listen to the songbird waking the world
how lovely the in between states
the lull connecting awake and asleep
the gradual emergence of dawn from night
delicious expectancy and then
it's there
and you realize
you missed the actual transition

awake
I am
deep breath of contentment
hot ginger tea warming my throat
warm tingly feelings caressing my skin
radiating

Oh sleepers awake
I know it's frightening out there
there's pain and suffering and misery out there
greed and violence and hate out there
unthought of terrors out there
it's so much easier to stay isolated
in your insulated ivory towers
shielded by your unceasing mind
guarded by ignorance
deaf and blind
two things you've not considered
you think you're shielded and insulated
your's is a false security
those walls could crumble down in an instant
but more importantly
you who slumber
you could come to the end of your life
without ever having lived

*NOTE: written before 9/11

on a boat in a sea
sharks circling persistently
making it to the beach, finally
a turtle crawls ashore and turns into a dove
a big snapper with a large head follows
they move slowly up the stairs
near the top the turtle advances
the dove ignores the warnings
the turtle snaps
the dream is over
in a big house om-ing inside
three boys imitating outside
then they break in
man gets their gun, held on the ground
waiting for the cops to arrive
down the block it’s the middle of the day
neighborhood children come out to play
a pair of broken glasses by the sidewalk
man pops the lens in, leaves them to be found
another dream ends
people coming and going to and fro
up on a hill frolics a small blonde camel
blending in among patches of snow
a tiny buffalo the size of a small dog
bounds in like a bucking horse
butting its head and biting
have to push it away
talking with a woman with bandaged hand
cannot remember the conversation
someone says a witch is here
now I'm awake

my first night on Kaua'i
waking up for only a moment
a glimpse stored in eternity
a painting in my window
full moon surrounded by a white aura
encircled by a rainbow
falling into dreamless sleep
waking again to gentle drops dropping
clouded night sky
wild cock crows
contested faraway
random responses continue incessantly

the observer notices
sounds, images, sensations, temperatures
tastes, smells, thoughts, and feelings
the observer lets the mind interpret
the mind tries to direct and control
thought gets easily out of control
the thoughts result in feelings
the feelings take over
breathe deeply
let go
be still
the observer now observes
from the place of peace
where feelings and thoughts no longer rule
where they still come up
but then are faced
and what remains?
peace

Copyright 2006, moonsong