Again – this poet is going into non-poetic mode (or am I). I’ll still post poetry – most is not on this site and being prepared under a separate manuscript – I’ll show some soon. Meanwhile – another day.
Intentions. You cannot turn a horse or a bike to the right if you are looking to the left. The simple attitude and azimuth of one’s attention will change the body’s response… even the horse is sensitive enough to this. So what is your intention… how specific, where is it stored within you, how often do you revisit and reaffirm? If you do not know, then where are you going? Do not take it too seriously… just hold it and go about your life and you’ll see where you go – or rather, you’ll go where you see.
A teacher galloped his horse back and forth across town exclaiming, “where is my horse!? where is my horse!?” The people would shout to him as he sped by, “Sidi! but you are on your horse! It is underneath you!” The teacher responded just as anxiously, “Yes, I know… but WHERE is my horse!?”
Just because you are doing as you wish, WHAT specifically is your wish? The teacher knew where the horse was relative to him, but he was asking where was the horse in the grander scheme of this universe. Your intention is your horse, you’re on your horse… so where is your intention?
While visiting my son’s guidance counselor, I noted a note stuck to her computer… a mantra of sorts… it read, “Wake, Pray, Slay.” And I got to thinkin’
Wake – become aware of yourself… “in” aware of “out” and “out” aware of “in.”
Pray – every word uttered, every thought, each step from the bedside to the mirror to the car to the office… EACH is a prayer. Speak only when you know God (and/or your highest self) is listening, and listen only when you know God is speaking (Abu al Hassan Kharaqani said this). Even the scuffling of your feet on the pavement makes a sound – a prayer. It is a sound you make AND a sound you hear… even you are listening and speaking to you.
Slay – seize the moment, win the ecstasy of presence… be the frolicking child of the now and own the world with each fraction of second. For to wake and and pray IS too slay.
First day of sophomore year for my son…at a new school. He is trying to be present in each step… I hear the blow dryer going and soon he’ll be dressed and we’ll be eating breakfast. Getting to your seat in the classroom is no more important than taking the first step out off of the bus… or the second, or the twentieth. If it is 500 paces to the front door, then you have 500 prayers and places to visit.
My daughter will be off to Norway soon – any day, provided she wakes up to catch the plane on 26 August. Sometimes it seems like she’s lifted her rudder out of the water and lowered the main sail of her ship… she is in the rolling ocean. And you know what, THAT’S O’KAY! I’m the dad in the crow’s nest, looking for high sea’s – preparing to shout down to her, “raise the main lassie, we’re coming about!”
