Checking In…

What if you gave yourself 

A moment each day

Perhaps at the start

Probably needed at the end

Just to check in on yourself

And say,

“How are you today?

If you’re in pain, sad, alone, indifferent 

Can you relax to breathe deep

Breathe long 

And then let it out slow.

Whatever you felt, can you 

Accept, allow

Reflect as needed.

And then move on

By opening yourself up

Much like the sky

And watch the happenings.

With emotions, slow like clouds

Floating on by

Or fast like birds

And then as the space quietens

And a silence sings

Bask like in the sun

Let a warmth surround

Let a comfort embrace

This here is presence, and  

Now you are all checked in!

Checking in….

What if you gave yourself 

A moment each day

Perhaps at the start

Probably more needed at the end

Just to check in on yourself

Saying, “how are you feeling today?”

“How did your day go?”

If it was tough

Can you give yourself a moment

To relax, breathe deep, breathe long

And let it out slow.

Whatever you felt

Can you accept, allow

Reflect as needed

The let it all go.

Open yourself 

Much like the sky 

And watch the happenings

The events, the emotions

As they float on by

Slow like summer clouds

Or fast like birds as thunder rolls in.

Then as the space empties, quietens

And a silence sings

Bask, like bathing in the sun

Let a warmth surround 

Let a comfort embrace 

This is presence

And this is how you get all checked in.

Diwali

Historical representation 

The return of a light force

Joy and comfort rejoiced 

Reality check

Light is omnipresent 

Even in the darkest of times

Not only does it dance

At the break of dawn

In the twinkle of stars

But in the hurl of waves

In the flicker of eyes 

And roar of laughter 

I came as light

Much like a blow torch

Universally charged

The force, the light

Burns, sustains 

Every breath, every day

My casing ages

Disintegrates

As my light remains constant 

The day will come

When it’s work for me is done

Then silently it moves on

Cherishing this light

Without which 

I am mere dust

Befriending

Understanding 

Appreciating

My light 

It chose me 

It is me 

Being happy

In my light

Celebrate my Diwali 

Plenitude

Magnificent simplicity 

Delicately glorious 

Profoundly present 

Regally virtuous 

Composition unique 

Yet familiarity opens

My heart once more

And a warmth released

How far we stray

In this world 

Of asphalt and tar

Where trees are cleared

Where creatures made homeless 

And man banks

Another buck

And builds yet another city

When will we learn

When will we remember 

The ecosystem 

The cosmos 

All rotate, revolve 

In a natural order

When a simple rose

One of a million

Can tell the story

Of a divine perfection 

And inspire a gratuitous love

From your deepest vault

This is the gift

Not of a dozen roses

But merely just one

As housed in her

The depth of a beauty

Is the same for me 

The same for you

Glow and yield

To what is nature’s 

Rhyme and reason

Love and grace

And accept the abundant plenitude 

Grief Postponed


He’s gone

A lifetime of 83 years

One last breath

And he’s gone

Absence

Silence 

Reminders

And then the pain

With no time to absorb 

No time to feel

Only the processes, the needs

Of affairs to be resolved

Dictating an attention

Refusing

Postponing 

The grief 

And now with only space

And a sudden influx of time 

Comes the pain, the tears

For he really is gone

Will you hold my hand…

Will you…
Hold my hand for a little while?
I don’t need you to save me
No need for you to fix anything
No need for you to hold my pain
But will you simply hold my hand?
I do not need your words
Your thoughts
Nor your shoulders to carry me
But will you sit here for a while with me?
Whilst my tears they stream
Whilst my heart it shatters
Whilst my mind plays tricks on me
Will you with your presence let me know that I am not alone, whilst I wander into my inner unknown?
For my darkness is mine to face
My pain is mine to feel
And my wounds are mine to heal
But will you sit with me here, while I courageously show up for it all my dear?
For I am bright because of my darkness
Beautiful because of my brokenness
And strong due to my tender heart
But will you take my hand lovingly, when I sometimes journey into the dark?
I don’t ask for you to take my darkness away
I don’t expect for you to brighten my day
And I don’t believe that you can mend my pain
But I would surely love if you could sit for a while and hold my hand, until I find my way out of my shadowland!
So will you…
Hold my hand until I return again?”~

~Zoe Johansen ~

Posting this poem as it is so fitting to the moment captured above between my dad and I on his last day here on Earth🙏

Epitome of being Loved

The universe has conspired

Conspired for your existence

Not against you but for you

The coming together of time

The alignment of elements

Molecules, atoms,

Wind, air, dirt

Yes it has all conspired

That you may be here

That you may feel, see, think, love

Do you feel your existence

The rhythm in which you sway

Can you connect to your source

Can you find the wavelength

Where the eternal sits within you

Be still, be quiet

And the space will find you, hold you

….fulness….

Ironically coined is ‘mind-ful-ness’

As we know only too well

How to continuously over think

And invariably this leads to confusion

Doubt

And ultimately is limiting, crippling

Perhaps we need to be

More of ‘heart-ful-ness’

And less of mind

Heartfulness brings 

Fruition to feelings 

Of empathy, friendship, trust

Naturally bringing forth

Kindness, love, compassion

Unity and oneness

Which then allows a joyful contentment

A happy gratefulness

An ultimate peacefulness

Such a short distance

From heart to mind

Yet at times they seem as if a million miles apart

Sometimes we even confuse

One for the other

Do you know the difference in their voices?

One will say you must do this or that

The other will say nothing

Letting you feel your way there

Perhaps there are no right or wrongs

But be assured

When you listen to your heart

The answers will be waiting

And your peace and sanity

Have the chance to be restored

“Self-care” Bah humbug!

Rave of the age

Is to have ‘self care’

Put yourself first

Take care of you

And all can be well!

How?

Carve out time for you

Take a walk

Take a bath

Read a book

Do what speaks to you!

Yes notes of sarcasm

From the queen of self care

As all we are doing is running

Running from the negatives

Awkward situations

Stresses of life

The inescapables

And so the so called problems

Accompany you everywhere!

It’s the noise between the ears

The constant chatter

Clatter of thoughts

Fueling the emotions

Of anger, fear, jealousy and doubt

These you carry

Never abandon

To these thieves

We open the doors of our mind and heart

They counsel you

Convince you

Tell you your worth

Then they raid and rob you

Leaving you soulless

In despair, with frustration and anxiety

But there’s a larger vault

Deep, much deeper within

Which when opened

Releases a power

Gentle and expansive

Second to none

No matter where you stand

You can smile with understanding

Laugh with joy

And feel vibrantly alive

To recognize this gift

Lifts a veil

And the thieves then must scamper

From the generosity of the Giver

Comes these teachings of a lifetime

What a fortune to listen

To absorb

To feel, to understand

Just a little each and every day

Angelic Presence

Thank you Diane, holding this ornament has given me a beautiful moment in time to feel the lost physical contact with Dipak, my precious brother.

Light as a feather 
You must have become 
 
As mostly I smile 
When I think of you
Mostly I feel
Comforted, when I am reminded of you
 
Is this what it means
When you know 
Your beloved departed ones
Have grown their wings
 
Brother dear
I feel a gentle breeze
As I know I feel you 
Looking over me
 
With your visits, your presence
Through memories
Of laughter 
And love and more
 
And now our souls 
Have found a new dimension 
So never are we to be lost again
As the love I feel is deep, true and resilient 
 
May you rest with peace
May I live with a grace
May we share the knowledge of true bliss
In both life with and without wings

Ancient Beads


From a simple ritual
To the practicing yogi,
The one hundred and eight beads
Constitutes a time for intentional focus.

Initiated in the 8th century BC,
These spiritual beads in Hinduism
Now are used through Islam, Christianity
Buddhism, 2/3rds of the world’s population.

Whether wood, seed or stone
They shall deliver
Properties of healing, protection
And most commonly, spiritual practice.

I gift this to you,
So you can intentionally
Breathe 108 times
With vitality, feeling vibrancy.

Speak a mantra
Drawing you inwards.
Feel the earthly element
Connecting you to Mother Earth.

Simply put, I wish you
108 blessings,
108 guardians,
108 freed moments
Each and every day.

May you hold this mala
With the clarity it was made,
With the love it is sent,
And wisdom with which you shall use.

Breath

A simple puff of air
More magnanimous 
Than the greatest 
Of grandest gestures
 
You hold the essential
Of all that is
All that was 
And all that will be
 
Present as a mere undertone
An undercurrent 
Rarely front and center
Yet there is no me without you
 
Your ebb and flow
My love and joy
Your to and fro
My gift and glow
 
Within this cycle
Lays all that can be
Right here, right now
Not before nor after
 
So thankful for the reminders
So grateful for the chances
To feel present in letting go
To feel held in bowing low

Butterflies


The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering ..

~ Ben Okri ~


To rise past all

That’s dares to smoother

The layers on layers

Commitments and constraints

 

To float above

The threat that tugs

The ties and chains

Of bonds and relations

 

To fly over

The snares invisible

The smoke and mirrors

The lies and illusions

 

Ah what relief

When the truth be known

To free my wings

To uncage my heart

Interdependence

What a virtue, what a trait

Independence!

Encouraged, applauded

Even envied

To stand on your own feet

To make and pave your own way

To rely on not a single soul

What an accomplishment!

But wait a minute!

Do you even open your eyes

Unless the sun

Comes peeking at your window

Bringing you a new day

How would you even get to bathe

Had the clouds not emptied

Or the snow not melted

So the streams could run and reservoirs rise

How would you smell your morning coffee

Had the sub-equatorial lands

Not grown and reaped the beans

Ground and brewed in your Keurig 

What clothing would you don

Had the cotton not been picked

The yarns not been spun

Garments not been stitched

So in true essence

Are we really ‘independent’?

Or are we ‘interdependent’!

And if so, what have we understood?

Do we accept and realize

Our co-existence

Our co-dependency

Our inherent need for allegiance

With the natural world

The countries we have created

To our neighbors

To our own selves!

Taken for a ride

By the good old ego

We pride ourselves

With a claim to independence

Yet looking deeper

Within and around

We are part of a whole

Where even a breath

Is not under our control

The gift of all gifts

Sent magically into your being

Silently with no fanfare

It’s time to question

Time to ponder and reflect

What an incredible existence

Where everything is so magnanimous postured

That blinded we have become

To the interconnections

That’s serve to sustain

Our universal existence

Time to wake up

Not to just smell the roses

But care for the roses

And all else on this blue planet

Floral Gifts

Unequivocal beauty

Blooming grace, like a dance 

Drawing riches from the terra 

Your petals defy the science 

Fluttering delicately 

Like wings of the butterfly

Yet with the strength of an army 

You win each battle for my heart

How gloriously you entrance me

Leading back to simplicity of gratitude 

Smiling outside and inward

Warmth of omnipresence made tangible 

Day Light Robbery

Followed by the past
Regrets and sorrows
Allowing misdeeds to haunt 
And losses to be still mourned
 
Enticed into future unknowns
Anxiety brews and curdles
Then tighten like balls of rope 
Leaving you strangled 
 
Thus the theft goes on
Of simple joys of daily life 
Peace and delights of the night 
Left wide eyed yet seeing nothing 
 
Ways of the times
Add to the stealthy steal 
With incessant streaming
Procuring falsities, cloaked as realties
 
Living with this dichotomy 
The perfect portrayal  
The denied cracking shell
The emptiness deepens
 
The wealth of living
Thus robbed 
In broad daylight 
Voluntarily handed over
 
Man is left in his illusion 
Floundering with wolves at his heel
Questioning his purpose
Is there any way out?!
 
Is there no protection plan
From this theft
No solution to this anxiety 
To dissolve the pain
 
Yes, present and constant 
Granted at birth
Enjoyed most
As the carefree child
 
Willful to pursue and perceive
Simple wonders and delights
Joyful to embrace
Smiles, laughter and love
 
And free
From yesterday and tomorrow 
Living the only truth 
Found in the present of today
 
So be enamored
With what lays in the palm of the hand
Look back no longer 
And look forward only one step
 
Anchor in now
Allow no more theft
As the grandest of treasures
Is right here, right now!

If love is not…

If love is not fear
It must be bravery
Bravery to fight the demons 
That fuel all our fears
Bravery to stand tall and breathe in air
Knowing it is the shield in life
 
If love is not guilt
It must be freedom
Freedom to confront
The choices you’ve made
Choices leading to hurt
Then freedom to choose your healing
 
If love is not judgement
It must be acceptance
Acceptance that all is 
Just how it’s meant to be,
And that there is a path
Not of good or bad,
But of learning and discovery 
 
So love is… bravery
Love is…freedom
And love is… acceptance
 
Love in its deepest form 
Is acknowledgement,
That there is YOU
You in this time
You with this life
You with all your 
Demons and divinity,
Making the wholesomeness 
You are meant to be.

Don’t miss the Play

Photo by TW

In the grand scheme of this intriguing play
Perhaps we are insignificant
Like the little robin
In just another tree

Yet during the play
How positioned is he and we
To enjoy the array of fleeting pleasures
Dancing on the stage

From a hedge of roses
To fields of tulips
Mountain sides of poppies
And lakes skimmed with lotus

Where ever you may be
Rural or urban
Rustic or pristine
Don’t miss the current act

As some plays have one or two
Some three or four
But what is unknown
Is how many is yours!

Three Trees

Photo by Mukesh Patel
Three trees?
Yes, three trees
 
The first, obvious
Standing upon the earth
Erect, strong, reaching
Providing shelter
Forever changing 
 
The second, elusive
Etched upon the ground
Magical, intricate, delicate
Providing intrigue 
Forever illusionary 
 
The third, critical
Digging deep into the terra
Quiet, obscure yet resilient 
Providing sustenance 
Forever constant 
 
Likewise, we too 
Have three forms
 
This body
Owned and operated
The self image 
Imagined and sought
This inner spirit 
Forgotten or unknown
 
We are preoccupied 
With one and two, are we not?
But perhaps switching the focus 
To delve beneath the surface 
Find those stabilizing forces 
 
We too, can stand tall
Beautiful and worthy 
Of this ecosystem 
Here upon the Earth

New Dawn

Photo by Taruna Patel

 

With the rise of a new dawn
And with January,  a new year
We look out to the horizon 
And set a few goals
 
Another twelve months
Granted and held
Imagining with promise 
Times full of both harmony and peace
 
With losses abundant
Restrictions innumerable 
Set-backs repeated 
And devastation rampant 
 
From the year twenty, twenty 
And profound lessons learnt
I trust we embark
On an entirely different tract
 
Whirl pooling around us 
Negativity has left few untouched
Time now for a one eighty 
With light and positivity
 
A warmth, an inclusion
With more meeting of the minds
For a prevailing clarity 
So the darkness can be expelled
 
Perhaps rather than goals
We need instead to reset
The vision of hope
With the return to a strength and unity.

Graceful Governance

From the Big Bang 
To global warming,
We are here.

From evolution 
To revolutions,
We fight to be here.

From independences 
To globalization, 
We speak up to be here.

From all things actualized
To their demise and re-emergence,
We continues to be here.

And so here we are
Encapsulating a gratitude,
Denoting a day.

To remember and share
The privileges, gift, abundances gathered
Over the history of mans toil.

All along, the almighty power 
The indestructible,
Which was, is and will be

Sustains, an entire universe
A galaxy 
An ecosystem.

Transferring, transmitting 
Evolving, so life permits
That you and I can be.

Insufficient is then, a mere day of thanks.
Like life,
Let gratitude permeate each moment

Which comes from the deepest understanding, 
Born from accepting our fragility, 
And a graceful governance 

Where the birds and bees, 
Flowers and trees
To man himself, 

Are all held,
Yet free 
To live and be.

Photography by Asvina Brown

Dawn Sky

Photography by Laurie Ramont

All facets of life 
Incapsulated in a moment, 
From undoubted beauty
To looming fears.

Voluminous clouds
Mightily they float,
Threatening to spew 
And drown you out!

Yet the intrigue
Of color and form,
Capture both heart and breath,
A moment now, forever lived.

Do we more often
Get lost in fear?
Of what may come?
What may happen?

Forfeiting the present
In which we can feel
Simple joys,
Gratitude and inspirations.

This grand gesture of beauty
Is bequeathed each day, 
As the love from within
Will shine in our eyes.

That guiding presence 
Then shapes your day
As you see the treasure
Lined up for your pleasure.

Window to Love

Sitting on the sill
Pressed against the pane,
Cool then misted


Clear then obscure.
Convinced my love 
I was waiting for.


Eyes searching
Heart yearning
Feeling empty like a shell.


The rays of light
Giving rise to the rainbow
Bring nature’s embrace by color.


Below my window,
Bees saying hello
Kissing the tips of lavender buds.


Swooning in the late afternoon sky,
Starlings riveting dance 
Spilling the vision of romance.


No latch to keep out 
My love surrounded me 
All whilst sitting on my window sill

Grant me Solace

They say it’s important 
To acknowledge your feelings,
Mine burn deep
Searing like a heated knife. 

Sadness, disappointment 
Futility mixed with
Mayhem and barbarianism
The anguish insufferable 

Simultaneously we are 
Isolated, quarantined 
Where will this all end?

Man’s eye like a microscope,
Disproportionately viewing life
Distorted by imagination 
Enlarging the illusion.

With no regard
For the ‘third’ eye,
Where lies his clarity
Abundant and beyond compare.

I pray for a united return 
Of humanity,
Kindness and peace
Simple joys.

Where greed, power
Egotism are quelled voluntarily,
As realized that we are nothing 
But dust in the end.

Yet here we are,
Kings and queens 
In a moment in time,
And granted pleasures in multitudes.

What can be that deciding factor
Whether we live in peace and harmony 
Or divided and disgruntled?

Gazing up into the sky
The sun, moon and stars peacefully
Focused, levitate and orbit 
Constant in their mission.

Down here on earth
I see the equilibrium of nature, 
Of which I am a part
With a privy to consciousness.

Herein lies my blessing and solace,
For not only can I sing and dance along,
But also acknowledge the Orchestrator 
The One to whom I benevolently belong.

Voices vs Noise

My thoughts inspired by the RBG and current noise.

I speak
For when children
We’re only meant to be seen.

Obedience seen as a great virtue,
Not of the child
But perfect parenting.

The child conditioned
That those in authority , if happy,
Lead to their happiness.

I speak
For the young girl
Who has always waited second in line to the boy.

I speak
For the ethnic amongst us,
Chastised and ridiculed for our natural differences.

I speak
For the elderly, the poor, the veterans,
All those who’s voices are dismissed.

I speak
For all we have misunderstood,
For all we have had a hand in the making.

And now, I not only speak
But pray,
For a call to our senses, our consciousness.

With the raising of that conscious voice,
Only then will any speech
Be worthy for the time given to listen.

Dignity

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Dignity, driven to be attained by stature,
Letters behind the name
Certificates on the wall
Climbing the corporate ladder.

For some,
Dignity is synonymous with pride.
Endorsed by accolades and ‘likes’
Possessions and privileges.

Does more of anything
Really equate to dignity?

Perhaps to stand in front of a mirror
And look yourself in the eye.
Who is this person?
When stripped of titles, material possessions,
Even the relations of family-hood.

Dignity, is perhaps not a quality
But a by-product,
When one is able to have a sense of
Self worth and respect.

Should dignity not belong to all?
Despite circumstances of wealth
Identity of race, religion or sexual orientation.

How did we lose sight
Of our commonality?
And focus on only our differences?!

When the macro sphere has been reduced
Lost is the vision of the universe
Where we exist for less time than the snap of the fingers
And matter no more than any other dust.

Our vision has narrowed
And our true gift left unseen,
As we are held in the palm of existence
And bestowed with the dignity of life.

This is our identity
Life from the giver of life!

Can we accept the greatest of gift?
Do we recognize its preciousness!
To be granted this opportunity
This is what equates to self worth
Beyond any measure of wealth.

With this said,
Each man is equal
Being granted his time and opportunity
Of this here lifetime.

Allowing this to resonate,
Dignity then emanates from within
For oneself and every other living companion,
No matter the outward differences.

Rock, Water, Sand.


Defying physics you stand
Your strength is daunting
Your stature mighty

Yet here comes the ocean spray
Wave after wave
And you welcome the attention

You dance and yield
With the passion of lovers
And caressed are your contours

Your union brings forth
Countless grains of sand
Capturing the essence of time

With every turn
There is awe
In these simple cyclic laws

When elements work together
Magic happens
The impossible is possible

For how can a mighty rock
Be so transformed
Into the tiniest of particles

And no less
Than by drops of water
One wave at a time

And within me
One breath at a time
Is revealed a celebration

Of existence at its finest
Carrying a simple joy
Which even lapping waves can teach

Rakshabandan

You arrive and greet
This morning of Rakshabandan.
As always, in full bloom
With unequivocal light and love.

This symbolic yellow rose
Stops me in my tracks
As you, brother, embodied
It’s rich depth and warmth.

Saving me from my sorrow
I see how love transverses all.
Physically no longer side by side
Yet our spirits still unite.

Our bond is clear
My brother dear,
As you remain with and between us,
Your loving sisters.

Today is Rakshabandan, the day of celebrating the bond between a brother and sister. The yellow rose is the symbol, my two sisters and I chose, that represents our departed beloved brother, Dipak.
From an unknowing third party, what should the universe send my way today of all days, but a yellow rose surrounded equally by three buds! What an image of our sibling unity!

Genius Loci- Spirit of a place

What gathers together
Giving rise
To that one feeling
Of being in the right place?

No words needed
As all in the glance
Is acknowledgement, respect
Perhaps even an adoration.

Flourish here
Does the calm,
The peace
More so a mutual love.

Bestow on the self
The same gratuitous presence
And feel yourself at home
Welcomed, received and loved.

Here lies a bond
With no bondage,
A relationship
With no need for any rules.

Belief and faith perhaps
The stepping stones for most,
But this inner knowledge is to be reached
With an ardent and persistent thirst.

Let then the magic
From the ultimate connection
Release it’s power supreme
Second to no other.

So accept and harness
Your own ‘Genius Loci’
And bask in the stream
Of the greatest of loves.

 

Original artwork of myself and my companion of a short time, Duchess, who claimed my backyard as her home for the last two and half years of her life.

Bigger than the differences..

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Five seas
Seven continents
Countless countries
And seven billion faces

Of all the possibilities
You and I meet!

Short acquaintances
Long friendships
Pleasant affairs
Awkward collisions

Personal or political
Social or historical
The issues are many
And repeated generationally

Attracting and repelling
Sometimes reoccurring
Encounters test and teach
But are we ready for the learning

For the snapshot
Of our existence
What will we gain
What legacy will be changed

Whether we live
Loud and large
Or quiet and small
One thing is for sure

As we came
We shall leave
So as we meet
Let’s share a seed

The seed of kindness
With a listening ear
A supportive hand
And a wish for good stewardship

Hence, may we deserve to live
Upon this ‘pale blue dot’
And on exiting
Leave it the same if not a speck better

The Marks of June

June you mark the middle
Of a year
That has everyone
In quiet the pickle.

The unpredictable,
The unprecedented,
The insurmountable,
The game changers.

All in one
They are happening,
The noise deafening
The footprints indelible.

Biological or social
Emotional or political,
The fight for survival
The core of the struggle.

With debates and protests
Even the riots,
How can we possibly
Claim any rest.

Feeling the injustice
The denial, the inequality
With deep woven roots,
Perpetuating the atrocities.

Even with fight
Guided by knowledge,
Changes still need
Clarity and quietness

To allow the most powerful
To rise,
To be felt
To be seen.

So how to find
In these dark times
The magic of love?
The peace of love?

It must be the only way
The ancient way.
So go within to the core
Ground and center.

Move with that one
Rhythmic flow
Never to judge
Only to bestow.

Life, opportunity
Abundance of choice.
Breath is this anchor
Breath is the answer.

What seems so insignificant
Holds all that is magnificent,
Delve deep, delve often
Keep company

Of the one companion.
So her treasures
Maybe realized
And your peace will unfold.