POEM OF LISTENING

 
1. 

I came to the place of listening, 
Where I heard a terrible thunder 
And rumblings of great chaos.

Frightened, I wanted to leave
But a soft voice said, 'Please don't.'

For a long time after that
My ear could discern only sobs
Till finally, Silence came.

2.

In some sort of vision
A mouth appeared in the darkness, 
Crying, “I am the voice of the Heart! ”

From the mouth came forth
A drop  of sparkling light
That was also a golden note.

The drop  became a world 
Which began to unfold a Story.

As I watched and listened, it led me
Down through history's chasm, 
Back to the dawn of Creation.

I saw the first man, the first woman
Clothed in their naked love.
When they turned to show their faces, 
I saw that each had my own face! 
Reaching out their sinuous arms 
They pulled me into themselves.
Then for eons, unreflecting, 
I lived their pristine life.

4.

Suddenly, even First Forms 
And Faces were stripped away.

I flowed as the rhythmic bolero
Of life from the very beginning, 
The Music of the Soul, 

A procession of colorful garments 
Woven, re-woven from fibers 
Of ones that had just been discarded, 
Millions of melodies' garments 
Of tumult and peace alternating, 
All possible permutations.

At last, I re-dressed in my own threads.
The Night of Tales was over.
I returned to myself as I had been —
But clean as a new Creation.