Craftsmanship and Emptiness

Today I felt I was sitting at Rumi’s feet listening to him teach. His calm, gentle demeanor radiated out to create a calm, gentle atmosphere in the circle of his teaching.

“I’ve said before that every craftsman

searches for what’s not there

to practice his craft.”

Rumi goes on to say how a builder notices a hole in a roof, a water carrier notices an empty jug, a carpenter notices a house without a door. Each craftsman is looking for something that isn’t there so they can then practice their craft, have something to do. But then Rumi states:

“Their hope, though,

is for emptiness, so don’t think

you must avoid it. It contains

what you need!”

The poem continues with a teaching frm another Sufi mystic, Attar. As always, I am left with a hint of knowing but still not 100% sure of Rumi’s message. I am left with more of a feeling than actual knowing. But I believe from this hint of knowledge, great knowing can be acquired if I am patient.

Milky Way

Milky way overflowed last night
spilling alabaster light into my life

Currents of ancient knowledge and history
flowed past my bedroom door

Gleefully I immersed myself in opalescent energy
shedding itself from borders of the galaxy

Ursa Major dipped low
growling amiably while helping me indulge

Angels hovered on the sidelines
excited as they watched events unfold

Aristotle, Pythagoras, Socrates and Galileo
mathematicians, scientists, mystics and priests
streamed by
splashing images of their ideas and philosophies as they went

Cassiopeia surged
Andromeda gushed
spiralling stars
rushing to escape their positions

I gulped and reveled in the shower of their wisdom
thriving in the unexpected arrival of this celestial accident

Sagittarius arched and bowed
amongst interstellar dust
I curtsied and giggled
at his chivalrous behaviour

As the star cluster
radiated and rotated
tried to right itself
I beamed
the magnitude of my aura
one with the universe

Dazed by the multitude of power
the flow of spirit
I slowly fell back
and remained prone

An orange hued giant star
floated back to the sky
as dawn approached

Galactic particles sprinkled on me
throughout the morning
Iridescent motes
tickling my thoughts
making me smile

Arachnid

Spiders
fat full bodies
centered and still

Large weaver climbs rapidly
on single strand

Webs
vertical diagonal horizontal
alive with silent movement
eyes dimly aware
spider sense tingling
heightened threat
vibration of pedestrian beneath

Joint legged invertebrate
moving fast
moving slow

Creatures hidden in daylight
come to life at night

Covered walkway
full
a horrifyingly beautiful sight
protecting eggs
hunting

Walk beneath
these nocturnal arthropods
racing heart demanding
no lingering
trust they will not descend

Follow the path
walk beneath fear
let go of fear
accept fear

Or deviate
walk without protection!

No matter the choice
can no longer pass unaware

Access Denied

locked door

(image from flickr.com)

The door is locked
and you won’t share the key

Sometimes I catch you in there
when you think I won’t notice

like the Garden of Eden
fruit of all trees can be eaten
except one

I have access to all rooms
except one

I don’t desire knowledge
for I know what’s in there

Neatly packaged bundles of memory
wrapped with the bonds of time

some bursting their ties
swollen with retelling

others tattered around the edges
faded and worn

I want to throw the door open
dust away cobwebs

let in the light of day
cut the bonds of these tightly held packages
loose the memories

releasing
like a boat being untied from its mooring
ready to accept a new adventure

but the door remains locked
and you won’t share the key