Drifting soundlessly

My shadow looks like an anchor
Bobbing nonchalantly on
Green-blue waves,
Drifting soundlessly towards
The deep endless sea
as the sun burns out.

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The Lighthouses I keep – Kindness

I have many values I base my life upon. They work as light houses along the coast guiding me along. I have acquired all of them myself along the way, and I am also the lighthouse keeper making sure they stay aflame. I am not a preacher or a guide of any kind, or a life coach, but I do keep those light houses burning for anyone who wants to take inspiration from them.

I have never believed in money. Money started out as a practical currency to make trade easier, but look what it has turned the world into. Money is basically ruling the world.

I felt, ever since I was a child, that if the Universe wanted me to have something, to learn something, to meet someone, it would make that event happen without the involvement of money. I believe that what I need Spiritually will be provided for me as long as I keep an open mind and follow the clues. Clues can be anything from a word popping up several times in a day, or a message on a billboard, or a sentence in a book, or a stranger coming up to say hello. I always follow the clues.

I remember once, I was asked to buy some Spiritual books from a very nice man. I loved the books, but I declined, telling the man that I didn’t believe in paying money for Spiritual knowledge. The whole episode ended with the man giving me all three books for free. This is the only time I have explained why I won’t buy something of Spiritual value, like join a class or a workshop, but still, everything I have ever needed has always come to me at exactly the right time. Without fail.

All my teenage years this kept happening to me, I followed the clues and ended up with exactly what I needed.

When I was in college I learned about the term Earth Angel. I liked the term, but the definition was for me a bit too “Martian” for me, and precisely because of this I have started shying away from the word Earth Angel. But not the concept. I have just developed my own definition.

After many years of receiving clues from the universe I decided that it was time to give back. I wanted to be one of those who helped the universe plant those clues. And this is the most fun decision I have ever made in my life. For those of you who have followed my blog for a while you might have heard some of the stories. I have written encouraging letters to strangers, put messages in bottles, planted poems in library books, hidden little treasures on beaches and forests, left Angels in trees, drawn chalk drawings with encouraging messages in parking lots etc. etc. I have always sought the guidance of my intuition, the part of me connected to the universe, before embarking on one of these adventures.

This is why I have always hesitated to put my writing in books to be sold. I want my work to be available to all regardless of income. Otherwise I would not feel that I was doing divine work.

On one of my journeys around the world I met two beautiful ladies who ran a yoga center together. They gave all classes free of charge only with a donation box at the entrance for those who could afford to pay. I had a poetry exhibition there with a poetry reading. I did not have to pay to rent the place and I met a lovely young musician who played the sitar and volunteered to accompany me with his music.

I wish there were more people like that in the world, people who gave freely of their talents, their time and kindness. People who wanted no more payment than knowing that they had helped change someone’s life for the better. I see so many people, especially young people, in the world today searching for meaning. But there is so much meaning out there! Making a difference in the world has nothing to do with fame or recognition, it has to do with being everything you can be, with fulfilling your potential and spilling over unto the world your creativity, talent and love.

Early summer morning

Early summer morning,
Young sunrise above the sea.
Where his shadow falls
Over the grass I plant my life
Like a cluster of moss
Afloat on wind-stirred sea,
Flushing without roots,
Weirdly softening when the edges
Of his silhouette leans against
My empty handed longing.

Like the sea

Like the sea:
A distant cry
Deep in my land-bound heart.
Like the wind:
through sea grass
Swaying in the blue fog
Of years gone by.
You danced
through frail memories:
A spring twig in the hands
of a wood cutter
Or a white stream of aurora
Twisting defenselessly
In the currents of the Milky Way.
You were left naked among stars,
Thorns of light like hoarfrost
Piercing the blue foliage of sea,
Making the sun bleed out
In the silence of farewelling screams.
In all this, the madness of the heart,
You were the beached ice berg
Shining green with coral rivers
Crazed,deeply,
Inside me.

The Lighthouses I keep – Gratitude

I have many values I base my life upon. They work as light houses along the coast guiding me along. I have acquired all of them myself along the way, and I am also the lighthouse keeper making sure they stay aflame. I am not a preacher or a guide of any kind, or a life coach, but I do keep those light houses burning for anyone who wants to take inspiration from them.

I often hear people who have been close to dying speak about a new approach to life, a beautiful inspiration found after being confronted with death. I think about death all the time. That may sound sad, but that is not what I mean. I like to philosophize over what happens when we die. I have come to believe that when we leave this world all our actions, the good and the bad, are shown to us, we get to witness our whole life in retrospect, much like our own coming-of-age movie being played before us if you like. I don’t believe in karma the way it is presented to us today, even though my theory might sound like it. I believe when we are at that stage of transitioning we do no longer see our life through human eyes, we see our life through the eyes of the soul, and even though our bad actions will sadden us, the intention will not be punishment, but forgiveness. A forgiveness born from understanding and love. It is not easy to be human. A human is not pure soul, our hormones, instincts, biological heritage, psychological makeup and temperament all play a part in our behavior.

But what I want to talk about here is not the mistakes we make, but all the love, kindness and inspiration we share. Imagine all the love you have given out flowing back to you, covering you in softness and light. You have touched so many people with your life. Maybe just by saying hi to someone on the bus, or being a substitute parent/big sibling to the neighbor kid who has two working parents, or by giving food to someone on the street, or giving a compliment to a friend. The list goes on and on. Imagine if you didn’t have to wait until your dying day to feel all that love, imagine it being given to you all the time. What wouldn’t that do to your confidence, to your sense of purpose and self-love?

So that is what I do. Whenever someone has touched my life for the better in any tiny way I let them know. And this has led to some incredible experiences. Because I let everyone know. Whether it is a stranger or a family member or a shopkeeper or someone famous. The famous people who have touched my life are mostly authors. And if you think there is really no point in feeding the ego of these already celebrated characters, you are wrong. Perhaps their egos are being stroked all the time, but I am not talking about fan mail, I am talking about letting someone know they have made a difference in your life. I once received a three pages long handwritten letter from a very famous author who poured out her beautiful heart to me in words I will treasure for ever. A Danish poet, who is the one who inspired me to write poetry, sent me her entire collection of books (in the mail to India!) after I wrote her a mail thanking her for being such an inspiration to me. My point is, every single one I have ever thanked for making my life just a little bit better have appreciated it, and all of them have been surprised! Totally unaware of the beauty and value of their work, words and action.

I want to encourage everyone out there to do the same. To tell people, whoever it is, even if it is the super famous director of the film that inspired you to choose your dream career, what an impact they had in your life. Even if you don’t get a reply. A reply is not what you are after. Once you give something, it is out there, your job is done, and what you get in return comes from the light you have lit in this, often seemingly dark, world.

That is why I always say: create a path of light with your life. What you give away is yours forever, what you hold back is lost forever.

To remind you of Summer

I taught the wind to laugh,
To walk quietly passed your door,
Scattering green leaves to remind you
Of summer.
I wrote my name in the dew on your window,
Waiting for your heart to remember
The language of the wind
And the muscles in your wings.

Be a Pathfinder

Be a pathfinder
Carving your way through days,
Releasing sunny seconds from dull hours.
Sometimes even summer days need decluttering,
Sorting through memories,
Mining diamonds in dark caves
To paint pathfinder marks on rocks,
Leaving a trail of light in your wake.