In a world
where mind is the creator,
cancer isn’t the problem.
The problem is
what we think, feel and do.
How we live our lives,
the relationships we form
with other beings and things,
and how we see ourselves
brings us either health or illness.
Find your inner wisdom voice–
There lies your personal truth.
Listen past your fears–
They drown out what is true for you.
Look beyond your anger–
Which often is buried under your fear.
Set aside your desires and wants, and
listen to what your inner wisdom voice says
about what you need to become whole and heal.
Our hearts are warmed when a far-off friend
expresses prayerful intentions for us
by lighting a candle in his parish,
symbolizing his prayer for our healing.
Each of us is a candle lit at birth by God.
And we grow in His favor
each time we use our candle to light others,
and dispel darkness in the world.
Each human cell, a storehouse of wisdom.
Unique among its 35 trillion counterparts,
Yet aligned with its own special star in the universe.
Programmed from the beginning
To play its role in sustaining the whole
Through oneness of purpose and action.
Without his vision, I might not know
Our universe is self-aware,
Or that consciousness is the bridge
Connecting possibility and actuality.
He challenged me to observe my thoughts,
But also intently listen to what I feel.
A loving bulldog in every way,
His undying will to blaze and mark new trails.
In our comfort zones, most of us remain–
Places safe, little threat to who we are.
But that’s not the way
To be the change in the world of quantum reality.
Not many men of science are so bold
To risk major rejection and assault.
That’s why a loving spirit is required
To not take so personal vengeful attacks.
Once we gaze through the visionary window,
We see a world filled with quantum possibilities.
Why not converse with your soul,
And gain its wisdom on what the future holds.
Most of all, his work reminds me of
Our amazing powers of co-creation.
And through the eyes of our soul,
We give shape to our destiny.
Note: Dr. Amit Goswami, a theoretical physicist by training, is a former professor of mine who made the world of quantum physics accessible to me. Dr. G is one of the world’s leading authorities on the scientific, medical and spiritual implications of quantum physics. I continue to follow his groundbreaking work.
Let’s try our best not to make unwarranted assumptions in life–
They block our natural spiritual unfolding.
It’s far better to allow open questions to linger
Until they are ready to answer themselves.
Each of us is a living question, and
We remain alive as long as our question lingers.
Our questions ride the cosmic waves of quantum possibility
Until they take form as an answer, and then they cease to exist.
Let’s be truthful about our scars in life,
And how we got them.
They’re not just about our injuries and pain–
Our scars reflect how we’ve lived our lives.
Sometimes we learn more from our scars
Than the stripes we wear on our sleeves,
Or all the awards we’ve won.
Let’s be truthful about our scars in life.
We are capable of healing,
But not always in the way we hope.
Healing deeply inside is most important–
These scars tell the real stories of our lives.
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At times, we feel our impermanence–
The sense we will not exist forever.
These times call for soul-searching,
Which begins with searching for our souls–
Both in the light and darkness of our being.
And then, once we make the divine connection,
We commence searching within our souls–
For hints, clues, and hopefully unmistakeable answers
About who we are, and what becomes of us
When our souls decide to continue their journeys.
Many lives, not one,
Many voices, not just mine,
Memories beyond those I remember,
Thoughts and feelings across the years,
A wellspring of joy and sorrow,
Faces that have come and gone,
Glimpses of who I am,
Longings to be something more,
An ever-churning sea of possibilities,
That which gives rise me in each moment.
red-winged black bird pair
……sweet voices singing spring songs
…………wind through the marsh reeds
sunrise on the lake
……orange streaks on blue gray water
…………a new day begins
calm after the storm
……easier than you might think–
…………being filled with peace
sit a spell, relax
when the moment comes calling
embrace it, let go
there is a reversion, aversion, mystical illusion
that we somehow fall upon, then into
there is an ephemeral elation
no relation to the weak-kneed conclusion
about life, and what it’s all about
there is a sadness, madness
utterly ridiculous gladness
we allow to lull us to sleep each night
there is an emptiness
a profound parsed instant
when we realize we are nothing more
than a faint whisper in a universe ever changing
This photo is best seen in large size view to see its details. A new poem:
As We Grow Older
By Don Iannone
Summer flowers
Slipping away
Like the sun at dusk
The youthful spring, no more
In the old man’s steps
Dog-eared cone flowers
Droopy pink petals
Spiny orange tops
As best they can
Holding on for dear life
Our lives at times
Weak-kneed, fragile, out of kilter
Like some faint bad dream
Weighing upon us
Lingering well past morning coffee
Sometimes we wonder
Especially when afraid
Is it something we’ve done
That’s driven our lives away
Or maybe just time to say goodbye
Answers come, answers go
Questions linger, we don’t know
Deeper ones last forever
Definite answers, no not ever
All our schooling, our supposed knowing
Ignorance still abounds, and it’s growing
Some think they know, that others don’t
Resolve it all, the know-it-all’s won’t
Climb a mountain, the one inside
Where timeless answers always hide
Sit there quiet, in silence golden
Trust the moment, love unfolding
Why so alone and blue
So lost within yourself
So splintered, fallen apart
Like some forgotten old wooden fence
You don’t suffer alone
None of us do
Your life, not some worn out coat
Left on a rusted hook in the garage
Your soul, born for a reason
A purpose only you can serve
Your pain, not yours alone to bear
Your heartache, a sign you’re still alive
I see the way you look at yourself
Your eyes show your fear of being lost
There is an outstretched hand awaiting you
Take it
Clear blue sky, peace eternal
This morning’s sky, could be no clearer
No clouds
Nothing, standing in the October sun’s way
Painting warm yellow sunlight across the yard and trees
Only the gentlest breeze—
That lifting the wings of angels
Coming, without notice
Departing, quickly in blessed silence
Dad held fast in their tender arms
Life prevailed, this tenth day of October
I went outside, smelled its sweet fragrance
Felt its comforting embrace in the wind
My heart fluttered, like a butterfly
A reminder, life and death, all part of one
You haven’t lived
If you haven’t suffered
There is no life without pain
No way to escape the emotional earthquakes
Life’s thunder and lightning
The floods, emotion overflowing inside us
Capsizing our life’s ship
Hard as we try
Science in our hands
Religion in our hearts
There is no life without pain
Nothing to work for
Die for
Eventually, replace with our love
You haven’t lived
If you haven’t suffered
Celebrate the dawn
Sweeping the nightmares away
Forcing us to walk the medicine wheel
Bringing us back
To where we all began
Come along with me, friend
Together let’s walk the forest trail
We’ll cast all expectations aside
All doubts from memory erased forever
Come along with me, friend
Together let’s walk the forest trail
As we walk, the forest will fill us
Two spidering souls, amidst all this glory
Making our way through life
Like the sun filters through the tall oaks
Painting dancing white lace all about us
As together we walk the trail
You tell me your stories
I’ll tell you mine
Our walk itself, a story for the future to tell
A story we’ll write as one
About how we walked together—
One eternal requiem within us does keep
We’ll have no destination
The journey itself our end
You’ll know when your time has come
Mine, I will know much the same
Come along with me, friend
Together let’s walk the forest trail
The day started in darkness—
The type our dreams come wrapped in
Yes, our dreams—
Butterflies, smoke, breath
Escaping back into us
Just as we remember their names
Come nine A.M., the sun won its battle
With the clouds and rain
Again, light prevails over darkness
Again, my dreams give way
To the dreamer
To the sun, the light it brings
The darkness is not a bad thing
Nor the clouds and rain
All parts of us—
Reflections in the mirror
Appearing on the soul’s still surface—
That place where all are one
There is this place
I begin and end in every day—
My daily launch pad into life
Special only to me
As yours is to you
When I was five
Growing up in Martins Ferry
I knew nothing of James Wright
His poetry, or that we all have our place
That goes far beyond geography
Now, I feel my limits
Like a vise grip, applied to unspeakable places
Places we all know
Places where we begin
And eventually end, placelessly
False smiles, broken promises
Landfills of sorrow today
Tumbled hopes, shattered dreams
Long lost black and white photographs
Snapshots, another time, another day
For once, see the world clearly
The one moving through your veins
Forget the make believe ones
The one you lived yesterday
The one you planned for tomorrow
Stop pretending not to pretend
We all do it
Liars always know liars
They mock desperate lost fools
No absolution for their ways
Take your last chance
The one slipping between your fingers
Forget all coming before it
Let it lead your aching heart
Slowly dance, forget the lies today
Did you ever wish
That somewhere along the line
Life would grow easier
More within your grasp
Less unpredictable
Further from what we all fear—death
Did you ever wish
Somehow those deemed lost
Might find their way
Might mysteriously survive
Like last minute sunrises and sunsets
Anything but a final ending
No use expecting or wishing
That truth will instantly clean up
Your bad and lost dreams
For what takes a lifetime to come
Also takes as long to pass
We must go beyond our own wishing
Two hummingbirds danced in half circles
Tilting slightly into the white morning sun
Behind the sleeping, now drab cone flowers
Their beaks touched ever so gently
As parting lovers might embrace
Until their time comes once again
It all seemed so natural, unrehearsed
Without expectation
No lingering for tears
No quiet desperation
Not even the slightest clinging to life
Two angels, wings aflutter in divine harmony
In the presence of such a miracle
How can you not be changed, even transformed
I cried, like a child wanting to be held close
To hear mother’s heartbeat
To hear the fluttering wings of angels
Hovering above me as I sleep
We lost a friend, a wonderful neighbor
She lived for others
To Nancy, Mother Nature was the Mother Queen
Without her, an empty spot will remain on Deepwood
For a long, long time
A teacher, constant learner she was
Life’s mysteries, more than simple puzzles to solve
Each day, much more than the visible conquest
And much more than we can grasp
Until our own end comes, making it all clear
No need to eulogize Nancy
Those far closer will do that
But deserving of a special poem she is
Much as Emily Dickinson or Elizabeth Barrett Browning might give
So to Nancy, the ode of the eternal rose I sing
Life comes and goes
Much as the sun and moon rise and fall
Those seeing beyond themselves know
Heaven forever awaits
For without them, we are all lost
I think for Nancy
Life was a special language you learn
Like Mathematics or French
Even with all the words, something escapes us
But I think Nancy was OK on all this
Psychic mirror, the soul
Reflecting all you are
All you have been, and
All you can ever become
It reflects what’s most important to you
Not your parents, children, friends, or anyone else
Reflecting perfectly what you need to know
To find your way home
We lose our way
When we forget
To look in our mirror
Reminding us who we are
In life, there’s nowhere to go
Despite what we might think, no destination
Every place, exactly the same
Every thing, all part of one
Look if you will outward, upward, beyond
Eventually your eyes fall back on the mirror
There you always find yourself, complete, without separation
And there you find your way home
Tulsa, a place Mom and Dad lived for a short time
Where Mom died, now twenty-two years ago
Where Oral Roberts preached
And broadcasted his ministry to millions
Including Grandma Secrist
Who faithfully watched his sermons during the 1950s and 1960s
On her old black and white Philco TV
That flickered hope into her life on Moore’s Run—
That sad and forgotten Eastern Ohio holler
Where Mom was born, and
A long way from Tulsa where she died
Tulsa, a place I’ve visited many times
Since Mom’s passing and Dad’s moving
To help the Cherokee Indians
With various plans and studies
Tulsa, a place I left this morning
Troubled about my Dad
Who lay dying in a bed in Tupelo—
Where he has lived out his last sixteen years
All this flashes into my mind
As I sit in seat 16F
Of a Continental flight from Tulsa to Houston
On my way back to Cleveland—
The place I call my home
From my plane window
I watch the sunrise spread across the eastern sky
Searching for answers
To life’s biggest questions—
Those questions each of us faces
In our own way and time
There is no question Dad will die in Tupelo
As Mom died in Tulsa
No real need for an answer to that question
There is no question—
That someday I will die
And so will you
Yet, all this seems so hard to accept
As I look down on Tulsa wondering why
Each moment—
A surprise
Unpredictable
Unknowable
But always an experience
An adventure in knowing
Seeing
Being
Letting go
There is sunlight in the forest today
Sifting through the trees
Like a luminescent waterfall
Crushing all darkness below
There is sunlight in the forest today
Where fawn-spotted mushrooms grow
Where lurks the red-tailed hawk
Whose back shimmers in the sun’s white rays
There is sunlight in the forest today
Guiding home all those lost
Illuminating the trail by the little stream
We hear only when it rains
There is sunlight in the forest today
It falls on my uplifted face
Bearing my soul
To the heavens above
Inside all of us, storms aplenty
Some predictable, others sudden, without warning
Thunder, lightning, heavy rain—
We survive, all parts of life
Hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, tsunamis—
Always deeper, more devastating
Often more than we can withstand
Watch we must, our inner radar screen
Observing for changes, signs of what’s to come
Never perfect information though
Each moment abides in its own flow
Carrying us to its eye
Where there is peace
But no seeing beyond
Storms come and go
Like the wind—
Sweeping us into surrender
Into places where we must change
To transcend ourselves and survive
To find safe harbor
That place beyond all stormy weather
Our youth
Like some ineffable butterfly
Flits about in our memories, dreams, reflections
At times, as real as any dream can be
Always, midstream between the familiar and unknown
The older faces about us tell stories
Going past the point butterflies can go
Places no words can reach
Spaces outside the universe we’ve grown to love
Placeless realities no eyes can ever see
Somehow, we start over again before we end
Revisiting, remembering our beginnings
Hoping our memories help us hold on
Somehow anchor us in the shifting sand
Trickling through life’s hourglass
We seem to sense the futility
Of holding onto what only visits
Like the sun in summer
Like the butterfly in the garden
That disappears as quickly as it arrived
Torrential downpour
Nothing spared the rain
Silver waterfall of tears
God’s way of cleansing all
Washing away all habits, conditioning
Let go
Release yourself to the rain
Surrender to its magical touch
Set all memory behind you
Let the rain set you free
Each of us, a part of that larger something
That speeding beam of light
Streaking through the universe
That churning river, no beginning or end
That idea, completely incomplete
Seeking form, expression, repetition
Even before it is aware of itself
Each of us, a part of that other something
Something beyond us, you, me, anything
Always something other than what we think
Illusive as the beauty we sense
But cannot touch with our hand or words
Like chasing smoke from a distant fire
Or a butterfly through the heart’s garden
Each of us, something
But nothing by ourselves
Contingent, perhaps co-dependent
On each moment flowing through us
But even in the moment
No permanence, foundation, or reason
We just are
Inner life condition, more than anything
Gives rise to our joy and satisfaction
Little else really matters
Nothing else can save us from the demons
We’ve carried around since birth—
The demons we must lose before we die
What is in our hearts
What brings our minds peace
Speaks louder than any words
Saying more to others
About who we are
Whether we’re worth the time
To know as a friend
While many, perhaps most
Strive for happiness in the outer realm
Our souls can never abide there
We are but single heartbeats
Echoing across a vast canyon of moments
But we are those heartbeats
And that’s all that will ever matter
Do you remember when you were nine
And you dreamed, without sleeping
Of travel to far-off places
Being a major league baseball hero
Discovering long-lost worlds
Where extinct Indians lived
And being so rich
That nobody in your family ever had to work
You’ve done all of these things
But in ways you never imagined
And for reasons you never expected
You’ve traveled inward
Discovered your own long-lost world
Rediscovered friends you thought gone forever
You are the hero of your own life story
And you have a richness way beyond money
All your dreams have come true
Even the tiny ones
That open vast life doors
And most of the large ones
That you thought could only be dreams
So you sit, watching clouds drift
Across bright blue sky
Now you see it’s all just a dream
life–it seems to happen
while we’re waiting for a train
walking the dog
drinking a glass of wine
thinking about tomorrow’s meeting
saying our prayers at night
sitting half asleep on the sofa
planting flowers in the garden
saying goodbye to a friend
changing a dirty diaper
and even as we take our last breath
and give into a new life
yes, life is a miracle
but fully within our reach
even though only for a fleeting moment
I think of work
That which pays us
Promises to sustain us
And yet, milks our life energy
Leaving us empty and dry
I think of careers
And how we entrust ourselves to them
To being something in particular
Somebody who matters
Because of the work we do
I’ve given up on work
As anything special
As anything that will save us
Or prevent the inevitable
Whose work it is to take us away
Look up close
Use a microscope if you must
To see what work is really about
For those you work for, and for yourself
When I look I see little that really matters
It’s a disease
Incurable for most
This thing we call work
It saps away the real us
Leaving us empty and forever wanting
I think of work
How I’ve spent my life
There’s no stopping the sadness
That descends and lingers
Until it takes us, and we can then rest
What we do in life should really matter
It should be about more than money
Or healthcare benefits when we’re old
These things aren’t enough
They can’t save us, or prevent the inevitable
I think of work, and wonder why
There isn’t something deeper in my life
That helps me see
Work only leads to more work
And never the freedom we all seek
On those mornings
When the heart weighs heavy on the soul
Remember to rejoice
Give thanks for the clouds bringing the rain
That revives and nourishes the new and unexpected
Growing inside us
On those mornings
When tears fall like the rain
Allow them to wash away the past
Bringing us back to the present
Where life can be lived, and
The heart swims deeply in the soul’s still waters
So hard
the afternoon sun beat down
Forsaking all shadows
Blinding us to see
only what is illuminated
What is known
And missing what it hides
So hard I try at times
to see life as it is
All the things I deny
Life’s impermanence, unpredictability
imperfection, only partial accessibility
Even in the best of light
Granted by the penetrating noonday sun
Some say try harder
to see more, to see better
Use the light to focus your mind
Perhaps we should not try so hard
Instead open ourselves, like a blossoming flower
And stop worrying about light, what we see
Then light’s meaning changes and so do we
The owl was calling last night
Somebody’s name echoed through the dark still forest
I listened for awhile to hear him again
But only silence rang through my ears
When the owl called
My heart shrank with fear
Praying it was not my name
But another’s that he called
Most don’t hear the owl’s call
Until it is their time
Until it is their name
Echoing through the tall dark trees
Those who believe
Say that the owl doesn’t know
Whose name he calls
Only he who bears the name knows
There is no mistaking
When your name is called
We always hear it
Then, it is our time to go
Life
Death
Bigger than us, perhaps
At the same time
Exactly what we are
What we face
Who we are
Struggle, we do
To live, and yes…
To die
But facing these things
We step
Into the abyss
We call home
I think of my father, mother
You think of yours
They were the intersection
From whence we came
They move on
We move on
And, we are left…
Not behind
But to ourselves, with God
To move from where we are
To where we end up
To where we end
And to a new beginning overtaking us
And there, life and death become one
Sunlight toured the garden early this morning
Igniting fire in the flowers and their leaves
I stood helpless, breathless, overcome
By the beauty only garden sunlight can create
I may never be the same
After seeing how a garden’s many possibilities
Become living, breathing realities
When sunlight awakens them from their sleep
Even the lone chipmunk
Who spends her day
Darting in and out of the garden
Stood still to receive what sunlight so freely gives
I set aside my pen and paper
Rushed into the garden to receive
The blessing of sunlight
Now my day has completely changed
Wonderful, long-held secrets abound in your heart
They patiently await you
Open the door
Enter with honesty, and
trust whatever that honesty brings
Discover, unwrap
the many unopened presents
awaiting you at your heart’s door
Take them inside
Open them
Allow the love they contain to grow
Rediscover the many gifts of love
that have filled your heart
throughout your lifetime
Revel in their beauty
Live in their promise
that once a gift of love has been given
It is always with you
Love is what we all come back to
For some of us, it has taken longer
to realize that love is
what we really are
For some of us
our entire journey in life
has been about discovering the secrets
that lie buried deep in the cave of our hearts
It’s not a long journey, really
when you’re ready
The heart requires no reservations
to visit what it holds
Getting there can be as simple as
floating on a lotus blossom
on the still waters of your soul
So much, we associate with our lives
More than we imagine
Things, people, thoughts, feelings, experiences
So much more
All markers, definers, identifiers
Yes, identity builders
Each of us
in our own way, seeks
to be somebody, something
Almost always, it’s about being
something other than what we are
Often, mistaking our shadow for the one
coming before casting the shadow
Yes, ambition, aspiration, goals
can hinder us, if
they steer us away
from the simple joy of being
without anywhere to go
or anyone to be
We work so hard
to define our likes, dislikes in life
All because that’s why we think we’re here
Beyond our judgments there is more
Undefinable, ineffiable, ever changing
Something we feel
Something we know
because we are that
Fear not, truth dost tarry
Lingering long and wide
Stretching every so often
in sunny spots between now and eternity
Fear not, truth dost tarry
Filling our souls with light
Even during our darkest nights
and most unconscious moments
Fear not, truth dost tarry
Lingering long after our lies, deceit
decoys, avoidances and confusion
Even as total blindness overtakes us
Fear not, truth dost tarry
Awaiting the day, hour and moment
when we’re ready to receive its gift
and live with open eyes
timeless realm of god
there our souls also dwell
wedded to nothing, unbounded
abiding in the light–
that which comes before
not separate from us, because
we are that, and more
there rests the iguana
in the early morning sun
the same timeless sun
giving light to us–all of us
not just the parts we wish to see
but the whole of us, and everything
there we are one with the iguana
trust, the moment brings happiness
no waiting, reflecting, contemplating
ours to simply enjoy
not ours to keep, claim, identify with
happiness knows no master
joy, no student to be mastered
like the butterfly circling the garden
joy lands on the still open flower
What we least suspect, springing
from our unplumbed depths
Mystified, though we shouldn’t be, for
from these depths, we are born
and reborn in each moment
In those depths, God resides
Flowing throughout us
No beginning, no end
Starting as unpretentious possibility
Ending, exactly the same
Off in the distance
A single bird sings sweetly
A sign this gray February morning
Spring will come soon
Heartened by its melody
I lingered, longer than usual
Soaking in last notes
Stirring hope within me
A mystery to me–
How such a small creature
can ignite such passion
with so simple a song
What a serendipitous blessing, I thought
For something so small to weigh so large
Something so unexpected to spark unity–
A sense God is always there
Something inside me changed, and now
climbing a mountain today
seems far less important
than sitting in quiet holy reception
Poetic Alchemist 