**Spiritual Poetry Thread**

This was written by a "storyteller" who I like named Brian Andreas.

Discovering the Moon

When I first discovered
the moon, he said,
I gave it a different name,
but everyone kept calling it
the moon.

The real name never caught on.

- Brian Andreas

I wrote this poem this morning, on a lark. I wrote it in Spanish first and then translated it into English. Sometimes I like to write things in Spanish first because it helps me to "strip away" some of the wordsy crap that likes to sneak into my writing. (If you have some constructive criticism of my admittedly non-native Spanish or of my English version, feel free to offer it.)

Hope you like it. I have no title for it.

________________

Tu, esa fuerza inalcanzable y inesperado esperanza,
Que a todos momentos me encierre en brazos de viento susurrando,
Que me besa con rayas de luz de la luna,
Y me da todo lo bueno y lo malo paque me haga tu obra maestra:
Solo pido una cosa:
Que sigues dandome lo que queda en esta vida
Sea por mi aprovecha o por mi derrota
Porque eres Tu ese que me busca,
Por estos momentitos de raridad, claridad de vista,
Momentos en que veo
Otra vez,
Que nunca puedo vivir lejos de Ti.

You, that unsurpassed force and unhoped-for hope,
Which in every moment encircles me in whispering breezes,
Who kisses me with rays of moonlight,
And gives me every good and bad thing, so that I become your work of art:
I ask for only one thing:
That You keep giving me whatever is left in this life
Whether it be for my good or ill
Because it is You who looks for me,
Through these glances of strangeness, of clear vision,
Moments when I see
Once again,
That I can never live away from You.

Medusa

No mythologies can elaborate
the pain at the roots
your horror comes
when the serpents sleep
it is then
that they become glazed
in salt
it is then too
that your mouth and eyes
open
simultaneously

- John Hejduk, architect

This is my favorite poem of all time:

Footprints in the Sand
Mary Stevenson

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was
walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the
sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he
noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one
belonging to him, and the other to the Lord. When
the last scene of his life flashed before him, he
looked back at the footprints in the sand. He
noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed
that it happened at the very lowest and saddest
times in his life. This really bothered him and he
questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, You said that
once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all
the way. But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life, there is only one set
of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed
you most you would leave me." The Lord replied,
"My son, My precious child, I love you and I would
never leave you. During your times of trial and
suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it
was then that I Carried You."

Remember
Joy Harjo

Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is. I met her
in a bar once in Iowa City.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother's, and hers.
Remember your father, his hands cradling
your mother's flesh, and maybe her heart, too
and maybe not.
He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are.
Red earth yellow earth white earth brown earth
black earth we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe. I heard her singing Kiowa war
dance songs at the corner of Fourth and Central once.
Remember that you are all people and that all people
are you.
Remember that you are this universe and that this
universe is you.
Remember that all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember that language comes from this.
Remember the dance that language is, that life is.
Remember
to remember.

A New Day

A whole new day confronts me now
With challenges to meet.
I will go forth with confidence,
Without delusion or defeat.

My Lord is here beside me
As I strive to forge ahead
With utmost optimism
On the pathways where I tread.

I will not let adversity
Allow my faith to quell;
I'll lean upon my Lord this day
Trusting...all goes well.

This whole new day holds promises
I will conquer and achieve.
I cannot fail nor foster fear
When I continue to believe.

I know that yesterday is gone-
Not to dwell on failures past,
I'll make the most of every hour
Long as this day will last.

I will take pride in all I do,
My values redefined,
This day will be exemplified,
For God controls my heart and mind.

A whole new day He gives to me,
Fresh and new and free from sins.
My life restored...God's love prevails...
I smile and rejoice as this new day begins.

by: Patience Allison Hartbauer

Are you looking for me?

Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
you will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine
rooms, nor in synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding
around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but
vegetables.
When you really look for me, you will see me
instantly --
you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.

--Kabir

I am….

I am a Child of the Great I am,
I am a child of God,
I am a Sister of Jesus,
And the Holy Spirit Dwells
In me…

I may not be wealthy,
But I am enriched in Gods Grace,
And Love,

My Self-esteem, my not be at its highest point,
And self-worth needs to be lifted,
But, I am worthy of Gods
Love, and mercy,
And HE esteems my Life…

I have not acquired many worldly items,
And not seen many places of this world,
But,
God is my world, my Life,
And I gladly give
What I have over to
The Great I am,
My God, My Lord,
My Savior,
And the one whom
Indwells in me…

Darkness will enter my
Soul at moments,
And Hopelessness my creep in the back
Door, when I am asleep,
But,
My God is the Light,
That empowers the darkness,
Jesus is my Lamp,
That shines his light,
And dissipates
The hopelessness,
And quenches my thirst
With His living word….

My Knowledge is not that of a
Scholar,
Wisdom,
Has plenty of room to grow,
My pride is not inflated,
But…
Everything I may need to know,
God will supply,
And with each lesson,
Wisdom is enhanced,
And Daily I humble myself,
And will, over to Him,
For His will to be done,
Not mine….

I was born a sinner,
I am a sinner,
This I know…
Temptation will come my way,
As it is part of this Life,
Yet
Through it all,
This is why,
Jesus died on the Cross,
At Calvary,
Shed his blood
And washed away
My sins of
Yesterday,
Today,
And the days to come,

And still,
The cross stands there, for me to lay my burdens,
And pains, for Him to carry,
For…
The Lord loves me,
I am his child,
He will never forsake me,
He is my Father,
Jesus is my Brother,
And the Holy Spirit
Is my Guide,
To live a life
For the
Great I am,
My God

debs McCulloch

Footnote to Howl by Allen Ginsberg

Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!
Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!
The world is holy! The soul is holy! The skin is holy!
The nose is holy! The tongue and cock and hand
and a**hole holy!
Everything is holy! everybody's holy! everywhere is
holy! everyday is in eternity! Everyman's an
angel!
The bum's as holy as the seraphim! the madman is
holy as you my soul are holy!
The typewriter is holy the poem is holy the voice is
holy the hearers are holy the ecstasy is holy!
Holy Peter holy Allen holy Solomon holy Lucien holy
Kerouac holy Huncke holy Burroughs holy Cassady
holy the unknown buggered and suffering
beggars holy the hideous human angels!
Holy my mother in the insane asylum! Holy the *****
of the grandfathers of Kansas!
Holy the groaning saxophone! Holy the bop
apocalypse! Holy the jazzbands marijuana
hipsters peace & junk & drums!
Holy the solitudes of skyscrapers and pavements! Holy
the cafeterias filled with the millions! Holy the
mysterious rivers of tears under the streets!
Holy the lone juggernaut! Holy the vast lamb of the
middle class! Holy the crazy shepherds of rebellion
Who digs Los Angeles IS Los Angeles!
Holy New York Holy San Francisco Holy Peoria &
Seattle Holy Paris Holy Tangiers Holy Moscow
Holy Istanbul!
Holy time in eternity holy eternity in time holy the
clocks in space holy the fourth dimension holy
the fifth International holy the Angel in Moloch!
Holy the sea holy the desert holy the railroad holy the
locomotive holy the visions holy the hallucinations
holy the miracles holy the eyeball holy the
abyss!
Holy forgiveness! mercy! charity! faith! Holy! Ours!
bodies! suffering! magnanimity!
Holy the supernatural extra brilliant intelligent
kindness of the soul!