(Please note: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License)

Sample spiritual poems from the book:

No deep rooted fears
fear exists on the surface
fear is the surface
dive deeper and fear is swallowed
in the depth of knowing

nothing to fear in this moment
even when a gun is held to your head
the thing most feared has not yet happened
once an event has occurred
fear is too late

fear has no home here
where all is as it is
breath the tranquil air
and discover the fragrant serenity

___________________________________

Thoughts dance their enticing moves
before my entranced inner sight
but the spell is broken
when I wonder
who is entranced

memories beckon seductively
with all the luster they can manage
yet their shine is swallowed
in the light
behind my eyes

there is one dancer
I cannot resist
her only movement is utter stillness
I find no memory
in her transparent gaze

___________________________________

Nothing seen is wasted
the sight of every eye
increases the range of vision
of that which sees

every sight is a gem
of pure perfection
in the inner eyes
of that which sees

each viewpoint
lives on forever
nothing can die
within that which sees

look deeply into any eye
beyond your reflection
come face to face
with that which sees

abandon appearance
let go of pretense
you are naked and exposed
before that which sees

do not turn away your gaze
no need to hide
only love shines in the eyes
of that which sees

___________________________________

In the dream
I always play the fool
in the dream
my defenses always fail
in the dream
my desires are never fully satisfied
in the dream
my heart is broken over and over

wide awake
I always play the fool
wide awake
my defenses always fail
wide awake
my desires are never fully satisfied
wide awake
my heart sings its endless joy

___________________________________

What should we do
what is the purpose of life
here is the endless task
to do nothing well
here is your purpose
to be free of any purpose

why do we suffer so
how can we end the pain
here is the source of suffering
in the desire to end suffering
there is no end to pain
nor an end to joy
within the soul of freedom

___________________________________

My longing was never deep enough
to touch this empty well
my effort was never great enough
to move this unmovable mountain
my understanding was never broad enough
to contain this silent truth
my dreaming was never real enough
to shape this formless presence
nothing is always enough
when nothing is needed

___________________________________

The mystery
of this simple moment
can not be spoken
yet all of history
occurred to arrive here

the mystery
of the endless terrain of self
can not be mapped out
countless new frontiers
are born with every breath

the mystery
of awakening
can not be achieved
all that is needed
is to notice inner eyes that never close

the mystery
of sweet undying love
can not be understood
the heart already knows
what the mind can only long for

the mysteries
always remain
untouched by worried thought
ready to welcome us home
when we abandon our dreams

___________________________________

Take my hand
feel the vital grip
that love lends to this flesh
listen to my voice
hear the catch in my throat
of awe that can't be expressed
gaze into my eyes
see tears welling up
as I recognize my long lost self in your smile
rest in my arms
find refuge in my embrace
until you know you are forever safe
join me now
here
where we have never parted

___________________________________

Behind closed eyes
the world falls away
a whirl of empty sensation
with no boundary
drowning thought
in a silent symphony
burning the body
in painless effigy
when eyes open again
the world is cleansed
only perfection remains
the room is resplendent
with the absence of illusion

___________________________________

A lasting marriage
when devotion has claimed you for its own
no longer any chance to stray
a brief fling with illusion no longer satisfies
the truth demands utter fidelity
with no possibility of divorce
all pain must be faced
and embraced as the true countenance of your beloved

all fear must be met
and recognized as the thrill of tasting the unknowable

all joy must be surrendered
and acknowledged as a gift with no giver

this union only requires telling the truth
even when the truth shatters your dreams
even when the truth leaves you emptied out
even when the truth reveals your counterfeit existence
then there is no other possibility
than happily ever after

___________________________________

Fire may burn the wood
the ashes do not mind

Purchase a printed copy of Gifts with No Giver for $9.95 on Amazon.com