He Steers the Burning Flames of Kala

People congregate
Around the sacred fire
Homage to Agni
The Lord, messenger of God

The Rishi invokes the spark of Light
Present in the warm of the sacred wood
He surrenders to the loving invocation
Genteel words of tenderness

A spark born
To serve in honour, faith and communion
Acknowledges each other’s divine oneness
For they belong to that singular source

Offerings are made in sacredness
The tongues of fire melt
The light setting into dusk
Agni turns fierce letting tongues of fire heavenward

The Rishi in calm oneness
Witnessing the change of Kala
Yet firm to ignite the awakening
Of people near and far

People propelled to the ravenous embers
See themselves in the fire raging
Of greed, jealousy, lust, anger, pain and betrayal
Consumed from their bellies the fiery emotions

The Sage pokes the ember with his Satka
With still one-pointedness
Smiling at the greedy devouring
Flames thirsting for more offerings, burnt to ashes instantly

The elements unite, clouds pushed through roaring winds
Darkness descends, the earth grows cold
Smoke pungent with scented air raises up
Made for divine offering

The embers grow deeper and redder
Burning, busting, blasting the energy from within
Volcanic ashes spewed out in lightning embers
He with the Satka watches the play of Kala in all knowing

Tames the Fire to hold it down
Nudges it to mellow down, but in vain
People circled in faith, girdled around their Rishi
Look in wonderment, not knowing the games of fate

I am a mute spectator
Witnessing the Rishi’s serene strength
Taking on the brutal force of the flames of Agni
That burns the residue of karmic wheel

The burning embers roll out in anger
Falling on the feet of my Guru
Edges of the Dhoti catching fire
The spectators stunned in frozen fear

I rush to put out the flames
Am stopped by the gesture of my Guru
In radiant smile, despite the blisters on his feet
He continues his gaze at Agni in all knowing

I sit among the transfixed kindred
Ignorant of the meaning of it all
Knowing that my Guru has allowed the embers to fall on himself
Than we be burnt by it all

A genteel voice in my heart speaks
“He is the One who steers the burning wheel of Kala to salvation
Imparting the grace of self-knowledge 
Rescuing us from darkness to light divine”.

~~~~*~~~

Unknowing where it All Comes From

Tears trickle down my welled up eyes
Unstoppable
Flows for no reason why
salty gush

Thinking of you brings the surge
Momentarily touching the essence
Of the Divine.
You.

Unknowing where it All Comes From

Tears trickle
As the breathing softens
Unknowing where the breath
begins and ends and begins again

Your image comes to my eye

My heart filled

Seeing your eyes gaze with love

For all and sundry and me, from afar

Unknowing where it All Comes From 

 

Your smile

Makes my heart smile

No, my cheeks wet with salted tear

Smile back
 

My heart, mind and body

Every trillion cell,

born and re-born, ask a million time:

Where did Thou come from to settle in a rustic-Desi heart

 

Unknowing where it All Comes From 

 

To fill my teary eye

With the smile

of devotion, love and wonder

To touch a worthless/undeserving  life

 

Stay with me

That every time I close my eyes

I see you

In the corners of my heart 

 

Unknowing where it All Comes From

 

Like the Gulmohar at Your Feet

My Guru, My Lord, My Father,

I am plagued with a million doubts

Of mundane monotony

That grips me into nothingness.

The ramblings of my mind

Cling on like the greed for trinkets
That appear precious to possess with mad desire

See I the unworthiness of it all, and yet unable to let go of the love for worthless objects of attachment. 

I cling on to memories of a past,

Undone to undone even more

The futility of repetitive thoughts don't stare at me anymore

For if my mind were to mock at my ramblings I would stop.

I am gripped with sorrows of imagined pain

In love with my grief - for that has been my companion I cling on to...

We share a fuel that feeds each to each.

This self-love does not see beyond I-Me-Myself.

Then on a weary path of search, alone

I stumble upon a Sage's Hermit

Where the Gulmohar tree, pregnant with deep red blooms

Falls gently on the path the Holy One walks.
 

I stand and look in utter wonderment

Waiting eternal for the Holy One to step on the Flames of Forest

Each petal worthy of its life, comes to its pristine end

Offering itself at the feet of the Divine.

I can’t be that Flower

And Yet I yearn to be that one petal

Yearning to settle on the red carpet, unnoticed and obscure

To feel the genteel Feet of the Mystic walk in half-a-step.

That feathered step of His

Liberating me from the endless cycle of life and death

As yet another flower yearns to fall on the path

Hoping the Sage will walk Half-a-step, in all knowing of her unsung prayer.

Devotion, love and gratitude to you my dearest Guruji

I see God in you in all ways 

You are my Sai

You are my Shiva

You are my Kanha

You are my Friend - My Confidant

You are my Guru who shows the path

You are my beloved Father

and I your baby girl

And then again I am

A dull dull mortal

I Plead to you to fill

My empty heart with 

Just A little of the love

You have for all beings.

That I can love too

With compassion, nurturing and giving

Equanimous, fair and true

Non- clinging and One with all beings

Hold my hands , Dear Lord, My Guru

let me not from Your sight

for I am like that mindless child

who can drift away...into the woods

Keep me close to You

That I may serve You

Through the service of the souls who suffer

To listen to their tears of pain and despair

You be my words of comfort

You be the touch of healing 

You be the smile of understanding

You be the body of anchoring

to make me Your instrument of service.

I surrender my self at your lotus feet

hoping that a few grains of dust

from Your feet

Will stick to my forehead

like the vermillion of The Lord's Grace -You!