Guest guest Posted November 6, 2009 Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 A Poem by Ivan himself.--- On Fri, 6/11/09, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote: Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Thief of hearts By Ivan M. Granger(1969 - ) Thief of hearts,you have ransackedthis beggar's hut,left menothing.All I seenowis the printof your pilfering handeverywhere. / Photo by notsogoodphotography / ============ Thought for the Day: In your pursuit of God,sometimes -- you must be extreme;always -- you must be supremely balanced. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Benjy Wertheimer Soul of the Esraj Listen / Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -As I'm getting back into the rhythm of the Poetry Chaikhana, I thought I'd take this opportunity to highlight one of my own poems. For a poem about thievery, I hope it gives you something special today...===The "thief of hearts" is, of course, the Beloved, God.Let's face it, from the ego's point-of-view, the relationship with the Divine is a problematic one. What the heart recognizes as liberation, the ego sees as theft. It's really very funny... when we're not tormented by the spiritual dilemma, that is.All that the ego claims as its own slips from its grip. Control and possession define the ego. So what is it to do when the master thief breaks into the awareness and reveals everything to be the filmy stuff of dreams and light?In that ultimate moment, however, the emerging bliss is so all-pervasive that even the drowning ego laughs with its last gasp.Something I thought I'd point out about the poem's structure: The poem itself is a pair of thieving hands. It has two groups of five lines, suggesting two hands with five fingers each.Also, notice that the lines "left me / nothing" are intentionally ambiguous. They could be saying that the thief of hearts has left me with nothing -- having taken everything -- or perhaps it is saying the thief has left me as nothing -- without identity or sense of ego.The line breaks for "All I see / now" force the unconscious mind to read several layers of meaning into the lines. Some part of the awareness will read that first line as a complete statement of its own: "I see all." To follow with the single word "now" snaps the awareness into the present moment. When one sees all, one is fully present, now. Or, when one sees, all is in the present moment.Yet each thing of that "all" has lost its 'thingness.' The "pilfering hand" has taken away the world normally perceived as a scattered collection of disconnected people and objects. ...But -- and here's another secret -- that pilfering hand secretly gives as it takes. The "print" of that hand leaves us, instead, with a magical universe filled with immensity and life and a giddy sense of being that flows everywhere.===Too much explanation? Maybe we should just let the poem itself do its work... :-)Have a wonderful weekend!Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... Donations to the Poetry ChaikhanaA sincere thank you to everyone who donated to the Poetry Chaikhana in recent weeks:- Roslyn (PA), Graeme (Glasgow), Gary (OH), Jeannie (PA), Tim (UK), Jim (GA)And thank you to those of you who have recently signed up for a monthly donation:- Susan, Suzanne, Susanne (yes, those are three different people , KaarenI am so grateful for each and every contribution. Your support makes a big difference in maintaining the Poetry Chaikhana.---A few reasons to consider making a donation of your own... More than 300 sacred poets. Timelines, traditions, poetic themes. Ivan's musings and comments. 'Nuff said. The Poetry Chaikhana brings a little beauty and inspiration to you each day. I never ask anyone to donate more than they can comfortably afford. The daily poem can bring depth to your prayer or meditation practice. Many small donations are better than a few large donations -- making it a true community project. But for that to work, we need lots of people to contribute! Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.