Moon Magic
Moonbeams glide into my room,
Weaving the spell of a magic rune,
Capturing the soul of me,
Enrapturing the whole of me.
Gateway to the world of dream,
Clothed in silver all agleam,
Guide me softly with your light,
Through the mystic maze of night.
Mistress of the surging sea,
Creating tides of destiny,
Pulsing through the lives of all,
My deep self rises to your call.
O Queen of Heaven, stars form your crown,
Smile on us when you look down.
O ruler of the wondrous night,
Bless us with your gentle light.
A Bit of Nonsense
Liggle Ms Muffin,
Sag on a tough one,
Beating some Kurds away.
Jim Scollywig spied her,
Crolled up bee cider,
'E friggled Ms Miufin,ole!
Yuletide Bringeth Warmth and Cheer
Yuletide's the season of the year,
To warm all folk with our good cheer,
Joyous for the new born Sun,
Joy for you, me, everyone.
May Sun above and Son within,
Shine peace and light on worldly din.
The light of the world is born today,
The radiant heart it leads the way,
Of peace and love and all good things:
Such glad tidings the Yuletide brings. (14 Nov.1999)
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas tree ablaze with light,
Tell me your story this Christmas night.
My story is old as the rocks on the shore,
My story is new as the flowers 'round your door.
I come from the dark forest far away,
To show you the promise of Christmas day.
My pine cones protect the seeds very small.
In the ripeness of time see them grow tall.
My green is the life you know on earth,
The life you share around the warm hearth.
My red is the sign of the life divine,
Glowing deep hued like the grape on the vine.
My candle flames speak of the Lord above,
Who burns so true, he's the source of all love.
My angels proclaim the good news of old,
Bright heralds alighting with wings of gold.
My crowning star shines calm and clear:
The child of heaven on earth is near.
These holy gifts will ease your load,
They shine sweet light on the dark road.
26 Dec 1999
Mystic/spiritual aphorisms
When things enslave, spirit is poor,
This the truth of an iron-clad law.
Be rich in spirit and you will see
Open the doors to eternity.
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If tossed by the waves of worldly strife,
Thou is not anchored in the higher life.
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I must keep to an even keel,
To stay sane on life's spinning wheel.
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The lower self is a prison you see,
The higher self will set you free.
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Eternity's our true home,
We come to earth but to roam.
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Shine bright your inner light
and you can make,
the world anew
for all life's sake.
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With cleansed vision you can dwell,
Inside heaven instead of hell.
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Finding the world within your soul,
You're on the way to being whole.
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On flows my soul like a new sprung river,
Refreshing all for ever and ever.
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Matter entraps thee,
Spirit sets thee free.
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Life deals you out a hand of cards,
Play them well for your rewards.
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Man for himself has prisons made,
Thinks he's master but is a slave.
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1000 invisible threads bind thee,
That's why it's so hard to be free.
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My spirit wants to be totally free,
Seeking to dwell in eternity.
HAIKU
The kookaburras-
sudden cascade of laughter:
a summer shower.
Koel near window,
wakes me up calling his friends;
welcome, dawn herald.
Moon, Venus draw near-
slow motion silver fireworks;
heavenly beauty.
Cat-like you near rocks,
crabs scuttle to cool dark caves;
just sit - they return.
Sky and sea are grey,
but every day's a good day-
sun's on holiday.
Day brimming with Spring,
flowers singing in the sun,
nature's gift to us.
Daybreak:: crows call out
in mysterious language;
sound almost human.
30 Nov.2000
The following poem I found in a newspaper:
Midnight Folk
Flames of sunset burn the sky.
Another day will slowly die,
To make way for the silver night,
And the starry shadowed light.
About the bushes and the trees,
The midnight folk will dance with ease,
Fearing not for they are wise,
They can't be seen by human eyes.
Their eyes are furtive, keen and bright,
Their faces fair and bodies slight,
All are clad in grey or fawn,
Or lavender, soft as the dawn.
When silently night flies away,
To be replaced by sun and day,
They melt away into the green
And mushrooms spring where they have been.
---By Janets Woods(14) Eastwood,Sydney,Australia (The Sun Herald, about 1980)
Two poems by Kevin Gilbert, Koori(Australian Aboriginal) poet (1933-1993).These poems have been set to music by the outstanding young Australian composer Matthew Orlovich
Unity
I am the land
I am the trees
I am the rivers
that flow to the seas
joining and moving
encompassing all
blending all parts of me
stars in my thrall
binding and weaving
with you who belong
sometime discordant
but part of my song
birds are a whisper
the four breezes croon
raindrops in melody
all form the tune
of being belonging
aglow with the surge
to life and its passions
to create its urge
in living expression
its total of one
and the I and the tree
and the you and the me
and the rivers and birds
and the rocks that we've heard
sing the songs we are one
I'm the tree you are me
with the land and the sea
we are one life not three
in the essence of life
we are one.
Aflow
I glance up
at the evening star
and I breathe my thanks
to the night ajar
with the soughing wind and trees
I say I hope my thanks may please
for whatever I am whatever I've been
whatever I've done I've lived and seen
creation in its majesty
humbled I am aflow with awe
and I thank you for this life which saw
your hand in the evening star.
Wendell Berry (1934-)Kentucky.Low key but deep and heartfelt poems.
Watching the Mid-Autumn Moon (From the collection A Part 1980)
Young, we had not enough
respect for the changing moon.
Then the days seemed to pass
only to return again.
Now, having learned by loss
that men's days part from them
forever, we eat and drink
together beneath the full moon,
acknowledging and celebrating
the power that has bereft us
and yet sheds over the earth
a light that is beautiful.
Work Song 2.A Vision (From Clearing 1977)
If we will have the wisdom to survive,
to stand like slow-growing trees
on a ruined place, renewing, enriching it,
if we will make our seasons welcome here,
then a long time after we are dead
the lives our lives prepare will live
here, their houses strongly placed
upon the valley sides, fields and gardens
rich in the windows.The river will run
clear, as we will never know it,
and over it, birdsong like a canopy.
On the levels of the hills will be
green meadows, stock bells in noon shade.
On the steeps where greed and ignorance cut down
the old forest, an old forest will stand,
its rich leaf-fall drifting on its roots.
The veins of forgotten springs will have opened.
Families will be singing in the fields.
In their voices they will hear a music
risen out of the ground.They will take
nothing from the ground they will not return,
whatever the grief at parting.Memory,
native to this valley,will spread over it
like a grove,and memory will grow
into legend, legend into song, song
into sacrament.The abundance of this place,
the songs of its people and its birds,
will be the health and wisdom and indwelling
light.This is no paradisal dream.
Its hardship is its possibility.
Some Orphic Hymns (freely translated by R.C.Hogart, The Hymns of Orpheus,Phanes Press,1993)
The Moon
Goddess of silver light,
bull horned searcher
through gloomy night,
we honour you.
Stars attend your orbit
as you glide
a torch in ther sky.
Blue rays shine from you.
Your amber body
reflects noon into night.
All seeing eye
decorated with stars,
favour the watchful
and prevent strife.
Grace us with
intuition's light.
Beautiful lamp,
ornament
and friend of night,
your phases guide life.
Queen of stars,
brilliant Artemis,
veiled in night,
moon lamp of purest light,
shine your gentle rays.
Accept with pleasure
our humble praise.
The Sun
Titanic all seeing
golden eye
lighting our sky,
we honor you.
Reborn every instant,
your radiance delights us.
Lord of seasons,
your right hand gives dawn,
your left hand gives dusk.
Ancient sun, delicate and strong,
blazing across the sky,
scourge of evil,guide to goodness,
play your golden lyre,
light our world,
with rays of harmony.
Bright eye soaring through the sky,
you rose and set in a nest of color,
your heat gives life.
Stream lover, world master,
father of Justice supreme,
faithful defender, eye of right,
light of life, crack your whip
and guide your fiery horses.