Upward

Upward: 

it's with an upward glance - and then my world expands. This is my perspective, from a single point of being aware and everything opens, I become larger with the view, endless. The sky holds my potential, my true self without boundaries. All found with an upward glance and a willingness to let go of self believed borders. 

this isn't an illusion, a trick of make believe - it's seeing, the real vision that doesn't depend on the opinion of the seer. It's the art of becoming what is viewed, of owning all that's found present. It's being headless, free to expand beyond any limits held before. 

from my perspective, right now, I am limited to what feels personal, things I consider truly my own. I am my thoughts, my body, sensations. It's my smaller world. A bit further and I claim this room, my computer, books, my present cup of coffee. These are all things that belong to me, and right now they belong within my view, a view expanding even now in what it holds. 

let's take this further - knowing that the view expands, what do I see when I turn my sight around, a search to find a viewer, to catch sight of who it is that really sees? It's not that I disappear, it's not an absence of the seer - no, it's that the view continues in expansion, what at first seems to be emptiness realized is soon revealed to be the truth of its fulfillment. 

seer and seen are one, the view, now and always, includes the viewer. 

so with an upward glance...indeed, my world expands. 

~

Peace, Eric 

An Ocean Still

An ocean still:

an ocean still, each of us - an extension of the tide, only carried further on the land. Our blood is of the same substance, salt and ions in similar ratio to what the sea holds. We are literally water in travel, an ocean's wave somehow found aware. 

this is our true connection, primordial, that we're each a private ocean, yet still feel ourselves belonging to the larger body, the moon tugs both blood and mood for our response. We recognize each other as tides from the same source.

an ocean still.

there is a familiar metaphor of the ocean and wave, that we are forgetful of our nature, believing ourselves to be a cresting wave, separate and on our own. Of course the wave is never apart from it's truth as ocean, and once collapsed there's the sudden realization of it's home. We are beyond metaphor, we are truly a carried ocean, complete, tides within veins, our wish to merge as common water. We have always been an ocean.

this is it, life, our one sure home - the wave metaphor hints that there is somewhere other, that a cosmic ocean exist as a place beyond right here, now, and that in realization we merge to something greater than we already are. All there is - is ocean. It's a blood, our very essence. We are not confused, we are not a wave caught in self belief. 

we are the ocean, still, and always. 

~

Peace, Eric 

What Do I Know

What do I know: 

but what do I know? Is there anything that I hold as certain? The truth is that I take much for granted, assumptions made of all beyond this present moment. There is so little that I really know, and even less that demands my attention to function in the world. My body has it's own way of knowing, perfectly fine without my conscious will to draw breath,  or cause my heart to beat, or any of the infinite vital assignments it performs completely on its own. Even my mind belongs to this system, working fine in the order it provides, without need of my assistance. 

it seems my personal world works fine without me. 

and so much information is simply handed to me, read from books, gathered from media, or inherited from teachers, parents, and clergy. This is not my true knowledge, although my life works well within these guidelines. None of this is what I truly know. 

science says the hard problem of consciousness is explaining why we have experiences, how the world becomes personal to us, meaningful. I keep things easy, with no questions that demand an immediate answer, without need to know anything as certain. Poetry doesn't have to ask the hard questions, nor does my happiness depend on answers. Consciousness has given me an entire world to explore, infinite in its direction. For me - the questions lead to something beautiful in their ultimate mystery, unknowable, but somehow too imparting something to be known. The irony is that words will always fail to capture this, only winking at the jest of its own attempt and effort. 

but what do I know? 

the question stays - what I know is this, and it's indescribable, fragile, and completely my own. It's my very own moment, an experience of self inter-dependent on the worlds existence, as well as the emptiness that allows my world to rise. I know this moment in my own way, not in any ultimate sense of being true, not as an illusion to be seen through, but to be cherished, to be grateful that I exist at all with a world so full and varied to its beauty. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To Just See

To just see: 

to just see that everything belongs - yes, I use words such as allowing, accepting, verbs, as if there is a personal action involved. But there isn't, I belong as easily as everything else, without real say as to what appears as life continues in its flow. I belong to the motion, being a verb too, and my only true gift is to be aware that this is so. 

it's life that allows, a constant welcome, and often I with that I did have more control, more say as to what would be included. Yet life meets my demands in the same welcome as every other aspect of its hold. I am given the gift of belonging, as well as a certain grace that comes with seeing my place within the whole. I am grateful for this gift, responsive, and find myself now with less demands. 

there is trust with this, with life, and all that's allowed - I know that I belong, that I am welcomed with every seeming fault and imperfection. Life only sees me as whole, as essential, and includes me without condition. 

loved.

to just see, that's all - there is no action needed to belong, to be included to this love. I am not the one that allows, it's not my role to accept, nor deny. I just see, and melt within this grand inclusion. It's that simple, observing that my every action is immediately accepted, that life continues through its motion without regard to so many of my wishes. I just belong, equal in my acceptance. 

loved...without condition. 

For Just This Moment

For just this moment: 

for just this moment, and there's our faith, our wished for haven - right now, we have what's present, we have only what our worlds been given. Nothing more can truly be considered, our reality is always, only for this very moment. 

this is what's allowed, whatever appears now is ours for however long its stay. It's all we ever have to deal with, and all we really have to cherish. Everything else is the abstract stuff of memories and dreams of what may be. Our moment is right now.

yet this isn't a call for mindfulness, it's not about directing our attention - it's simply a reminder, a pointer to what's present, and ours to truly know. We only have this moment, and it's changing, in motion even as these words appear. What we know is mystery, that with every instant another world is given from every previous world before, and even if similar in appearance there is always subtle change. Nothing belongs forever. 

so for just this moment, however swift it goes - this is what the world offers. It's ours, but only in motion, not meant to ours to grasp. For just this moment we have our joy, our memories, and sorrow too. Nothing is excluded - this is where we celebrate life through all that's given, this is where suffer our every loss, all that feels taken and cause for us to mourn. 

for just this moment - everything's allowed. 

~

Peace, Eric 

Allowed To Simply Be

Allowed to simply be: 

all things allowed to simply be - and that's the secret of the world, that everything follows its own way, while belonging to some greater motion still. We rest in this awareness, no longer prone to argue against our own true nature, allowing the world to be exactly as it is, even as we work for things to change. It's the paradox of living. Everything belongs, but never longer than its length of stay. Through this we find a certain peace. 

natures follows this, that every bird knows its own particular way, guided by instinct and lessons learned by trials of flight and search for food. A bird knows its individual way, without argue of its course, nor challenge to whatever condition it might find. Every shift of wind is allowed, and every bit of rain, and still each bird stays true to flight and song. 

this too shows a greater belonging, a larger motion of the world - that wind and rain follow the way of their own pattern, a cooperation of events that allow a time for storms. A bird acts through what is given, whatever pattern that appears. They adapt their way to the ever greater way, infinitely at peace within the world. 

it's our way too - we are not removed from nature, we have our own flight within life's storms, adapting to its rainfall and every shift of wind. It's our secret. Intuitively we know that all things are allowed to simply be, that we run with nature's course and our every action belongs as well. 

we are true to our way - and the ever greater way that follows still. 

~

Peace, Eric 

For Me

For me: 

for me - life equals that which participates with living, and nothing possibly could be excluded from this, and all things belong within its framework. Of course science has it's own definition, correct within its branch and narrow view. I have no argument with science, theirs is a specific field with a mission to accomplish. Science achieves great and noble things. But I have no such agenda. I simply write from my own intuitive sense of wonder and awe, grateful that I belong to such a beautiful world. 

and for me - it's all about belonging, that not one thing can be removed from what surely seems complete, whole, and true. I exist because everything else does as well, inter-dependent, and intimate in a seamless fashion. An ocean teems with life, individual from largest mammal to the microscopic - and yet done would exist without an oceans hold. 

it's all life.

nothing can be seen separate from that which holds it in embrace - air is alive by nature of its touch, the earth lives by extension of its giving ground. Each aspect participates for the continuation and well being of the whole. This is exactly where I belong, thick in the process of being alive, giving breath as a function for feeding trees, my body one day returned to nourish earth. I am alive for the well being of the world, and the world equals life through its allowing embrace. 

it's not bound by any definition - all there is...

is life. 

~

Peace, Eric