Who comes to your mind when the night gives you stillness?
When all is silent and you are alone by your Self?
Who is it that your mind calls out to as the silence comes calling?
Who is your hand reaching out for when the mind is left bare?
Who do you dream of when the Angels are singing?
When time and the past have no influence at all?
Who is it that you see in the mist of your longing?
Who is it that your heart cries out for when you need to be heard?
Who do you search for when the cross is too heavy?
When molehills and mountains seem too steep to climb?
Who is it you count on to dig footholds and crags?
Who is it you turn to to crack all the stone?
Whose name do you cry out to in moments of darkness?
When you feel like you’re crushed under the weight of it all?
Who do you run to for safety when the walls start to tumble?
Who do you think of when the pressure’s too high?
Who do you look to when your Light becomes blinding?
When joy in your heart makes anger subside?
Who do you search for when the moment feels perfect?
Who do you want when these moments arrive?
Search in your soul for the Love’s never waning,
Search in your heart to answer it all.
Open your arms to the Truth of your Being,
Open your mind to see what is standing right by your side.
Category: Poetry (Page 26 of 36)
I haven’t written a lyric in some time, but tonight this just would not leave my head. It was begging to get out, so here it is.
Peace.
We traveled along this far and wide, And now we walk this great divide, Still, I lay alone here in the dark, And say I love you. And though we think the end is near, I shout these words you will not hear, I can’t stop trying to say, I love you. Through those dusty roads within, I can’t find a place I’d rather been, Than to have walked those roads beside you. When you see a shooting star so bright, Fade in distance to the night, I hope the miracle reminds you. Time stands still… An evening chill… I can only say I love you. A friend you need – don’t despair, A friend in me is always there, It’s just another way to sayI love you. And though a part of me has died, It’s a part I’ve long denied That’s sprung to life to say I love you. This day’s end is no surprise, Yet before I close my eyes, I whisper softly in the night, To say I love you. Through those dusty roads within, I can’t find a place I’d rather been, Than to have walked those roads beside you. When you see a shooting star so bright, Fade in distance to the night, I hope the miracle reminds you.
To base your dreams on a lie,
To place your faith in a pile of weathered sand,
Only to watch it wash away
As if you meant nothing to the tide.
To think that you meant something,
Anything to the one you looked to,
Only to find it was never true,
Is to know that you have nothing to trust in again.
What if the Sun said to the Earth,
“I never loved you?”
What if the Moon refused to draw the oceans
Or the stars refused to twinkle in the sky?
What if the trees refused to bear fruit
Or the skies refused to rain?
Shaken to its core the Life we know would cease,
And never be the same.
Such is the fault of mortal man,
He creates faith in phantoms of the mind,
And the lies of the heart told countless times in countless ways,
While the messenger plots its next and most painful ploy.
Such is the fault of mortal man,
He creates hope in the shadows of the tortured,
And longs for some semblance of Love where
There is only a barren landscape.
Such is the fault of mortal man,
To count on nothing while told to trust,
To give his all to a cause killed long ago,
Even if his all is never going to be good enough in the eyes of his Master.
Such is the fault of mortal man,
To pray to a god not listening,
And to suffer the indignities of a babe
Suckling at the breast of a golden idol.
Yes, I know how you feel.
Yes, you have taught your lesson well.
There was no truth in any of it,
That bastard child was never going to be good enough.
A false smile, a phony embrace,
Came down to one simple truth withheld for far too long,
“I never loved you my child,
And now you may go away as I pretend you were never born.”
Yes, such things as told to a Mother to her Child,
Such worthlessness has been the only truth spoken in his ear,
Repeated, repeated, repeated once more,
Until the darkness drapes upon his weary soul.
“Oh, but wait! I can’t pretend you were never born!”
Utters the Mother seeing remnants of a life once lived in such false beliefs,
“So off you go my Child,
You may find your way through the frigid wastelands without me.”
And as the once steadfast Sun refused to rise,
He walks about aimlessly and without direction,
Even the Earth beneath his feet seems as if it cannot exist
One more day as a trusted, stable friend.
And so is the fault of mortal man,
To desire to be something so much better than he is,
For someone so much better than he ever thought he deserved,
To see what he always knew would be.
And so is the fault of mortal man,
To trust that the Sun will rise in the East,
And the Earth will hold true beneath his feet,
Only to awaken to darkness falling through the fault lines.
And so is the fault of mortal man,
To believe if even for one second that he could accomplish
What he always knew would end in certain failure.
A nightmare realized in the midst of unending pain.
And so is the fault of mortal man,
To dare open his eyes in the midst of Love’s sweet sanctity,
To believe he could be accepted as imperfect but trying
And to believe he could be so much more than he ever was.
Now close your eyes you mortal man,
And cry no more for your misgivings,
End the torture of living in that past,
While you seek the comfort you may now deserve.
When I walk where we once walked,
And realize they are but footprints in the sand,
It’s painful.
When I see things that we once saw,
And realize that we weren’t seeing them at all,
It’s painful.
When I feel what you feel,
When I hear what you hear,
It’s painful.
This life is no mystery at all,
We weave a tangled web we feel we must destroy
Rather than untangle even a single strand.
We’d destroy such potential in the face of the work needed to uncover it.
When I realize what you have given,
And I look at all I’ve taken,
It’s painful.
When I realize all I’ve tried
And failed to do,
It’s painful.
And when I see the beauty that could be,
If only we would let it see the light of day,
It’s painful.
This pain is but a symptom,
This time but gracefully fleeting,
Yet my heart still sings out with unabiding truth,
“I love you.”
And when the song ends to nothing
But the stilled silence of an empty theater,
It’s painful.
When the breeze cannot be felt,
And the sun fails to warm,
It’s painful.
In such sweet melodies I see you,
And in the song of Love I feel you,
It’s painful.
Someday this pain will end,
But when I’ll never know.
I lay here stripped bare, a nothing but a soul,
Wanting, needing, pleading, resolute to its abandon.
When tears can flow no more,
And the sadness still remains,
It’s painful.
When faced with the realization,
That I am not who you think I am,
It’s painful.
And when we do nothing but
Endlessly replay the story and the roles to tired to survive,
It’s painful.
I cannot live in what was,
And beg you return to this moment,
See me, hear me, touch me, feel me,
And know that this is now, not then.
When I read this open book,
And utter not one single act of fiction,
It’s painful.
When I utter not a single act of fiction,
To be told such things are full of lies,
It’s painful.
To know this with every ounce of Being,
And to see it with ever ounce of Awareness,
It’s painful.
I am who I am, not who you think I am,
If there was ever but a single strand of love,
See this truth and walk along with me,
And discover if it was enough to hold your focus.
When I am left playing in your expectations,
A role for which I am not fit to play,
It’s painful.
When I see you struggle with the role
That time and practice have bound you to,
It’s painful.
And in your absence I can see so clearly,
What should be when you arrive,
It’s painful.
There is no role we must fulfill,
Except to be true to our Selves,
I am not this, and you are not that,
We are simply beautiful when the blinders are removed.
When I wake to meditate,
And see the first rays of light atop the horizon,
It’s painful.
When I sit in stillness,
But can only hear your voice,
It’s painful.
No sweet song is without your melody,
No sweet sound is without your harmony,
It’s painful.
And yet I see a ray of light,
A symbol of love not lost but desperately clinging on,
Is this my fantasy or is it real?
I guess only time will tell.
And that itself is painful.
I don’t seek to be your lover,
I seek to be your way,
To realize the Love within you,
To see the sunrise, to see the sunset,
To be the clouds on a raining Sunday afternoon.
I have hurt you a thousand times,
So that you could release your own suffering,
Drop it in the pool of Life,
And let it sink into the abyss,
Never to be seen again, yet never gone for good.
You are a Flower,
Powerful in beauty yet delicate to touch,
You bask equally in the Sun and the Rain,
When you are fully bloomed,
You brighten the world with you.
A Flower does not bloom,
Until first it has been tortured with Life,
It must face death to know Life,
It must face itself to know its Self,
And then open Itself to the world.
It’s thorns protect it from many predators,
While It’s beauty inspires them to peace,
It does not protect Itself to continue to live,
It protects Itself so that it may create unending harmony,
And bless us with Its sweet fragrance.
A Flower does not realize Its power,
A Flower cannot see Its beauty,
A Flower cannot understand Its own importance,
A Flower simply breaks through the ground,
A sits still awaiting Its purpose realized.
When you are open my dear Flower,
My heart is filled with unending Joy,
When you are closed,
I focus on the thorns that protect you,
And the drops of blood that rain from my needy hand.
You are You,
Radiance that steals the breath from my soul,
Fragrance that gives pause to my senses,
And beauty that gives purpose to my eyes,
While giving form to the path I am on.
You are here in the Now,
Do I pot you and carry you where I may go?
Or do I sit in silence and just be with you?
I pray your roots are where my feet may touch the Earth,
Allowing our eternal dance of Love.
Flower be still!
Even as you move where the winds of mind may take you,
Do not let those breezes effect the Knowing,
Just allow them to carry the Fragrance of the Love you know,
So that others may know it too.
Be truthful in your repose,
And be humble in your return,
Do not cater to the voices in your head,
But feel the voices in your heart,
And let them out in silent harmony.
Be like the Flower still,
Do not speak your truth, Be your truth,
Do not speak your love, Be your Love,
Do not love yourself, But Love your Self,
A Flower does not speak about its beauty to the world.
Fold upon your Self,
So that you may bloom another day!
Share your Self with the Universe,
For the Love that you release is eternal,
As every part of the Universe shares your sweet nectar.
Now we move, and sing the song we feel,
In Love we share this moment realized,
And in passing we have created an eternity,
You are now me, and I am now you,
In blessing the Flower still.
I remember the silliness in her voice,
The wonderful innocence in her eyes,
The sweet sound of poetry in her youth,
The pleasant motion in her clumsiness.
I still can see her beautiful imperfections,
Those silent etches that were so a part of me,
Those brilliant moments of sweet unity that arose,
In those trying times of youthful inexperience.
Who could have known then, dear sister,
That today we would hardly know each other,
That after moments of sleeping by a single fan,
Of playing games of fantasy in our lonely desolation,
We would be so close and yet so far?
I remember many of those times,
When you were my partner in crime,
When I was your ringleader, and you were my patsy,
I remember many so many times when we laughed together,
When we cried together,
When we dreamed of what was to be.
I can still see your face when we were still in our single digits,
I can see your face in uncontested joy lit alive by
the beauty you had within.
I close my eyes and you are there, talking to me, being the butt of my jokes,
Of helping me create some moments of pure and tender joy.
I can still remember when you were my “face”,
When we shared punishment that never fit the crime,
When we relied on each other for some relief,
When you sought security behind my back,
When I sought approval in being your protector.
You will always be my sister,
And today on the anniversary of my birth, I will see you singing
“Happy Birthday” to me once again,
As I close my eyes and pray to see it once again,
And though our paths have parted for reasons still not clear to these aging eyes,
I can say that the love I felt in times gone past has never faded
Despite what words have been said and which sides have been chosen,
I will always be your older brother.
I do cry those silent tears of loss and insecurity,
As I am not sure what walls have been built and why.
Yet I am sure as I can see beyond that wall within my heart,
That it is as impermanent as the hands that built it strong,
And can only pray that I survive that final brick’s demise.
Peace and love to you…
You are a whisper my dear,
Softly spoken in this moment’s ear,
A subtle song sung in perfect harmony.
Surrender my Angel now,
And forgive this sinner somehow,
And enjoy the sound of a Lover’s Symphony.
Do not at once lose your sight,
But please go blind as Angel’s might,
And see my canvas as through a Lover’s eyes.
Paint me, sketch me, or better still,
Do with me what you will,
Just love and let be this Lover’s Harmony.
Dear God,
Please give me the courage and strength today to Remember.
Remember those who have had their light extinguished so that another light may shine, and to give evidence that in Truth all light is One,
Remember that in Love life holds supreme value, and that life itself is not to be wasted on ideas, fear and emotion.
Remember that the service of restraint must surpass the service of vengeance.
Dear God,
Please give me the cause today to Remember,
Remember those who suffer at the loss of a loved one,
Remember those sacrifices as so enormous as to be made only with the true and utmost reluctance.
Remember that Peace is the victory we seek, not vengeance, not retribution, and not satisfaction of a blood lust.
Allow us to remember that we cannot find Peace unless Peaceful,
And that we cannot find Hope unless Hopeful.
And that we cannot find love without first opening our arms to embrace it.
Today allow me to remember that we cannot forgive others until we have forgiven ourselves,
And that there is no liberty until we allow others to be free.
Dear God of Love, Unity and Compassion,
On this day allow me to remember there is no glory in killing,
There is no true glory on the battlefield, or in the upraised arms of the victor,
For thine alone is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory,
Forever and ever, Amen.
Peace. ☮
©2011 Thomas P. Grasso All Rights Reserved ☮ ℓﻉﻻ٥ ツ
I have but one wish,
And that is to die a happy man.
I have but one dream,
And that is to live as a happy man.
I have but one reality,
And that is that I can be a happy man.
I have but one thought,
And that is “I should be happy”.
I have but one thing in my possession,
And that is my own joy.
I have but an answer to your question,
“I hope you find happiness”.
I have but one mission,
And that is to discover the meaning of bliss.
I cannot understand the overwhelming sadness that washes over me.
I cannot compute the anger that I feel.
I cannot help the despair that drives me to complete numbness.
I cannot stop the voices that tell me what to think.
I cannot forget the memories that drive me to madness.
Yet I know that I can be happy if only to forgive
Because these things prove to me that such joy exists.
Although “I cannot” all of these things there can be bliss in spite of them,
I know that I can be an oasis of peace in a desert of war,
If only I would lay my sword to rest.
I have but one reality, and it is the one that I choose.
How you see me in my moment of despair is your reality,
A reality you choose as if it were a play not written to your liking
Or entertaining you beyond all measure.
I could come down from this cross or simply choose to embrace it,
But what would you have me do with yours?
I have no choice in your suffering,
I have no desire to see you in it,
Yet I have no ability to remove you from its grasp.
We know that love exists, yet we choose to run from it,
To seek out the nails that hold us to our suffering
And make them hold us fast to the pain we have chosen as our own.
I offer you my hand,
If not to hold yours in ecstasy than to endure the nail with you,
To suffer with you as you have suffered with me,
To beg of you to seek another way but to share with you the path you have chosen.
There are not options if you choose love’s reality.
For I have seen the promise land,
In your eyes, in your arms, in the promise of tomorrow.
I have seen where my journey ends,
As surely as I know where it began.
See, if I have nothing else in this life I have a choice.
A choice to love or to fear,
To be or not to be.
To ask the question or live the answer,
To heal or to hurt, to caress or ignore,
To forgive and re-member or remember and stay angry.
Such choice I can make in the blink of an eye,
With the power of the universe behind me.
I have a choice.
©2011 Thomas P. Grasso All Rights Reserved ☮ ℓﻉﻻ٥ ツ
I have not once but many times,
Stood tall for lofty praise,
And taken chucks of foolish gold,
To seek such lonely gaze.
From withered heights’ oblivion,
I’ve longed for lover’s touch,
The warrior within me speaks,
I ask of her too much.
Who perished thoughts within me bind,
These chains that hold me still?
No key to press this rusted lock,
My captor’s only will.
No evening glance of longed flesh,
No morning glory’s rising sun,
This iron’s press of fancy shall,
Surely see its whim be done.
Is it past I bade farewell this day?
Or love’s sweet shrill embrace?
Whichever treads so lightly now,
Will help me keep my pace.
©2011 Thomas P. Grasso All Rights Reserved ☮ ℓﻉﻻ٥ ツ