Faith

Faith Woulds’t this mercurial stage shake our faith? Turning all whom we love to ash and dust, Ready to be blown, blown away on casual breeze. Ravaged human heart and sweet sacred soul, How can we imagine joyful dreams? If life is thus. What mischievous and pitiable acts and scenes, How can we love? If

Shoreline

Shoreline Relaxing in the sun warmed veranda, Admiring the grass, growing moment by steady moment, Abruptly, a chop and a thud sneak round the corner. Pause. A chop and a thud. Longer pause. Another chop followed by another thud. My breathing slows, eye-brow raised, waiting, Waiting, expectantly, for the next chop, Will there be a

Enchanted Forest

Enchanted Forest I danced through the forest at fall of night, By guardian mountains and faithful streams, To where an old lady sat, in ramshackle cabin porch, Her hands are deeply grained with living cares, Her face is old, her eyes are wise, She smiled, we sat, she read my heart, She looked about us,

They Lived and Loved

They Lived and Loved They lived and loved, Their childhood friends and summer days, While all about them daisies sang a sweet serenade, Their dream is life, their living a dream. They lived and loved, Their feet falling, fumbling, caressing rugged Earth, Sinewed muscles, developing their strength, skill and speed, Celebrating winning joy, pained in

Sea Anchor

Sea Anchor Sea anchor, hold us safe in passing, Stormy seas. Protect us from raging, Tidal torrents, bone breaking waves. Sea anchor, saviour of souls, bless our, Fragile bodies, racked with fearful, Doubts. Clothed in restless desires. Sea anchor, protect us from gnawing, Obsessions, tapestries of daily, Duties, eating our aliveness. Sea anchor, release us

Ancestral Voices

Ancestral Voices This living tradition, Contains no mystery, No secrets, nothing hidden, All is as it is. As we dance in morning mist, Songs of our ancestors weave, Our sacred unfolding path, Breath of life, living gods. For our poor limited minds, Dreams challenge and remind us, To tread with care, To live with respect.

There Is A Story

There is a Story There is a story, A story of our life-time lived. There is a story, A story of our family’s struggles. There is a story, A story of our rich tribal roots. There is a story, A story of our ancestors’ rights of passage. There is a story, That pre-dates our time

The Merging

The Merging The key slips into lock and turn, Gate latch, twisted, smooth, rusted edge, Walk out, join life’s sultry urban churn. New soft shoes shuffle on pedals, Drive out, join life’s urban jobbers, The key slips into lock and turn. Run, catch the seven thirty train, Drift into mesmerising thoughts, Walk out, join life’s

Lay Down

Lay Down Lay down; lay down my sleepy head, As I lay down in this rag-tag field of reclusive dreams, How long? How long before this day is just a distant playful memory? Lay down; lay down my grateful true and tested love, As I unfold in this endless rolling breath of vibrant life, How

Down By The River

Down By The River Down by the river an old man sang, His voice so full of life, one with tide. He whistled ancient tunes, calling His soul back home, borne on wind and stars. Down by the river, old women sang, Their voices full of family love. They hummed ancient lullabies, soft And gentle,

The Beast

The Beast The Beast sighs, Menacing deep snarl. Fear ripples through sinewed Taught jaw and clenched teeth. Inhibited anger emerges, twists, cries out, Out of reason’s insane shadow. See, whispers the Beast, No more illusions. All is God. © David R. Durham, All Rights Reserved.

Your Eyes

Your Eyes Momentary stolen glances, Mythic tales in your eyes; So powerful, so refined. Yearning to reach you, Passion’s dancing flame; So powerful, so sublime. Your gaze turns inward, Deep run your memories; So powerful, so benign. In our eternal meeting, Our souls united again; So powerful, so divine. © David R. Durham, All Rights

Innocence

Innocence Innocent is love’s first bloom, Ignorant of worldly ways, Flowing heart, fearless and carefree! © David R. Durham, All Rights Reserved.

Sacred Internment

Sacred Internment Whom do we bury? Under these daisy scattered fields, A friend, a loved one, an acquaintance so slim. What do we bury? Under these raven scattered skies, A smile, a birthday party, a look so grim. Why do we bury? Under these grief scattered feelings, A doubt, an innocent secret, a lost tearful

War Memorial

War Memorial How deep? How deep this blackness? Beyond our Fragile beating heart’s memory, down into the Black ocean of our mortal sorrows, long Past ancestral reckoning; horrific. His eyes bore great sadness, under Their manly smiles, fleeting moments Of distance, moments lost in tempest, Dark ripples, unresolved anger. Respectable men smile knowingly, Their deceitful

Mystery

Mystery Lost, lost in the Mystery, Neither known, nor unknown, Invoking long sought secrets. Bliss, mysterious bliss of life, Neither living, nor dying, Humbling our mindful awareness. Chants, sacred chants arise, Neither memorable, nor forgettable, Guiding, tempting, revealing. Light, mystical light infuses, Neither luminous, nor dim, Enveloping and blessing us all. © David R. Durham

Birdsong

Bird Song A light dust hovers round chanting hoe, Warm earth, strong hand and eye, furrowed Brow; deep concentration. Evening Sunlit haze, thrushes’ song brushes past Engrossed mind, hearts intertwining, Spirit to spirit, sweetest union. © David R. Durham

Desires

Desires Did you move because of it? Did you get up and leave your Welcome bed? Your hearth so warm, Your lover so near and dear. Did it tempt you again with sweet Promises of tomorrow? Tomorrow so new, so bright, Seducing your heart and sight. Did you know, did you know the Fair price

Everyday Ritual

Everyday Ritual The cups are neatly stacked, Soft flowing handles in line, In kettle’s blue light, eddies Of water, shimmer and dance, promising dark pleasures. Unswirled, rich aroma, Now delving, scooping, deep brown Granules, measuring right Taste, imagined memory, Guiding mysterious ritual. © David R. Durham

Standing

Standing Where I Once Stood I Standing where I once stood, once larked, Fresh in youthful eyes and heart, Exuberant games with friendly faces, The only faces I had known, experienced, Navigating the native neighborhoods, Fragile recall. Mind’s tainted eye. Homespun stories turn the wheel of life, Measured by ticking clock’s pulse? Or valued by

Love Held Tight

Love Held Tight With love held tight in hearts embrace, Would’st the scent of love be enough, Should a whisper fulfill our finest grace, Or will full storm of voices be raised, With longing left far behind on shrinking shore, ‘Till neither you nor I falter in hesitant dark, And all our days they flower

Three Worlds

Three Worlds Love inspired magical voices chant, Meeting place of earth and sky, drumming finds, Resonant core rhythm, seed and amplify, Nascent spirit’s dance, loosen mind’s tight grip, Rippling songs strip blinkered eyes doubts. Inviting ocean of love, which speaks and, Knows our names, convulse viscerally to, Still point in salvation’s ravenous breath, Collapse terrified

Ghosts

Ghosts Ghost from the past, Tease and persuade me, With histories so devious and bad. Ghost in the machine, Mystify and manipulate me, With stories of us and of them. Ghost of the future, Flirt and fascinate me, With fantasies of pleasure and joy. © David R. Durham

Ancient Prayers

Ancient Prayers Pungent incense adorns austere vestments, Aching knees, silent witnesses, testify, Propitiate holy separation’s torments. Dust hovers, swirls, dances in sunlit shafts, Children yawn, babies doze, angel’s smiles, Pungent incense adorns austere vestments. Liturgy, elegant life giving river, Evaporating desires, cleanse souls, Propitiate holy separation’s torments. Sacred rite, gifted ancient tradition, Well loved, humbly

Eden

Garden Of Eden Casually draped emotions, barely felt, Shimmer and ripple with each casual glance, Faultless ways, cultured mind’s illusion, Create false regrets, zoo sanctioned chiding. Sacred mourning over a fallen people, No going back, the curved archway should have read, Once picked, fruit starts to rot, no going back, Joyous lament, sensuous piety, righteous