[Byzantine Bindings]

Monday 20 November 2017

Process Revealed

“Behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close.”
Rev 3.8

Crown

sinking
into the mind
opening out the ways
allowing the magic to flow
freely

freely
grace is given
trusting the metaphor
given enough for this morning
hope keeps one eye on the journey
daily

daily
walking along
pilgrims along the way
looking for something to signpost
homeward

homeward
smell the soul food
see it in everything
glory to god in the highest
which one

which one
the open door
relaxing the body
stepping out into the ocean
freely

sinking
grace is given
pilgrims on the way
glory to god in the highest
freely

1. What jars
god
speak of it
of which nothing can encompass
of which words fail
draw the circle bigger
until
the boundary
bears no relation to the centre
any sense of meaning lost
inked words bleed (failing)
drift perilously
far out
then you have it
all there is
netted water
silence.

2. The jar provides the stimulus
irritating god
somehow producing
pearls inside shells
which are somehow
produced
for some reason
beyond
any understanding
you could hang your hat on
besides
diving for pearls
is a dangerous business
who knows what lies
in darkness
in deep
foreign legions
much sand
few pearls

3. Mind engages
has to
hardwired
cannot let things lie
no amount of effort
clears muddied water
in the jar
letting go our only hope
hope alone
remains after all has fled
from our precious boxes
we stole the fire
before we knew
how to enshrine it
grew wings
without thinking.

4. This is all I know
written down
signed
with my own hand
freely given to the world
this day
the twentieth November 2017
so called
with mind
bell clear
in tenderness and compassion
bearing no malice to anyone
proudly
bearing the scars of encounter
and wrestle
limping
I know nothing

i) What jars
god
speak of it
of which nothing can encompass
of which words fail
draw the circle bigger
until
boundaries
bear no relation to centres


ii) Jar provides the stimulus
irritating god
somehow producing
pearls inside shells
which are somehow
produced
for some reason
beyond
any understanding
you could hang your hat on

iii) Mind engages
has to
hardwired
cannot let things lie
no amount of effort
clears muddied water
in the jar
letting go our the hope


iv) This is all I know
written down
signed
with my own hand
freely given to the world
this day
the twentieth November 2017

(so called
with mind
bell clear
in tenderness and compassion
bearing no malice to anyone
proudly
bearing the scars of encounter
and wrestle
limping
I know nothing.)



shaman
through open doors
walking in the garden
blessing every thing in shadow
lightly






Sunday 19 November 2017

Rev 3.8


There is an open door which no one can close...

knowing
light to the touch
moments of mindfulness
emptiness too an illusion
smiling

Who knew?

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Sound of Breathing

Nothing can prepare you
for the gentle shock of it
sitting there
thinking it’s all going well
then arising from beyond
somewhere
you knew you could ask
but hadn’t taken the time to listen
comes the thought
all these breaths
in and out
where do they come from
I cannot control them
they come and go of their own volition
and then the heartbeat
overtakes the imagination of its own heart
asking the same questions
about coming and going 
regularity of rhythm 
who knows
in the beginning I breathe in
at the end I breathe out 
what can I say about
everything in between
it just strikes you
and things are never the same
you walk with a slight limp
and a knowing smile
more than that who can say

with any degree of certainty.

Sunday 12 November 2017

Religion - binding or looking again...

relego or religo

Religion’s virtue is in its origin
looking again
believing change is possible
hard to see
nothing is what it
first seems
words divide
from
the one
its historical emphasis on form
rather than substance
has caused wars and deaths
devastating both
our species and planet
time to look again.

substance
dividing words
accidentally shown
reality to be confused
by mind

Thursday 9 November 2017

'Write what you want', he said...

be still
know I am God
know that I am with you
know that I am is sending you
silence


there is no myth here
no story to revive and revise
just the essence
coming into the light
the fire
the sand
shoes off now
should I kneel
fall on my face
no time now
silence roars from the flames
something happened
nothing has changed
everything is different
what now

A Shepherd’s Life

tending the flocks that will never be mine
dreaming of camp fires and singing red wine
clanking of awkward rung bells
old and familiar smells
no one believes in a trick of the eye
how can I tell them they’ll say it’s a lie

but something happened out here in the cold
something more precious than silver and gold
awkwardly seeking my bones
grinding the truth with their stones
speaking in tongues in the fire and the flame
drawing me inward to join in the game

lost in the dreams of the moon and the stars
carrying bundles and counting the scars
flashing quickness of the blade
in the manger where he laid
out across the desert in the morning
comes the dreadful angel with her warning

hosannahs from the highest heavens call
bring news that God is something very small
tangled in an earthen web
joined forever in the ebb
can it be that God is leaving heaven
can I taste it here within this leaven

now before the morning star is risen
shaking off this old and dusty prison
letting go the iron bars
finding truth among the stars
walk the trails that many trod before me
resting neath the tree that harbours angels

Tuesday 7 November 2017

Participant /Observer

treble
the silence
nothing is here listen
join in the flowing mystery
thankful

challenged to face fear
and watching it fade
like smoke
once I was
everything then this
life tore me apart
words
separated me
from the one
finding my way back
it seems
is less now
about struggle
and more
about different perspective
arial view
revealing bigger picture
levitation
mind games

Thursday 2 November 2017

Crow

listen
God alone knows
endless stream of living
present to you in the moment
glowing

three streams
meet
Buddhism
Christianity
and crow
lifelines in the hallway
offering support
discernment required
asked for
in silence
method in madness
structure
gives the impression
of solidarity
but crow knows
the Buddha sees
and the Christ smiles
what is to become of us
children of the earth
pilgrimaging
home