
I release the fragrance
That has been hidden inside,
And the smoke of my prayer
Spirals to heaven in thanksgiving.
My ashes drop to the table
And I await,
In emptiness,
For the breeze that will sweep me away
Into the service of your will.

Thank you, Great One,
For leaving nothing behind.
In my selflessness,
I wish only to leave
The memory of a fragrance.

2007-02-25T09:15:00.001-08:00

When the King understood what truly motivated people, he asked the Fool to come and sit by his side.

2007-02-25T09:06:00.000-08:00

2007-02-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Two Wolves

2007-02-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that
goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between the two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

2007-02-24T22:43:00.000-08:00

Of Mice Not Men

2007-02-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

That we could fly
More than eight miles high
Crammed like canned sardines
As we reproach an unencumbered sky

That we could sit
With no hope of exit
In a darkened movie tube
Where the sun is told to quit

That we could eat
What masquerades as meat
While heavy carts cruise aisles
Nearly crushing our chilly feet

That we could pretend
How endless flights must end
While seeking sanctuary in the heads
Whose mess and smell offend

That we could smile
Mincing desperation with guile
As we cave in to our nerves
And make itineraries up the aisles

That we could think
That we’re finally in the pink
Because the plane just touched down
And now we’ll make our next link

That we could hurry
To the carousel of baggage slurry
Where dreams and schedules are crushed
And patience erupts in fury

That we could actually believe
That our personals will be retrieved
But without socks and underwear
How can anyone be received

That we could possibly defend
Technology that makes mice of men
Historians must be wondering
If lead plates are in fashion again

2007-02-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

2007-02-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

2007-02-24T22:12:00.000-08:00

The rock holds the tree; the tree holds the rock. On the edge of erosion.....a marriage.

2007-02-24T22:03:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

Self-indulgence is the existential molasses of subjectivity.

2007-02-22T23:26:00.000-08:00

Indian Memorial on Death

2007-02-22T23:23:00.000-08:00

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on the snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there
I did not die.

Author Unknown

2007-02-22T22:43:00.000-08:00

Mt Shasta Chaneling

2007-02-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

We acknowledge the difficulties of physical incarnation and we honor your courage and commitment in being here. There is no more difficult undertaking than yours. We ask you to persevere in the knowledge that you are supported in many unseen ways.

Your aloneness is a teacher and it delivers the teaching with emphasis and clarity, but be not dismayed that you are left alone or are forsaken. We are holding your hand in a great circle of communion. Without you and your great undaunted effort, the circle shall remain broken!

We need you so utterly for our own fulfillment that we have dedicated our love and conscious effort to help you remember your connection to the Cosmos. We are committed to helping you remember what you chose to forget in order to return to this dimension.

Hold your hands out in trust and faith so that we may grasp them and bring fulfillment to this beautiful partnership. Without your efforts, nothing goes forth to fruition. This is the trust that the Creator has given in you. Open your heart to see again with love. Open your eyes and see beyond the illusion.

All of this you have called forth into being to teach yourself mastery and oneness. What you embody in this plane will affect all other planes. Many have come to witness this unfoldment, this opening of the temple doors to new dimensions. Their interests are one with yours.

Live your lives with an undeterred conviction in everything you do. Dismiss no possibility within or beyond this earthly realm. Let the celebration of your discoveries be broadcast to the far corners of the Universe, like the pealing of the bells of the great Cathedral of Light.

Only a fool digs up the seeds he has planted to see if they have sprouted.

2007-02-22T22:25:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

One Plus One Equals One

2007-02-22T14:33:00.000-08:00

Shaman,
Mystic flute player,
Who serenades deep canyon walls.
Wizened man
With boyish heart unleashed.
Merriment and exquisite trouble
Just around the next bend.
Come with me and play.
Ancient poet remembered.
Waterfall of image words.
Come and stand under
Rainbow succulent mist
Let us be baptized afresh
And reborn again
To hold hands
And walk the path of beauty.

When you touch upon yourself and express who you really are, everything in the vicinity of your Universe is altered.

2007-02-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

Music leaps out of its own silence.

2007-02-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Standing People

2007-02-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

Like a sacred tree,
Set your roots deep into the Earth,
So that your branches can reach
High into the sky.
…..Be limber.
Dance in the breeze
And surrender to the storm
Without breaking.
…..Be rooted
So that the winds of change
Shall not topple you
And spoil the promise of your bloom.
…..Persevere
And the flowers will come
So that you can release your fragrance
In the divine expression of Self.
…..Set your fruit
So that others will be nurtured
And future generations of trees
Shall be seeded
…..Bend with humility
So that some of your branches
Always caress the ground
In respect
…..Send forth your inquiry
From sprouting roots near the surface
So that the Earth
Can find its inspiration.
Let the Two become
Entwined into the One,
And find fulfillment
In the embrace of dual nature.

2007-02-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

The gift that I give curves as it leaves my hand. It's journey and my generosity will eventually find their way back to me.

2007-02-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

Well Connected

2007-02-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

I am well connected
Though I’m not well heeled.
I manage to get to places
Of power, magic and the surreal.
Meeting wonderful people,
Who have become my friends,
Letters, calls and prayers
Flow back and forth to the very ends.
It feels so good to know
That I’m welcome in hearths widespread.
That on a warm starlit night
I can simply roll out my bed.
And drink up the beauty
That everywhere abounds,
While shooting stars deliver inspiration
That penetrates the ground.

We, too, are weavers of webs,
Bringers of the light
Ancient faces of the familiar
Fragrances of delight.
I fill my cup with Earth’s elixir
And drink this sweet, melancholy brew.
I’ll fill that cup again and again
Before this journey’s through.
And when I am done,
I’ll lay a thousand bouquets
At the foot of God’s good throne.
Slip off the robes of this ebbing life
And fly my way back home.

2007-02-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

The horse that runs free does not bite.

2007-02-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

Jackpot

2007-02-21T00:14:00.000-08:00

Is it lucky
That the sun comes up every morning?
Or that you happen to be
There to witness it?
How many sunrises
Have happened in your life?
And how many excuses do you have
For missing most of them?
I think you have been lucky
To see a few sunrises
In spite of your sleepiness.
The miracles of Life keep slipping by
Like the mighty Mohawk flowing.
Last night, at sunset,
I saw the herons there
Pierce the violet penumbra of ebbing light.
I saw the ducks skate on the river,
Making soft landings.
No one else was there
But Beauty draws me irresistibly
Toward its next encore.
Remember,
Tomorrow’s sunrise
Will bring another opportunity.
Maybe you’ll get lucky!

2007-02-20T23:58:00.000-08:00

Materialists make the mistake of thinking that there is more to get from Life than just Experience.

2007-02-20T23:56:00.000-08:00

2007-02-20T23:44:00.000-08:00

Dilemma

2007-02-20T23:19:00.000-08:00

Dilemma

Blank page staring
Staring at me
Yet I am the author
Striving to be.
Words cross my mind
But travel not through the heart.
Without a beginning,
How can I start?

Blank page staring
Staring at me
I’m wracking my brains
But it’s as empty as can be.
I peel off the lines
To find the hidden proof
Yet, there the page remains
Naked, empty, aloof.

Blank page staring
Staring at me
Is this how Hamlet felt
Reduced to a soliloquy?
Round and round the head
But never on the page.
This writer’s curse
Has locked me in a cage

Blank page staring
Staring at me
Why is it that I capture
Not one profundity?
Has my mind gone empty
To match the page?
Or could this dearth
Bring forth a Sage?

Blank page staring
Staring at me
Maybe it would be better
Just to let you be free.
Not to encumber your space
To satisfy my pride
And bend to whispered words
On which all pretensions glide.

Blank page staring
Staring at me
Perhaps I’m guilty of some iniquity.
Did I pump out words
Like a whore throws looks?
Maybe what the world needs
Is more trees and less books

Words are like water balloons, the best ones explode on impact...and disappear!

2007-02-20T23:06:00.000-08:00

2007-02-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

Undivided Horizon

2007-02-20T22:53:00.000-08:00

Two feathers, two friends
The left side and the right.
They live on different wings
But without them, there’s no flight.

Two feathers, two friends
The one, young, the other, old.
Struck by the lightening bolt of God
There is no salve for the bold.

Two feathers, two friends
Line the wings with growing couplets.
Time capsules of sacred trust
Burst as we soar at sunset

Many feathers, two wings
Lift them to the knowing breeze.
As spiral circles bend the space
Our wholeness seeks what frees.

2007-02-20T22:50:00.000-08:00

2007-02-20T22:36:00.000-08:00

Before the Butterfly......the Dreaming Cocoon

2007-02-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

2007-02-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

Responsibility

2007-02-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

RESPONSIBILITY OF A SEEKER---- Don’t give up the Quest for any reason.

RESPONSIBILITY OF A TEACHER---- Don’t become an end, only a means.

RESPONSIBILITY OF A POET---- Make it real with feeling, cadence and imagery.

RESPONSIBILITY OF A FRIEND---- Compassion, not judgment, makes us trustworthy.

RESPONSIBILITY OF A PARTNER---- Place everything on the scales of Love

2007-02-20T15:21:00.000-08:00

2007-02-19T01:08:00.000-08:00

Big Sur Blogisphere

2007-02-18T22:11:00.000-08:00