Contemplating the Dance of Life

Poems of truth, beauty, and love that refresh and inspire

This National Poetry Month, I am happy to share with you two poems from my book Earthling Love: Living Poems 1965 - 2020. "The Wonder of Being a Speck" was written in 2005 in Garrison, NY. "Sunshine Flooding Landscape and Eyescape" was written in 2015 in Swannanoa, NC. The poetry in Earthling Love celebrates Earth and humanity and commemorates family and self. In our time of chaos and stress, people need ways to touch truth, beauty, and love that refresh and inspire. The book's eighty-two poems offer joy, grieving, sensuality, and contemplation of the dance of life. (The above drawing is by Pablo Picasso.) 

The Wonder of Being a Speck

Compared to the Universe, the Milky Way is just a speck

Compared to the Milky Way, our Solar System is just a speck

Compared to the Solar System, our planet Earth is just a speck

Compared to the Earth, the New York metropolitan area is just a speck

Compared to the New York metropolitan area, Garrison is just a speck

Compared to Garrison, my house is just a speck

Compared to my house, I am just a speck

Compared to me, my little toe is just a speck

Compared to my little toe, a toe cell is just a speck

Compared to a toe cell, a toe molecule is just a speck

Compared to a toe molecule, an atom is just a speck

Compared to an atom, an electron is just a speck

And so on and on and on forever

However, comparisons do not determine meaning and

“Just” is not demeaning

A speck is sufficient and significant and magnificent!

And all is all

And each is all

And all is each

And that is magical and mysterious and most of all

It is very good!

Holons within holons

All the way down and

All the way up

All interdependent

Without parts there would be no wholes

Without wholes there would be no parts

The same can be said of time

Without the present there would be no past or future

Without the past there would be no present or future

Without the future there would be no past or present

All is one

All is interdependent

Everything is also just itself and

All is just Itself

Space-wise, each thing constitutes and is

All space

Time-wise, every moment constitutes and is

All time

- F L O W I N G –

- D A N C I N G –

Everything and every time is flowing

Changing, becoming, letting go, transforming

I live in the universe; I am the universe

The universe lives in me; the universe is me

I live in all time; I am all time

All time lives in me; all time is me

I am 13 billion years old and will live as long

As the universe lives!

Hooray for me! Hooray for the universe!

I love the universe; and the universe loves me!

I am forever

Forever is me

I am all in all

All in all is me

And there is only

The Dance!

SUNSHINE FLOODING LANDSCAPE AND EYESCAPE

Sunshine flooding landscape and eyescape

Green everywhere, trees, grass, stems, ivy

Dancing with my beloved upon waking

A quiet homespace

Water running, shadows on the floor

Hot shower, typing fingers moving

Mind open, hearing, seeing

Pictures of family, Earth, bodhisattvas

Old wood, bamboo, wicker, ceramics

Icons everywhere, cushion, altar

Decades remembered, a present moment

Full of feelings, thoughts, anticipations

Tapas lunch with my beloved

Pizza dinner and ice cream with grandkids

Tomorrow’s party in our home filled with family

What is this life? For me, for others?

How create a world that works for everyone?