Hallway to Nowhere

Tag: wisdom

  • The Bones Of The Earth Are The Waters Of The Sea (Poem)

    When I was a child, I lived by the sea.

    I swam in its waters and played on its shores.

    Grey-bearded cypress trees and ancient oaks

    Were my beloved friends,

    And sea serpents taught me the beginnings of wisdom.

    Now I live in the mountains far from any ocean.

    I walk on their trails and gaze at their peaks.

    Brightly garbed maples and hickory trees

    Are my present companions,

    And the bones of the earth counsel me on patience.

    On a walk I picked up a stone and held it to my ear.

    I did not hear the roar of vast waves.

    But I did hear faint echoes of half-forgotten susurrations

    Reminding me that I am loved.

    The past is with us always.

  • What I Can Hear (Poem)

    As a child I lived by the sea.

    I swam in its waters and played on its shores.

    I watched the birds write poetry in the skies,

    Read stories left by crabs scuttling in the sand,

    And was lulled by mingled songs of sun, waves, and wind.

    When I drifted to sleep with salt lingering on my lips,

    I was visited by sea serpents, the wisest denizens of the depths.

    Their sibilant sagacity wove through my dreams,

    Finally coming to root in my bones.

    Now in my waning, I begin to understand.

    Ancient laughter echoes through the years,

    While the very particles of existence appear and disappear,

    All joined in a dance.

  • Thus I Hear Once More (Poem)

    As a child I lived by the sea.

    I swam in its waters and played on its shores.

    Once I dove deep into the dreamland of the depths.

    There I encountered all manner of magical creatures

    And sat with sea serpents to hear their stories.

    They would curl around me to whisper in my ears

    Marvelous tales, wise and wondrous and whimsical.

    They said, “When you arrive at the surface again,

    You will forget our time together, but only for a while.”

    I am beginning to remember and often hear their laughter

    Rippling through the stars at night.

  • The Death Of Attachment (Poem)

    Chase after me.

    I turn your desire to dust.

    Make it taste like ashes in your mouth.

    You burn with frenzied passion.

    Search for anything to quieten the heat.

    I am food that never fills you,

    Water that leaves you gasping with thirst.

    Eventually you give up in despair.

    The spaces left by this cavernous indeed.

    Then can you find a path.

    See the faint traces of wiser footprints.

    Everyone has gone before.

    Follow and open your heart.

  • Winter House (Poem)

    I am come late to build my dwelling.

    It proceeds slowly, hampered by age and infirmity.

    Lest I get discouraged by this,

    I keep in mind that my life antecedent

    Has all been preparation.

    I now have more skillful means to construct a proper residence

    With patience, foresight, and expertise.

    The foundation has been laid through prior experience;

    The design has been shaped by acquired knowledge;

    The materials have been gathered with painstaking care.

    I know that I might not live to see the completion,

    But that is not the point.

    If need be, those who follow can finish;

    Whatever I manage to construct will be beautiful and sturdy.

  • Rivers Of Hades

    Five rivers traverse Hades, the underground.

    You think you get to choose; mind you, you don’t.

    We all have to cross each river alone at some point.

    For this poem, ponder this:

    Which rivers would you enter, and for what reasons?

    The River Styx, the River of Hate, allows you entrance to the underground. Take care.

    Charon can ferry you through the River Acheron, the River of Pain, but you always have to pay.

    Travel the River Cocytus, the River of Lamentation, with an open heart. Consider others’ suffering.

    We all drink from the River Lethe, the River of Forgetfulness, in some fashion. Be aware.

    The River Phlegethon, the River of Fire, can destroy your hubris. This is not a bad thing.

    Remember you journey with gods, lost souls, and powerful currents.

    Think wisely; take a deep breath; and begin.

  • Restless Mind (Poem)

    How to quiet my mind?

    It often seems like a flock of restless birds:

    The thoughts dart here and there, as they will.

    I breathe and bid them fly away,

    Yet they perch to preen and call,

    Gently mocking my efforts.

    Perhaps the greater wisdom

    Says simply to allow the birds

    To be as they are

    And expand my limited meditation.