gather me now

gather me now
friends
may we break bread
with our palms
scattering sacred crumbs like
snow across the landscape
of our shared hearts
beat
may we gather
in sacred unity
under sacred Babaji
share our meal
& spread
across the landscape of our collective
hunger
may we gather now
& be fed
under the swinging maple tree
spreading deeply
our shared seeds that
flow beneath our souls
soil
into our shared horizon
gather me now
with our palms open
up toward the sky
may we gather
now
breaking bread
in song
together
as crumbs fly
like snow
across the landscape
of our shared
hearts
in prayer.

by Angelo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Pond Dome

1440 square feet of plywood,
badly in need of refinishing.  
How many feet,
how many bums 
          does it take to wear off 
          a coat of varnish?  
How much sound 
          has been captured 
          by those white plastic walls?  

Today it is raining
I am inside a drum.  
A celestial drummer 
          beats out a tattoo,
          on that plastic wall, 
          waxing and waning, 
          now a cacophony, 
          now a gentle tapping, 
          pushing my hearing into overload— 
          nervous system jangling.  

I push a broom, 
          its swish merges 
          with the noise of the rain.  
I am absorbed in my task.  
          Looking up, 
I am surprised; 
          someone has entered the dome.

Soon more bodies 
          will fill that space 
          of plywood floor and 
          plastic wall 
          that divides
          outside from inside.  

We will raise our voices 
          in song, 
          in praise, 
seeking 
          to merge 
          our outside with our inside.  

At the center of the song 
          is a small oasis 
          of silence 
manifested 
          as a man 
          who never sings 
          but is the song.

 by Suneel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Walk in the Forest

The Forest is falling into stillness.
Layers and layers of depths and lights exposed
in the changing colours of each Autumn day.

The morning spider’s web garnishes the meadow, 
dwellers of cold countless pearls of dew.

The stream, still shy and slithery,
gathers reflections of bony branches and no-more-alive sisters leaves.

The moss is fragrant, fluffy, radiant.
Absorbing the season,
awakening to its nature and essence.

Mushrooms are popping in an eternal ephemeral celebration,
asserting their existence in mysterious messages.

The Forest is alive
returning to its roots
collecting the memories of the Spring and the light of the Summer
ready to depart
to a journey inside. 

by Selva,
Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, October 2019

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tree Song

Whisper to me my leaves
Tickle my fingers with your kiss
Send my seeds on the breeze
Bathe me in your mist

Delicate droplets so fair
Like little water maidens
Watching you rest there
Softly the day begins

Wish me the sunshine
To catch your sparkling eyes
Weeping tears so fine
Soothe me in the sunrise

Caress me with feathered wings
Bless me in the pink dawn
Bring me where your heart sings
Sing me your love song

So sweet the notes they play
As they dance upon my limbs
A beautiful melody anoints the day
A harmonic spell-binding spins

Awake my sisters, awake my daughters
Awake my brothers, awake my sons
Let us pray to the waters
Give blessings for the blessed ones

 Breathe with me now
Let this great wind move me
As much as these lungs allow
Like rivers pouring into the sea

Hold my hands here
Feel the rhythm of my heartbeat
Within this earthly lair
Your touch feels so sweet

So precious is this
My legs your hearth
I give you my promise
Heaven’s here on earth

by Brandon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love

I love. 
Oh, I love! 
How I love, simply to love. 
I believe in its power, Magic and True.
The movement, 
the waves, the trials, the lessons, the untamed. 
I believe in love’s vigorous courage and unapologetic strength 
to be the catalyst of change. 
I believe in the ripple effect love has on the world… 
How just a toe tap upon life’s sweet waters shines outwards, 
Upwards
Inwards 
Sideways 
Even upside down,
Across every cell on its pathway back to the Golden Sun. 
And I believe in love as Home. 
A deep nest in the cave of our chests. 
This chest that’s not even mine, nor anyone else’s.
Here, in this place
I remember our belonging 
To the home we share in the Heart of the World. 
And I invite love in. 
We invite love in. 

by Haley Theresa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cedar Breath

oh cedar tree
thank you for calling me 
to hear your message 
messages moving through me 
like lightning striking 
now is the time
I am not blind 
I see you showing me 
so obviously
my heart dripping sadness
i must let go 
waves flipping me around
i gasp for air again and again 
panic, concern, worry 
no more simplicity 
be daring 
and let go 
be daring 
i ask you cedar 
help my heart 
i breath in a cedar breath
that cleanses my entire being 
let go 
again 
wandering , wondering mind 
like a lost choice 
be like a butterfly
gracefully like the wings guide 
simply let your grace guide 
let the heart guide 
bringing you back 
to that cedar
asking 
thanking 
for that cedar breath 
the breath of love 
reminding me 
i have been guided home 

by Sabrina

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~