​Diaspora

exiled
by her need
to GET OUT!
inner mandate
to separate
disconnect
defect,
can't stay
and SUFFOCATE
got to ESCAPE;
sever
from first home,
to mock
​scoff
in the unplumbed
un - ease
til it could be
no more;
gospel got through
in a liquor store
"that's killing me;"
had thought 
family
men, city
to blame,
but the truth came
by way
of a bottle
God's foot throttled
her neck
"I'm going to die
or live in this
train wreck!"

reborn
from that crash
in the 12-Step 
path
a mud-shorn
lotus
connected with
something GOOD
without an "owe"
and so
she testifies
to a way home
to a portable
one-day-at-a time
manna-ALTER
of consciousness;
bedecked 
with people, God,
Spirit siblings
within one another
yet alone
sharing,
feeling, healing,
​caring
exiled, wild
​in the diaspora.

​Above the Fray

heaven 
blossoms
in the dark arc
within
.
.
.
ahhh
.
.
.
light,
a window,
open in that cathedral,
lets a crow
come cawing
into lofty calm;
undetected
thoughts
shift,
create a rift
pull away
from starry,
or purple,
or blue-black
third-eye nave;

vigilant, wise
serpent's eye
in Love
​coos
"no matter who
you are,
what you have to say,
move along for now,
go on your way;"
.
.
.
dove-gentle
return
to dream,
seek
 vibrant stillness
​let go
as Spirit
hovers
over the deep
.
.
.
over the face
of the waters
.
.
.
above the fray
.
.
​.
til another bird
enters the nave.

"In the beginning,
God created the heavens and the earth. 
The earth was without form and void, 
and darkness was over the face of the deep. 
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
- Genesis 1:1-2

Jesus says that the kingdom of Heaven is within and around us. 
Experience verifies that consciousness does not come from the brain, but precedes and lives after our life.
The Spirit of God was hovering over us. Are we all immaculate conceptions?
created when the world was created?
​separated at birth into bodies, reborn into our Spirits as One? 

***


Drive Home 

silent Esplanade
(inhale)
I asked,
"what are you thinking?"
.
.
.
she said,
"about my sister"

"I feel so loved 
so grateful
so much support."
.
.
.
holy
a heart unveiled
(exhale)


***

​Gunshot

 black women
belt back
and forth,
"you bitch!!!”
brother watches,
boyfriend smokes
leaning against
the Ford's door
engaged
by the flame
of match-hit-gas
rage;

Ashley's
prettier
than Brittany
just the way
God made them
but honesty, humility
may never be
since PRIDE
makes us HIDE
the nature of what's inside
can't cross
the compare-and-despair
DIVIDE;

the good-looks
commodity
created rivalry
and a tall tale
emerged,
a distorted story
built on the foundation
of fear
of not-enough
of less-than
of none-for-me
of who-will-ever-want-me?

NO
got to go
back
further in time
ancient anger;
to see 
DNA encoded
with pain from
separation,
torture, disdain:
trauma
passed down
through mamas
and papas;
ancestors
weep
for daughters
caught in this insanity
of unjust hierarchy

"Lord,
deliver them,
protect them
help them to see
their common adversary,
the caste system's
a thief
that crushed
​their true identities,
Lord,
no good can come from this
confusion."

​Caste

Dalits, Blacks, Jews
all know
the suffering
does not
​stay below
but sickens
those on top,
who pull out all stops
to keep purity
pollution free
safe guard
their heredity
scripture-led
sanctity
often unconsciously
so deluded as to believe
themselves free;

what happens to
someone who
through and through
bows down to
the who's who?
do they go to hell?
live it as well?
sleep at night?
awake in fright?
ever mend fences?
suffer eternal consequences?
conscience obliterated
day after day
by distractions,
injections
of confirmations
decrees of consent
that entitlement is heaven-sent;

the British crown,
declared divinity,
imprisoned a woman
in palatial penitentiary;
there she lived
a severed quark
puking in the dark
amidst the groans
the wails
of other royalty
captured in caste
superiority
Diana!
goddess of childbirth
locked up, alone
to produce
two for the throne
once accomplished
went home
crushed bone
in a bad Mercedes
but really died
from heart disease.

Dutch Sisters
Corrie, Betsy Ten Boome
hid Jews
S. S. threw
father and the two
into Ravensbruck
watched Reich women
brutalize;
Betsy, under breath,
agonized,
"those poor women"
please realize
she spoke of the Germans,
not the Jews.
sick from their own abuse,
frozen souls lost
within the lie's noose
(Betsy therein died
Corrie survived and thrived
to tell her truth.)

Roger Ailes
Barack hailed
"the most powerful man in media"
while Roger
​sex assailed,
"want to play with the boys?
gotta lay with the boys."
so women sucked
or got fucked,
men kissed ass
bought the razz ma tazz
as he raised Nixon,
Reagan,
Bush, and Trump,
to claim the mightiest tree stump
til Murdock dethroned
was locked out
removed his clout,
no longer could reign
in his Foxy domain
His name said it all,
Roger AILS.

this country,
birthed in 
an economy of commodities
that require slavery
which in turn 
necessitate
cruelty
hard heartedness
reflected today
in accessibility 
of brown black poor
to life expectancy,
good education,
healthcare, safety.

Let's rebirth society
in a love that's steadfast,
the opposite of caste,
move towards a greater we
shared humanity,
​take care of those in poverty,
live for an equality
not assessed in money
since the LORD
declared
"you will always have the poor"
but rather listen, seek
to meet the universal need
for human dignity.
.

Missing

I'm a sojourner, 
rolling, 
homesick
for a place 
I don't know;
awake
but falling asleep
conscious 
but passing out;

I'm a dreamer
waiting, praying
or my friend to return
seeking to eliminate
the fear that drove her away
so long ago
huddled
with hands, covers
under chin
"go away!"
"go away!"
and she did
and my Spirit friend 
has not been back since;
the separation damaged me
somehow;
when I go
deep within
to the inner dome,
there is a cramp
a clamp,
the closure
of a door
that won't open;
​
and she was the only one
who told me the truth. 

Savior

He saved my life,
Richard the poet.
Listened, heard, 
cared enough to approach
with nothing 
but a knowing
that it was my time
to surrender 
to let go 
or die in a lie
in overdrive 
to careen
crash
collide;
saw my INSIDE
a spark flared
cuz he CARED
​and was there
to carry a message 
of a way 
to the LIVING God
heart to heart
derailed 
and electrified
my mind
surprised
by joy,
​of Presence
after Step 5.
​​

A Parable of Two Patients

Years ago, Charlie Tan  sickened 
and went to the hospital
but with no insurance;
he had been struggling
for many years
with ravaging drug addiction;
the treatment for his new disease
was very costly, millions of dollars, 
and he could not afford it.
He wept bitterly
and begged;
he wrote letters
and pleaded.
he went before the great Doctor
and asked forgiveness.
Finally, the Doctor agreed
to treat him, as a sign
that all his past was forgiven.
Oh! how Charlie  rejoiced
and danced
and praised the Doctor
and got well.

One day, out walking,
he saw an acquaintance approaching
who turned out to be seeking treatment
for a headache
brought on by a fender bender
when another driver ran a red light;
the acquaintance had heard
of Charlie's healing;
he confessed
 his payments were lapsed
on his health insurance.
Charlie  said to him,
"Oh! They will never treat you then!"
His acquaintance suggested,
"maybe if you go with me
and speak on my behalf, 
they might?"
But Charlie  replied, 
"They might think me ungrateful
and besides, look what you brought
on yourself by careless driving!"

While they were speaking,
one of the Doctor's nurses
happened to be  listening.
She went to her Boss and told him 
what she had overheard.
the Doctor called the first patient to him.
"I forgave you, and healed you
and you in turn have discouraged another.
I can no longer bring myself  to pay
for the medication 
called for in your on-going recovery." 
Charlie Tan sickened 
and was dead within four years. 
​

In Love with a Confederate

I fell in love
with a confederate soldier
dashing, energized by soul,
who donned  a  solid refusal
to conceal his pride
who relished judgement, didn't hide
delight in excess, prowess,
whiskey, women, homes, prestige
he seemed
rebellious, to be free
umchained from stiff society;

unbeknownst to me
his charm was fed by cruelty
behind the light in those eyes
was a giant sized need
 to be the aggressor,
attention's center,
competitor, obliterator
generator of  misery
for sons, daughters
controlled by his beliefs;
a "man's man," he thrived 
on games wherein
the fittest survive;
In that land of man's men
permit no tear, admit no  fear
come what may;

I received an invitation
to conditional participation
based on certain stipulations
to fan, flatter vanity;
and oh how good it feels
to be included
with the winning team,
the crop's cream;
never mind those on the sidelines
disregard the castaways
flying high above the rest,
be the queen protege!

Pearls

blessed are the poor
for they find 
the pearl formed 
from irritation
hard-wired protection
lubricates the aggravation
generates a jewel,
One
that matters most,
finds the light
that neither begins nor ends
to show a different way
to move through this world
each day unfurls 
its flow
"where do you want me to go?" 
"what do you want me to know?"
invisible, yet many lives
bear witness;
continue to seek 
its string
the abundance
the emptiness,
singleness,
of the One pearl
and leave the rest
or perpetuate the mess.

A Party Parable

A Rich Man decided to throw a dinner party
with delicious food, dancing, live music, cocktails, the works.
He sent out exquisite invitations to friends, family, associates.
The RSVP brought in many replies:
"My children are flying into town that weekend!"
"A property is pending sale."
"I'm out of state those dates to inspect my business in Cali."

He had already ordered all the booze, food,
had paid the musicians, caterers in advance 
so  it became a block party instead
and out went a new round of fancy invites.
This time, many RSVP's went unanswered
while others spoke of problematic dietary restrictions,
medical conditions, funerals needing attending, and favorite theater events.

"Hmmm" thought the Rich Man.
He then asked his servants
to invite the homeless, the crippled, disabled, the lame,
elderly, the single moms from the projects,
providing transportation and baby sitting too.

Finally! The seats were filled and everyone had a GREAT experience.