I SEE You

Forgiving anger, barb withheld
On seed a blossom grows
With gentle passion whispers meld
And living river flows

Phosphor lights transparent myst’ry
In Eywa’s memory deep
Quiet screams of future hist’ry
When fearless warriors weep

Deadly beauty takes to flight
On ikram bond is carried
Peaceful fire set alight
With Hometree fires buried

Oh vulnerable strength arises through
Pandora’s womb is borne
Complex simplic’ty shines anew
With smiling eyes adorn

Oe tse’a aynga
Although my eyes are weary
Oe kame ngenga
My beautiful Neytiri

Nothing Lost

Some objects in the universe exist only for a short while. The meteor burns brilliantly for only a moment in time, but it is a bright and beautiful display that impresses itself permanently into our memory. It quickly and unexpectedly reminds us that there is more beyond our tiny world, and beauty beyond our comprehension. Meteors are generally rare. Catching a glimpse of one is an unexpected treat, and we feel lucky to have seen it, even though it is gone so quickly.

What we don’t see, but what is so important, is that the dust left behind ultimately falls to the ground. It becomes one with the Earth, and nourishes her. The oceans, and much of what we see today did not come from the original ball of rock that formed this planet. Instead, our world is formed from the collection of billions of precious visitors that made themselves a lasting part of it, giving it life.

Despite the presence of the right ingredients, life on Earth would not exist without the Sun. It provides vital warmth and light. Nurturing the beginning of life a billion years ago, it has been there reliably ever since. Though it experiences cycles that affects the climate of the Earth, life continues to adapt and evolve and persist through it all. This is not a simple one way effect, however. The Sun and the Earth and life exist in a codependent system. At this point in time, the Earth does little more than exert a gentle tug, hardly noticeable to the massive star. One day, however, intelligence and knowledge may evolve to the point where it can directly influence the course of the Sun and the entire system. Not only is this possible – it appears to be inevitable.

The future may look bright, but there is a harsh reality looming. Regardless of how hard we might try to sustain this relationship, it will come to an end billions of years from now. The same Sun that now gives us life will consume its fuel. It will expand into a red giant, engulfing the Earth and other planets, ending all life as we know it. Shedding its outer layers, what will remain is a small, hot, white dwarf that quietly lives out the remainder of its life, in solitude. Not all stars will experience this peaceful but lonely fate. Some more massive stars will erupt in a violent supernova explosion, spreading their life-giving elements into the universe, where new stars, and new planets will form, beginning the cycle all over again.

Though our sun and our solar system seem massive and eternal, we know their existence is just a tiny blip in space in time, eclipsed by an unimaginably large and persistent universe. The universe as we know it is enormous. Consisting of 100 billion galaxies, each with 100 billion suns, surely the potential for life is also enormous. At the same time, the universe seems like a very empty and lonely place. Its distances are so vast, and the cosmic speed limit is so slow in comparison, that most points seem hopelessly disconnected. At the speed of light, it still requires an entire year just to reach our nearest stellar neighbor. Perhaps all is not as lonely and disconnected as it seems, however. We measure space with very small rulers, and time in mere moments. Over the perspective of eons, galaxies collide and interact, and light travels vast distances to reach our eyes from across the universe. Like clockwork, cycles endlessly repeat, and life renews itself again and again.

But like a clock winding down, we must face the reality that even the universe itself must eventually come to an end. Trillions of years from now, all matter and energy will spread out and go dim. There will be no more violence. There will be no more inequality. For the first time in eternity, there will be peace. All will be silent, and uniform, and dark, and deathly cold. And there will be no life whatsoever. Unless, of course, there are other cycles of life involved -- some that we have speculated about, but have not as yet measured.

The question remains – Is death the certain fate of everything we hold dear? The answer from science is far from clear. But modern theories indicate that all things are connected in both space and time in ways more sublime than previously conceived. The universe we inhabit may be one of an infinite number of interrelated universes. We are on the cusp of a new era of quantum computing that hopes to take advantage of this power. It is conceivable that consciousness itself draws its enormous creative potential from this infinite well of existence. Is it surprising that science is discovering that the universe is governed not by the rules of matter, but by the rules of information? Can an idea – a thought – rooted in an infinite and timeless multiverse ever really die? We are but one thought in the mind of the infinite.

Intuitively, many of us believe that there is far more to our existence than meets the eye. It may be said that consciousness does not arise from matter, but that matter arises from consciousness. In reality, they may arise together. For without consciousness, what drives the chaotic world of matter toward more complex and wondrous creation? And without matter, how may consciousness experience its vast potential? Life persists in ways we cannot imagine. Life is not static. Life is movement. Life cannot exist without death. To move forward, we must always leave something behind. And death cannot exist without life, for everything we leave behind will be reborn anew. Cycles are the law of the universe, and nothing is ever truly lost. Matter may be temporary, but all that we are – all that really matters -- is timeless.

Predator and Prey

Low down in the brush
Getting ready to spring
Stealth quiet for an ambush
Claws ready to sing
Sleek, strong, coiled up
See with wide focused eyes
Overcome with dangerous intention

Singled out, unaware
Prey welcomes the fight
Settled fear, wary peace
Display of vulnerable might
Heart beats, breaths cease
Something wrong, something right
All at stake they’re playing the game

Muscles ripple, feel the heat
Blinded by the smell of meat
Wild bloodlust tastes so sweet
Hold on until it’s over

Melded in primal dance engaged
Cruelty changed in motion, life uncaged
In intimate weakness, strengths enraged
Two embraced in mutual sustainment

Stilled softness gives new life returned
Warming wetness spilling atoms churned
Combining flesh, separation spurned
Two embraced in mutual sustainment

The Puzzle

Nobody seemed to be watching
The brightly-colored puzzle pieces on the table.
On the front of the box was a scene
Enticing enough.
A row of identical happy houses
On a street with children riding and running.
Neighbors in their Sunday best
Waiving to each other.
Looking back at the carefully laid out pieces
I began to form a plan.

I started with a rose bush
Just beginning to bloom
In the center of the puzzle.
Its radiant colors caught my eye
Despite the prickly thorns defining its boundary.
Other pieces began to fall
Eagerly into place from there.
Around the bush I built
A lovely yellow house.
Through the window was a family
Sitting down together at a large table
Heads bowed and hands folded.
I smiled at my handiwork
And though the edge pieces were not yet in place
It felt comforting to know
What the finished image would look like.

That’s when I saw the puzzle
On the other table.
Intricate shapes and subtle colors
Stole my attention.
The lack of any box was surprising
Though it presented an intriguing challenge –
An unfulfilled mystery.
Excitedly I pooled together like patterns
That began to take shape
Into whimsical forms.
Castles floated in billowing clouds.
A spiral staircase disappeared into the sky.
Waves of golden flowers stretched to the horizon.
As I pieced together a princess in flowing gown
Mounted on a dazzling white horse
Guided by a figure in gleaming armor
My eyes glanced back
To the unfinished houses
To incomplete families
And I knew what I had to do.

Grinning wildly I carefully carried
Castles and clouds
Returning to my unfinished work
To create my dream.
Before long, knights sparred
Alongside children playing.
Winged unicorns danced through dazzling skies
Above colorful rooftops.
I was not discouraged
When pieces didn’t quite fit.
A little extra force compelled them to obey.
The puzzle came to life
With spontaneous glory.

But as I examined the lower left corner
Where sparkling brook
Jammed against neighborhood street
I saw a lone child
Crying tears of diamonds
Into a dazzling waterfall
That flowed to nowhere.
With a sudden sickness in my stomach
I scrutinized my creation
With more discerning eyes.

Children ran screaming from clanging swords.
Clouds hovered ominously
Threatening to wash away families
Who huddled in houses
Praying for deliverance
From the winged monsters that attacked from above.
And all orchestrated by unforgiving deities,
Laughing as they looked down
From their dark fortresses.
I had to look away.
Burying my head in my shaking hands
I wept
Over this abomination I had created.

In shame and disgust
I fled the room
Locking the door behind me
Hoping that no one would become aware
Of my horrible travesty.
I tried to lead a normal life
Going dazedly through the motions
Believing that time would fade
Memories I could not escape.
But they called to me in the night
And during quiet times
When I could not ignore them
Haunting my past
And poisoning my future.
One path of restitution remained.

I stood disgraced
Before the door that taunted me.
Jeering and jabbing
It knew my darkest secrets.
Yet reaching out beyond my fear
I turned the cold handle
Stepping into the dusty room.
All remained as before –
Even the tears I had left behind.
A hand extending
That no longer felt like my own
Glided forgivingly across this eclectic scene
Taking in stream and street
Castle and cottage,
Cherub and child.

Carefully and lovingly
I began to separate the two worlds
Placing them side by side
On the same table
Close enough where I could work on them
Both at the same time
And they could see each other.
Digging through the box
I found all the edge pieces
To frame the picture of my happy home
And though I searched
I knew that I would never find
Any pieces to enclose
My spiral staircase climbing forever skyward.
Finally satisfied my work was complete
For today
I stood up and walked back to the door.
Looking back one final time
I smiled
Before turning out the light.

Free Destiny

With honed desire and sharpened mind
And future thoughts unbending
Forged plans inspired, but plans unwind
Yield battle scars unmending

Hard steel cast off, damp seeds cast down
To fertile ground awaken
A vision of the future sown
In subtle faith unshaken

A perfect gift though born to fight
From Mother Earth still rooted
And choose its path from dark to light
Toward guiding future fruited

Rebirth

Honor, duty, brave tested heart
Admired but cast aside
Resignedly he plays the part
The tears he must abide

Freedom, joy of running tempered
Under emptiness and doubt
Voices of the ancients whispered
Limits of the past cast out

Forgiveness ending solitude
Abandon running, learn to fly
Toward oneness mending gratitude
To be reborn a soul must die

Sun Dance

A greedy lust for warmth and light
The blanket drawn around me
Intoxicating fire bright
Obscures the spark within me

The fuel consumed, the fire quenched
A darkness I remember
Revealing truth that all is drenched
In dim but glowing ember

Inside deep eyes become the same
Beyond a smiles radiance
Together join igniting flame
And burn the growing sun dance