Sonnet # 32: The aloof within

That aloof within, that watches all our actions

and splits our consciousness, must be submerged

if we're to find some deeper satisfaction,

where the petty snares of thinking might be purged.

But how to tame this beast whose pacing haunts us,

when we can't even find the strength to pin it down?

Its sly insidious observations taunt us

as we struggle to stay focused on the Now.

The mistake we make's in believing it's autonomous;

a being to be chased, and then subdued.

Don't think of it as separate and ominous,

but rather welcome it, embrace it, and include

it in your journey to that sweet inviting star:

this shadow's a vital part of who you are.

Sonnet #31: The call to light

And yet, there are those trees that reach for the light;

whose branches curve ever upward, toward the sun

and lead us to believe that hope's in sight,

that the time for wandering, lost in fog, is done.

That upward stretch, that hopeful tilt's a clue

there might be life beyond the forest's density,

a world where clarity and warmth renew

each pilgrim's way with sacred vision and intensity.

Each glimpse of light, however brief, enthralls us

and so we continue on the mystic path,

trusting that the destiny which calls us.

will guide and keep us safe until at last

our journey ends and we can then unite

with that which ever calls us into Light.

Sonnet #30: Each living soul a brush

Each living soul's a brush, transcribing love

that flows from spirit, coloring creation.

We empty, that the grace from up above

may pour into our lives: sweet inundation

spilling out into the world through song and story,

in music, acts of courage, and works of art.

That fount of living water, inspiratory,

whose endless source fills every longing heart

with hope and joy and valor to progress

along the path we're given and to find

the resources within to incandesce;

to serve for others as a light divine.

Take now your palette, instrument, or pen

and speak your peace: let each stroke shout Amen!

Sonnet #29: That shield you hold

That shield you hold, that hides your face from me:

how long have you been carrying that around?

I understand your past invites sympathy,

but when did your distrust become so profound

that distance, self-imposed, is your only way

of coping in a world that seems full of threat?

How will you feel the love that flows each day

when your barriers are so thick, so heavyset

that all you know is you, and your own pain?

Can you not lift this veil that hides your face

from mine, and find a way to trust again;

to feel, to flinch, and yet to sense the grace

that permeates the ground beneath your toes,

and the air you breathe; this light that never goes?

Sonnet #28: The call that draws us onward

Orison is the voice of the yearning soul:

with silent pleas the longing heart cries out

the need for union, completion its only goal;

sweet hope in eternal struggle with fear and doubt.

And so we frame a quiet space to sit

and make a daily discipline of time,

encouraging our bodies to commit

to stillness, that may lead to some sublime

experience of light, or revelation,

a softening of anguish or remorse,

a feeling we're awash in approbation,

that the path we're on is really the right course...

Our motives may be selfish and impure

but the call that draws us onward will endure.