EXODUS FROM EGYPT

To know I'm not only an animal body nor brain centered mind,

But the true Self of Consciousness Awareness Reality pure,

Is like when Moses crossed the sea of red, the promised land to find,

And left the badly plagued Egyptian host their sad destiny to endure.

Their perverse thoughts and habits were drowned in a vast titanic flood,

All that remained there were only toppling egos seething deep in blood.


The hard pressed Hebrew slaves arrived on another blessed shore,

Released from oppresive bondage by their God-fearing Prophet Sage,

Could any earnest devoted zealous soul ever wish for any gift more?

Moses the mighty marvelous magician was the major miracle of his age.

Yet can find the Spirit of that wise prophet Moses dwelling in our hearts,

And vanquish for each and everyone our vain tyranical parts.

FIREBIRD SESTINA

Enrobed in scarlet, a brilliant blazing bird,
With eagle’s strength, the child of sacred fire,
She sounds a piercing cry, forever heard
When consumed in Self-lit flames, soon to aspire
From her funeral pyre, to show the world
Herself, reborn from death! Mankind she shall inspire.

In ancient time her wonder did inspire
Heliopolis, where flew this fabled bird,
To reach the Sun, lamp light of our shadow world,
And immolating in his fiercesome fire,
Her Being rose from ashes to aspire
To know New Life, such tales they heard.

When this Egyptian legend was first heard,
That daring deed was one that did inspire
Each soul, that now earned the right to so aspire,
And follow the lead set by this fearless bird.
If self dares to die upon the sacrificial fire,
Pure Self will emerge as victor of this world.

This paragon is an emblem for our world,
Proclaiming news, that everywhere is heard,
Setting the wooden hearts of men on fire,
The deathless spirit mocks at death to so inspire!
Thanks to the valour of this beauteous bird,
The soul of man can to an after-life aspire.

So people of all lands can once again aspire
To reach the height of hope in an anxious world,
And pursue the flight of virtue like this bird.
So sound the golden trumpet call and be heard!
Men should know such transformation can inspire
To be reborn again in sacred sacramental fire.

The petty self is consumed in conscious fire,
And from ashes, pure Self does once again aspire
To reach new birth, and the minds of men inspire,
To transform their dismal dreary world.
Joy again, can everywhere be heard,
All thanks to thee, oh great excelling bird!

By wondrous art she once inspired our world,
It’s vital we aspire to what’s been heard.
Arise from sacred fire dear Phoenix bird!

RAMANA PANCHATRATHNAM

All beings yearn to be happy, always;
Happiness without a tinge of sorrow,
To enjoy a life of carefree days,
Taking no burden of thought for tomorrow.
When restless mind's at peace in deep sleep,
What glimpse of worry, grief or despair?
So happiness lies therein, buried down deep.
How to find this treasure, awake, aware?
Ask the question, who am I, and from where?
That's the essential means of the holy task,
Ending ego's `me' and `my', that's there.
No pleasure endures in things of this Earth.
Surrender whole heartedly with one accord,
Take safe refuge in the all loving Lord!

Enquire within, who basks behind our mask?
To regain that Selfhood we lost at birth.
Just seek for the source where mind is based.
You travel alone on a mystery train;
By this metaphor we're comfortably placed,
To travel by providence free from pain.
So put all your heavy luggage on the rack,
Only a fool carries it on his head!
Be glad, accept the predestined track,
Rest quietly, safe at home on your bed!
Surrender in joyful jubilation!
Surrender utterly to God's almighty will,
Surrender with total resignation,
We leave it to grace, to grant us release.

God will do this through the gaze of his Sage,
He sends down His messenger for every age,
To those who yearn and pray for great peace.
The Realised Sage lives on here to please,
Without confusing the Self with the mind.
Humble, compassionate, loving and kind,
Wisely profound, as his way clearly shows.
He steers the vessel of firm devotees,
Fulfilling everyone's spiritual need.
In deep silence, he sits, with perfect ease,
To awaken those, whom his teaching well heed.
Graciously, his great glance of initiation,
Drives the mind inwards, to Self Realisation!
Take safe refuge in the Lord. He knows!

Driving the mind inwards, to Self Realisation,
He grants safe passage through life's stormy ocean;
What frail soul will ever be excluded
From the presence of the holy Supreme?
No matter how depraved or deluded,
His mercy never ends, and will always redeem,
Raising the soul from the depth of depression,
To free one from the `I am this body' obsession.
From passions that churn desire and aversion,
His fair breeze wafts clear equanimity;
Enmeshed no more in worldly adversity,
Never perturbed by praise nor foul enmity,
We learn that there's the greatest giving
In knowing all are Self, and so truly living.

In knowing all are Self, and so truly living,
We thank the great Sage who is ever giving.
We praise the Lord, who leads us to his feet,
His gracious gaze is eternally sweet,
Without ceasing, he's forever reviving,
He grants that freedom, our real surviving.
He severs the grip of bondage's chains,
He frees the soul, where confusion reigns,
He bestows both compassion and deep peace,
He sends out his grace to grant us release.
He teaches the truth that Consciousness is all,
And Self Enquiry to raise us up from our fall.
We praise God Almighty whom is ever living,
These five of my sonnets is our thanksgiving!

AJ

STRANGE MARRIAGE

Proud philosophy proposed to poetry pure,


Coaxing, cajoling her to serve him as his Queen.


Reluctant, she succumbed, hair-dragged to his lair,


Lured and bedded behind his mental screen.




Uneasy waged their wedlock, heavily hard to bear


Her fairy fancies with his rigid thought machine.


Divorce seemed certain, until from who knows where?


Fourteen lines of metre, meandered on the scene.





Metaphysic sonnets solved their crisis soon


To knit ideas with verses in a subtle form.


He shone as Sun, she swanned as silver Moon


Reflecting wisdom, in stanzas, heartfelt, warm.




They seized the avid reader like a thunder storm,



Metaphysic sonnets now became a cultural norm.

SURRENDER

Seek for the source where mind is effaced.
You travel alone on a mystery train;
By this metaphor we're comfortably placed,
To travel by providence free from all pain.
So put your heavy baggage on the rack,
Only a poor fool wears it on his head!
Be glad, accept the predestined track,
Rest quietly, safe at home on your bed!
Surrender in joyful jubilation!
Surrender utterly to God's almighty will,Surrender with total resignation,
Surrender knowing all will be well,
Surrender whole heartedly with one accord,
Take safe refuge in the all loving Lord!

MAGICAL MAYA

Brahman makes Maya in endless profusion,

He juggles atoms in a vast creative surge,

In full flood of His energetic vital urge,

If misunderstood 'That' leads to confusion.

He designs a dramatic dream of life,

For each individual immortal soul,

So one day he or she becomes free and whole,

Restored to Real Selfhood, abundantly rife.



Gaze in the glass and greet one's reflection,

That head on a body is not the true me.

We've made a most disastrous deduction,

We're the Self, not the grinning face that we see.

So pay full tribute to Brahman's great skill,

All's for one's ultimate good, and not for one's ill.

HE FEEDS AMONG THE LILIES*

PREAMBLE

“Fair is my love that feeds among the lilies”
Bartholemew Griffin

A Mystical Marriage Dialogue between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

King Solomon is the Divine Self, the Queen of Sheba is the aspiring Soul yearning to be united with her Beloved.


“You’ve called me to your inner chamber King,
Warm me with kisses from your honeyed mouth,
Freshest fragrance from thy lilied lips I bring;
Of love I sing, strong wine from the sunny south.

No wonder my modest maids adore you!
Abduct me Sire, seducer, hurry, haste!
For dark am I and ardent, a maiden true,
Singed and seared by scorching sunlight to taste

Your love. My brothers angry, made me care
For their sour grapes, because I neglected mine.
So tell me dear, where graze your flocks so fair,
Where feed your sheep and kine at high noon time?”

“Oh ignorant maid, trace thy feet, my fair;
First feed the fold beside my shepherd’s tent.
I compare you to a fine Arabian mare,
Your cheeks are gently rouged, bedecked with scent.

I’ll hold your bracelet, sheered from finest gold,
I’ll fashion for your ears some diamond rings.
While we supped, it was glory to behold
Your happy smile spread her peacock wings.

Rest in me, oh sachet of marvellous myrrh,
Nestle through the night between my breasts of light.
My house has cedar beams, rafters of fir,
My bed is soft, your eyes like doves in flight.”

“I am ruddy like the crimson Sharon rose,
Found with blanched lilies in the valley deep,
As the holy lily among the thistles grows,
I’ll hold you in my arms while you softly sleep

As the golden apple found in trees of wood,
So do you my love, stand above my youth,
The fruit of love is sweet to eat like truth,
I rest beneath your gaze, so deep, so good,

Grace urged me, ‘come to your banquet hall’,
Your cloak of calm which clothed me,is your love,
Fortify me with your strength before I fall,
Or I’ll faint from the force of that One above.

Your firm left hand rests on my aching head,
Your right hand’s placed to embrace my heart,
I charge my soul, in case from fear she’s fled,
Be not afraid, for God’s love’s aroused to start.

Hear His voice now bounding, skipping over hills,
My lover leaps like a stag or young gazelle,
He shouts through the lattice, calls over sills,
‘Come arise, cruel winter’s past, all is well!’

The pelting of rain has stopped and gone,
Millions of blooms dance on green of Earth,
Hymnal bird chorus at praise in song,
Softly croons the dove heralding new birth.”

“Pomegranates and ripening grapes renew
The strength, which flows through blood red wines,
Let me glimpse your original face and touch you,
We’ll catch those wicked foxes that maraud your vines.

I am His, He feeds on the lilies of the field;
No sleepless nights, when boredom breeds bad bed,
‘Till day awakes, I inward turn and yield.
I dress and wonder round the town so led

Through streets, and roads, praying, I recanted.
By-ways I searched for that one I truly love,
I failed to reach you, for whom my soul has panted,
I asked, ‘had they sight of him for whom I strove?’

Bereft of hope ‘till by some night watchmen found,
I scoured the town searching for the King,
Then I found him hiding in my body’s ground,
It is of this one great love that I now do sing.

To my breast I clung and clasped him, not to lose,
Nor let him go, until safe in my mother’s room.
‘Daughters, I charge the stags, the harts, the roes,
Wake not my heart, ‘til it please Him whom knows.
He knows, he knows,
He surely knows!

I truly Am!’ See now in this strange story,
Solomon for his wedding day is crowned.
He rides from the desert in fire and glory,
Purple robed, sixty valiant chiefs around,

Flashing swords on high, their reins they draw,
His car is drawn by mounts named Love and Awe.



Alan Jacobs


*A very free versification of part of The Song of Solomon