Ridván (Paradise)

RIDVAN (PARADISE)

The flowing water beckons me

As I head down to see

Nestled in that glade

 A taste of paradise made

 

For when I’m in this blessed place

Troubles and tests have no place

Time itself seems to stop

The birds amongst themselves talk

 

Countless shades of green

From treetop to ground

Can be seen

Floating above the water

Is The dragonfly

Beneath it the fish, swim by

As I sit I release a sigh

 

Swirling around me nature stirs

A convergence of joy and peace occur

I dip my hand into the stream

It all seems like a beautiful dream

A prayer passes from my lips

Water from the branches drip

 

I arise to my feet

Recharged

My spirit replete

Breathing deep

Of the fresh spring air

Of the beauty of life

I am more aware

 

With light steps

I go on my way

Ready for yet

Another day

 

If perchance

 a problem doth rise

I sit back

 and close my eyes

And remember my time

By the creek

The problem no longer

Quite so bleak

-Shiidon, Jamál 166, April 2009

Life has many twists and turns and sometimes we lose ourselves in the moment rather than look at the big picture.  I was off from work today as it is a Holy Day for Bahá'í's.  I looked forward, as always, of the opportunity to go down to the creek and spend a few moments in peace and solitude.  It is a place I have found that I can be recharged.  My creek of solitude.  It has been raining on and off for a few days now.  The are is lush and green.  I just spoke to a friend via Skype in another country.  He informed me that there are health issues that he is dealing with that may take him away from us before the year is out.  I think about the recent surgery my friend went through and now this and remember that we must take advantage of each and every moment of life as it goes by as we never know when it will be our time.  I wanted to write a lighter poem than the previous one posted.  I hope you enjoy it.

Growing Pains

GROWING PAINS

Walking along

 the ice flow of life

guiding you though

the hazards rife

 

Numerous doth

The tempests grow

With wisdom and faith

We do go

 

You wander off bit

No hope of respite

Between us a crack appears

Untold waxing of my fears

The crack doth widen

The ice doth brake

I reach out

But its too late

 

As I see you drifting off

I think of all that

You still don’t know

And how much more

You need to grow

 

I see that smile on your face

Towards the unknown future

You doth race

Of the guidance I have given

I see no trace

 

My heart aches deep

As I sit and weep

At the sorrows I see

Ahead of thee

And for me there is nothing

That I can do

To ease that burden

Ahead of you

 

My limits are reached

My defenses, breached

Nothing left

For me to teach

Wishing for things to end

Reflecting on what

Doth I  portend

 

I know one day

You will find your way

And perhaps I may

Still be here

And on that day

My heart will cheer

 

At that time

 it will show

All that

I did know

And how much

You did grow

 

But for now I see you drift away

The currents now

Hold their sway

And heavy doth

My heart weigh. 

-Shiidon, Jalál 166BE, April 2009

Growing pains come at all points in life.  They are not reserved only for the young.  Sometimes the growing pains of the young are shared with those senior to them.  The growth comes for both in different ways.  Tests and difficulties are rife around us.  One does not have too look outside ones doors to find them at times.  The key is how do we handle them.  For me the true solace is in prayer.  Prayer is the "ladder of my soul."  It is what lifts me out of the darkness I sometimes see around me.  Two of the prayers I say every day are one for detachment and the other for tests and difficulties.  I thought of a Polar Bear with its young and the metaphore to our lives it could reflect.  I leave you with a line from one of these prayers.

  "But for the tribulations which are sustained in Thy path, how could Thy true lovers be recognized..."