
You the fragrant rose
Blooming under watchful eye
Of infinite love
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
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.
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.
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, 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.
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
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!
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.