Beauty

Marvel

A New Year, 

A new day

A new second

The human perspective 

So small

So narrow

When the universe 

So ginormous 

So vast.

Discoveries at their peak

With the use of the Hubble 

To James Webb telescopes 

Existence 

Distance

Evolution 

Now seen or understood 

In limitless beauty 

And the mastery of design.

We,

The entire history of our human race,

Here 

For even less than a minute,

If all existance 

Scaled into an appreciation of a day. 

And yet we still 

Marvel at the beginning 

And end of a ‘year’

Rhetoric of the ‘Now’

Being ‘Present’

All commercialized, trendified!

Yet here lies

Every possibility that can be had.

Look no further 

Look not to the vastness of the skies

But into the realm of your heart,

You encapsulated yet circulate

In both universes

Inside and out.

Only one can be truly 

Felt, understood 

Beyond any doubt, 

That you are as magnificent as

All the stars, galaxies 

Milkyways

And Universe.

You are the drop 

In the ocean,

Yet that ocean

Is within you.

Marvel, not at the New Year, 

Marvel at You!

You are existence 

In all it’s beauty,

Magnificence 

And all possibilities.

Happy recognition 

Of Now, 

The day

And of You!

Japan Waters Teach

In secluded Teahouses, 

Shrines surprising on any given dori,

Onsens, lakes and glistening stalactites;

Water everywhere is revered…

Quenching

Rejuvenating 

Exhilarating 

Purifying…

Immerse into Onsen waters,

Healing heat and minerals

Weightlessness teaches trust

Promise of nature’s caring protections.

Teahouses simmer waters ceremoniously,

With ‘Harmony’ between the articles and the environment 

Utmost ‘Respect’ of the process

Precision and care for ‘Purification’ 

All with ‘Silence’ and concentration.

Passing though a Tori, shrine after shrine 

Welcoming water wells and baths

Offer cleansing of the body,

Both inside and out.

Hosted by Hozu-gawa River

Floating along oar by oar,

Accompanied by scenic trains, birds

Along embankments and bridges alike 

Until a squeezed passageway

Between silver grey boulders 

Rocking and splashing,

Rapids, cool and drench…

What of this liquid

Colorless

Tasteless

Yet infinitely irreplaceable!

Unique to the Pale Blue Dot.

I hold you in my cupped hands,

You kiss my surrendering lips 

You run through my veins

Synchronized to life itself.

The Hidden 

Source of all creation,
Sort for in disguise 
As power, status,
Accumulated accolades and acquisitions. 

Fluid yet omnipresent,
Like the soft drizzle of rain
Slowly, flowing and circling 
Back to the seas.

We are that drop
Manifested of love
Looking for love,
Lost in the storms.

How delicate this play,
A scavenger hunt designed
Clues strewn in your path,
Undeniable beauty 

In every bud, petal
Baby, cub,
Ancient story,
Familial feeling.
 
Filled with an intrigue
The search is endless,
Yet the prize sits
Literally under you nose.

If the thirst is sincerely evoked 
The universe concedes.
With every stardust particle 
Your true love, the union

Uncloaks, lays naked
And embraces.
Here is heaven on earth
And the game of love

Is truly afoot.
As now the longing and satiation  
Can be played each day
With lover and love 

All in one abode.
Know the temple, your own being 
Feel the beloved ,as home 
Is completely where your heart is.

Fall

Fall time, fall years

Culmination of beauty

Wisdom

Perspective.

Immersed and surrounded

By a depth,

Only time can give.

Riches,

Only experience can gather.

Gratitude,

Only surrendering reveals.

The fine lines 

The atrophy

The forgetfulness,

Ceases to grip 

As anguish begins to melt.

What comes, will pass

What hurts, will fade

And peace is found,

As the cyclic natural of all

Comes to light.

And most of all,

A returning

To a consciousness.

Floating with a birds eye view

Disengagement from drama, trauma.

All that’s created here 

To be left here

Returning to a neutral purity.

As we came, shall we return.

No baggage,

But definitely not empty handed. 

As what was the purpose

Of this interlude

Between birth and death, 

‘Life’ as we call it, 

This opportunity, this experience.

To have take form of the ‘Source’.

And then to walk, to wander,

To wonder, to revel

In this creation 

Beyond comprehension. 

What minuscule chance 

We have to exist

Where galaxies and universes reign.

Yet here we are.

Be sure to query and question,

To spark your thirst 

To to find your why,

And finally ‘KNOW’ thyself.

As your ‘fall’ fades 

And the winter will ensue 

Be sure to have built 

The one relation standing firm to the end.

  • What’s Wrong With Hope

    What’s wrong with Hope

    Poor health, wealth

    Decaying relationships,

    Stuck in the mud 

    Of the societal mind.

    Driven to hoping, 

    Wishing

    Praying 

    Waiting.

    Hoping for that brighter day

    Bringing the better job,

    The perfect mate 

    The greater joy, the best life.

    For the more vulnerable 

    Addictions numb the pain,

    The Isolation

    Anger, resentments.

    Hope, the ultimate excuse

    For avoiding the only truth,

    The present

    The now.

    We are so close, yet become so far 

    From each breath,

    Each whisper of love 

    The unseen cradled embrace. 

    Conditioned to see 

    Only the picture of happiness

    Made of material abundances,

    Independence, successes and achievements 

    The list goes on and on.

    But the essence of you 

    Remains hungry,

    Starved.

    The glitter dissolves, 

    Even becomes sickening 

    Lacking vibration 

    And vitality.

    Hope not for a better tomorrow,

    Hope for today

    The light to ignite 

    Your flame, your fire,

    The ultimate defense

    To all that’s smothered 

    And shattered your being.

    Don’t lose this battle 

    On this one, is built the war, 

    The war of life. 

    Be your own warrior, savior 

    Sit not and hope.

    Stand, run if you have to 

    But done whither 

    In hopeless hope.

  • Independence

    Independence Day

    Liberty! 

    Justice! 

    Freedom!

    All corner stones of a great nation right?

    Independence of thought, will and action

    With an unalienable liberty for beliefs, customs, values 

    Most importantly, the practice of prayer in a God of your own understanding,

    With equal justice for all men

    And a freedom for the love and pursuit of joy and happiness.

    Vibrational words 

    Marked by human sacrifice 

    Now parrot-like repeated 

    With what understanding?!

    For a moment 

    Put aside national independence.

    As a citizen in your own body 

    Do you know your own voice?

    Or is it drowned out by the noise 

    Of your conditioned, ego driven mind?

    What liberty do you strive for? 

    Have you considered the company of your silence,

    Where your heart beats and leads; 

    Not the burdens of duties, obligations and expectations.

    Is there justice in your existence 

    For the proclamation of life 

    A celebration granting acknowledgement of breath, 

    As, is it not, the foundation of every living moment?!

    And freedom!

    What freedom has been denied?

    When here we are 

    On the ONE planet, Earth

    Amongst a plethora of stars, galaxies and the cosmic web.

    Such great qualities in life have never been acquired

    They have been GRANTED.

    The artificial boundaries, barriers,  

    Conjured and conceptualized, 

    Giving man seeming power over one another. 

    Results ??

    Trials of war created 

    Supposedly treaties signed 

    Societal order, developed and sustained?

    What evidence of the painstaking history 

    As today with loss of the individual’s 

    Self awareness, consciousness, 

    Nurturing of dignity and gratitude.

    What do we have left!?

    If you need to fight 

    Fight for and then surrender 

    To your inner glory

    Where resides the greatest source of

    Of all wisdom 

    Giving you your liberty, justice and freedom

    Once felt, each man will become your brother 

    Each foe, seen as your troubled friend.

    Differences dissipate 

    As the power from within cannot be unseen.

    Attend, practice 

    To that which shows you your way, 

    Let your candle never be dimmed 

    Allow your joys’ greatness reign over any challenge.

    Reclaim this independence, liberty 

    Justice and freedom; 

    Your God given rights from birth,

    All the way through 

    To the very end.

  • The Final Sprint
    With the heart thumping, pumping
    The mind continuing it’s spinning, revolting 
    The spirit seeking its home, it’s peace;

    And those first freedoms
    To feel joy,
    Gratitude 
    Most definitely still present;

    We find ourselves 
    Curling up at the edges,
    No longer able to stretch the limbs and tendons
    Color fading to the hue of lifelessness.

    Here nearer to the final ‘wall’
    The essence of life 
    Ever present, its gentle rhythm
    One breath at a time.

    Held in your mother’s arms
    Then your lover’s, 
    Always your creator’s,

    You’ve always been held.
    This your mission
    Was to be known, felt and realized.

    This journey, challenging and intriguing,
    Scratching your way 
    Through the concepts, doubts 
    Asking again and again

    Am I worthy?
    Did I do enough?
    Was I enough?

    Look no further 
    As each gifted breath 
    The only proof.
    Yes, you are most worthy.

    Relax, breathe
    Let the organic material 
    Of form, both yours and society 
    Ebb away.

    Full circle 
    Back to the beginning,
    Breath, heart beat,
    The rhythm of life.

    Swing and pulse 
    With and in it,
    Here the dance started 
    Here it shall end.

    One and the same 
    For all who have come.
    What makes the difference?
    Nothing more or less, than the bridge.

    This mortal state 
    Allowing acknowledgement 
    Of the immortal essence.
    Nothing complicated, yet it is 

    The all encompassing,
    Love! 
    Feel it, accept it, like nothing else
    Vibrating in your every cell.
  • Retirement

    Laurie


    So many paths crossed,
    Personally
    Professionally.

    May times
    The lines
    Have blurred.

    Why?
    Open acceptance
    Active listening,

    Sparking trust,
    Becoming
    A confidant.

    Inspiring possibilities,
    Nurturing
    Unfurling others’ wings.

    You leave
    A legacy
    Of time, dedication.

    You traveled
    Selflessly
    And not alone.

    Endless recruiting;
    Had a family
    Not of blood

    But of a greater testimony,
    One of voluntarily
    Empowering.

    You leave behind
    A force!
    Women believing

    In themselves,
    Each other,
    The value of team.

    Co-worker
    Boss
    Friend;

    More the ‘Godmother’!
    I embrace
    Applaud

    Value
    Appreciate
    Our paths crossing.

    Now sail
    Into retirement.

    But my friend,
    Your ‘work’ of forging sustaining relations
    Is not yet done;

    As this remains your core characteristic,
    And retirement does not stop the clock;
    Only where you go.

  • Truth of Confusion

    Truth,

    What is.

    Confusion,

    Everything else..

    Concepts

    Perceptions

    Conditioning.

    Fear

    Guilt

    Insecurities.

    Imagination 

    Learnt behaviors

    Expectations.

    All run you wild 

    Physically

    Mentally.

    Driven by 

    Cortisol

    Adrenalin.

    Slowing, 

    Applying 

    The brakes 

    Takes 

    Practice,

    Self talk

    In kindness,

    Forgiveness

    Self worthiness.

    Truth,

    You are.

    Confusion,

    Transient attributes.

    Whether 

    Actual

    Or not.

    Truth,

    Your are dynamic.

    Confusion,

    You want definition.

    Truth,

    You are free.

    Confusion,

    You feel tied.

    Breathe

    Breath.

    Feel 

    Flow. 

    This the 

    Only

    Possible

    Truth there is.

    You

    Need 

    To know.

The Third Season

Anatoliy Misuik, Autumn Breath, 2022, Lviv Ukraine

The morning air

clean and slight crisp.

The golden orb

slower to rise.

This third season

closes what has been amassed 

with a serene gratitude.

Gentle and as abundantly as the falling leaves.

Yet opens the door 

to reflection and consolidation,

giving rise to fortitude 

needed to step into the shorter darker days.

Maturing beauty surrounds

with swaying wheat bushels.

Rich solid gourds and pumpkins 

adorning doorsteps and mantles.

Summer fruits dwindle,

as hearty fall veggies

gathered for soups and stews 

await crusty bread dipping.

This the season 

of closing in onto the self.

Comforting for some.

Frightful for others.

For your own autumn’s coming,

collect the savoring of memories 

rich and robust for growing closer 

to your inner core.

As this, your core, will never dwindle

decay and dissolve. 

And as you await your winter

fear not the cold or isolation.

But welcome the comfort,

Companionship

of that which you has seen you through 

each and all of your seasons.

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 

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.