Walk along the riverbed.
You will come upon a nymph,
Aged and smooth
As a riverstone
Sighing and singing with
The water’s flow
Ask her, “How are you, Nymph?”
And she will
Smile
Up at you and say
“I am but a tired soul
In a tired sea
Of tired souls.”
Her voice the soft bubbling of the river.

Walk among the trees.
You will come upon a dryad,
Ridged and furrowed
As the tree limb
Upon which she sat as she watched
The leaves fall with the autumn breeze
Ask her, “How long have you sat here, Dryad?”
And she will
Gaze
Down at you and say
“I grow and grow old
With the tree.
And the tree has grown tired.”
Her voice the raspy crinkle of the fallen leaves.

Walk amidst the flowers.
You will come upon a deva,
Light and sweet
As the honeysuckle she sat amongst
Watching and humming with
The many bees
Ask her, “Who are you, Deva?”
And she will
Frown
Away from you and say
“We, those of us that
Belong
To this place,
We are Afraid.
And we wish to no longer be Afraid.”
Her voice the wavering stems of delicate flowers.

The nymph chokes on her sisters' remains as
the dryad is cut down and shredded and the deva is
forced into restrained clay pots.

They cannot be freed by one
but by the response
of all.

Could such a meditation capture and embrace,
Fine wrought beauty of thy grand, immortal face?
Time's architect of sublime grace,
In whom luscious light of love apace,
The liquor of the moment churn,
With magic, through whence the cosmos rage and burn,
Knowledge of which the sages earn,
For which the scholars learn, fierce yearn,
On my journey through aeons to you,
Through creation with a God I flew,
Saw blessed fires run through you.

Raw power of the sun in you,
Never seen bright soul so true,
Beatitude rare for which I grew,
Shed regrets, no shame, no rue,
Deva Kali I do not spurn
Our spirit, may fire of the deva burn,
A beacon to alight all space,
Glow benevolent on the cosmic race,
Meditation guides to thee,
On an endless cosmic, seismic sea.

A solar system is thy mind,
Whirls majestic and refined,
With mysteries and life embroiled,
For a glimpse of which the sages toiled,
A beauty which hath never paled,
Which the saints and bards regaled,
Her form is truth; not up for sale,
Suffice to adorn lore and fairytale,
Reflecting on her I duly find,
My form and hers coiled, intertwined.

O Kali of celestial power,
Bless my heart in immortal hour,
Impart gold virtues known to thee,
So I can rejoice in revelry,
Enamoured of the cosmic majesty,
Beknown to Gods and ones who see,
Ever frolic in enchantment free,
No you, no I, only one heart, we,
No lords who seize time, history,
Just blissful divinity in a cosmic sea.

Thou art avatar of all creation,
In incessant and perpetual motion,
Inspires mind to soar in elation,
And commit itself in deep devotion,
Deepest, sweet celestial commotion,
Assuages my heart's trepidation,
Here my fear is not a notion,
Soul free in immortal recreation,
Kali, Kali, spirit true,
Blessed fires run through you.

Your legs the roots on life's wizened tree,
Roots bubbling with time's energy,
Your arms the blossoming canopies,
Which scatter wisdom's flowers free,
That drink up lightning from the sun,
Inside your heart, as time begun,
See her conquer, see her run,
A goddess for all; let us be one,
In awe of you, I just a smote,
As I stand with you at end of time remote.

Beget thy purpose to create,
Plant seeds in which all time gestate,
She lives for life insatiate,
For which I am in joy, elate,
My atman, Kali, how lucky I,
Can dwell on Earth, yet soar in sky,
Beloved of the Buddha's cry,
As he sing soft under bough of the Bodhi:
Children, we are all light and love,
Reflect from Kali, our mother dove.

A truth on which the spirit rove,
Souls frolic in her Heart's treasure trove,
Walk softly to that golden grove,
A path for which the mind behove,
Kali, as I for life prepare,
Imbue me with your knowledge rare,
If you permit, and if I dare,
Could I see worlds dance through thine stare?
She dance with cosmic passion there,
A shimmering siren, beckons me to lair.