Searching Feb 2015
WHEN THE LIGHT SHINES
(Poem written in response to the painting shown above)
When the light shines,
it shines on you and you shine on it.
When the light shines,
it is you loving and you being loved.
When the light shines
It is that you can’t hide behind your fear
and your fear can’t hide behind you.
When the light shines,
Everything moves inside as if by magic.
As if the wheels of your hurt beginning to turn.
To turn,
free of the heavy weight of fears and desires.
To turn,
free of the drag of watchful memories.
To turn,
free of the dark waters of the river of pain of all humanity.
When the light shines,
You can turn to and fro.
You can also walk to and fro
Even look to and fro
But, with the clear understanding,
that neither to nor fro are there to make you feel your pain;
that neither to nor fro are there to make you feel your pleasure;
that neither to nor fro are there to make you feel the elusive freedom
or the clinging chains that adorn your walking;
that neither to nor fro can make you feel the love
you yearn, or the hate you avoid, in your journey;
that neither you nor they can help you live your life in this path to death.
When the light shines,
it is only you and just you disappearing into the light,
into the light that shines from others when they disappear.
When the light shines,
it is only them and just them who disappear into the light,
that shines from you as you disappear
When the light shines,
it is just that finally all is there as it always was,
all is there but now
it is simply there,
with nobody to see it
simply there,
with nobody to want to change it,
simply there,
with nobody to want to keep it,
simply there,
When the light is there,
it is only that you have begun to shine,
to shine from that place from where we are born and disappear
to shine the light that gave you life
and to live the life that gave you light.
But, how can I make the light shine? I ask.
How can I make the light be there? I ask.
It is in the eyes of an innocent child that I’ve seen the answers:
How could the light begin to shine if you are not willing to remain as you are?
How could the light be there if you are not willing to even be there with it and to be there just as you are?
Looking in silence into those eyes you may see that:
When you are not willing to remain without love,
You shine only lovelessness.
When you are not willing to remain without happiness,
You shine only despair.
When you are not willing to remain without light,
You shine only darkness.
Looking in full innocence into those eyes you may also see:
That it is your will-less gaze that always illuminates your path.
And that your will-less gaze is non other than the innocent gaze of a child that sings to us saying:
When the light shines,
it shines on you and you shine on it.
When the light shines,
it is you loving and you being loved.