Gopi star maidens roam
across an ever widening
void
searching for their darling Giridhari

"Krishna why have You abandoned us?"

"Your foot prints have gone cold and the music
of Your ankle bells are deathly silent"

"The universe is so colossal, baffling,
unfathomable, bewildering and
incomprehensible"

"Where are You?"

"We beg only for Your celestial embrace"

The Lord opens His ginormous, glittering,
galactic blue mouth and laughs
misty worlds evaporate and reappear

Elysian fields, sweet perfumed scents
of Paradise
sweep across our Souls
Beloved Krishna with the cashmere eyes
that old snake charmer
plays His golden flute
Radha seated eternally by His side

The empty jhoola swings

Your holy
Name
dances about
red, blue, pink
swirling saris
with You
my arms are
never empty
the moon is full
of silver
and the sun
pours its gold
over us
in the jhoola of
my heart
there is a permanent place
where I swing from dawn to
radiant dusk with my
Dearest Giridhari

The Ganges rushes in
torrents from my eyes
and threatens to sweep me
away
it’s been four lonely years
Sai Krishna
I wait in the foothills of Mount Kailash
the sun and the moon wait with me
the earth has ceased its wild spin
and the stars have lost their merry twinkle
O Swami what we wouldn’t give to gaze
once more into your lotus orbs
Sai Krishna
mountain peacocks with bright plumes
chant Your name
and silver tongued nightingales perched in
high branches sing of Your
divine exploits
the empty jhoola is adorned with garlands
and sweet rose petals
Blue skinned Lord
You alone are the source of
Bliss
Grant us Your divine darshan
cuddle close to us
tonight
http://www.sairapture.com/krishna-madhava.html

the baby pin oak in my backyard
is strong enough to support
the wild bird feeder
blue jay watches avidly till the coast is clear
relaxing in the garden jhoola
I sip my morning tea
a lime pastel butterfly flutters close to
my cup and a tawny brown lizard
his balloon red throat puffing love-calls
scampers over my feet
sky drenches the moment in blue
and chest thumping sounds of a
Saturday baseball game
herringbones through the fantastic
fabric and handiwork
of the here and now

Last night when I came home, I noticed a very delicious
fragrance enveloping me. The jasmine was not in bloom,
so I knew it couldn't be that stealing through window drafts,
and the incense sticks were long extinguished.

Was it Lakshmi? Her divine fragrance perfumes the three
worlds and I sensed an unusual lightness in the atmosphere.
This morning I still detected a unique aroma, though not as pronounced.

I went outside, in the backyard, to let the dog out and observed two orange speckled butterflies dancing near her doghouse. I shooed them away protectively.  As I did this, they moved over to another location, but one hovered near my hands.

It fluttered around my hands for a good minute. I was able to hear,
witness and breathe in the amazing oscillation of it's fragile wings.
Gorgeous mosaic patterns glittered between the rays of sunlight bathing
our golden communion. I could clearly see its ebony face peering curiously up at me.

Soon a third butterfly joined the party, and a trinity of sweetness pulsated close. After a while they all took off in different directions.

Later, I reflected while swinging in the garden jhoola how wonderfully connected we all are.

This Unity transcends the mental, emotional and physical barriers, preconceptions and dimensions of our ordinary awareness.  

Love has a lot to do with it, respect, peace, truth and right conduct too.

This is the third time
I've planted climbing roses

The first two failed to fulfill
my romantic fantasy of
efflorescent roses
flaunting their naughty
frilly pink bodice
and hooped skirts
draped in loops
like gingerbread scroll-work
or fleur-de-lis
gamboling, sauntering
across the white French trellis

I guess I'm really a fairy trapped
inside this 5' 8" terrestrial body
I love how the amethyst moon-flowers
with the pentagram tattooed on their
belly button petals
cast a magic spell over the garden

And the night blooming jasmine's
enchanting fragrance wakens the
dreaming gardenia and makes everybody
including our blue eyed ragdoll kitten
a wee bit tipsy

I curl up on my midnight Jhoola
topiary shadows crouch
like royal sphinxes
in the starlit courtyard
and reflecting pools of water
from summer rains
swirl open their third eyes
~portals to another world~

Today, I told a butterfly he was God
my eyes followed the magnificent cape
of his orange monarch wings
from September flower to flower

The inquisitive coral throated lizard
leaping over the garden jhoola
listened, awestruck as I announced
with deep conviction
"You're, God too, my friend"

It was time to tell Joy, screeching
at the top of her parrot lungs and
Sam my bright-eyed cairn terrier
the exciting news

I could feel the teal blue heavens,
all the creatures of our earth and
beyond breathing in
absolute pin drop silence
as I filled a glass with water
opened my mouth
and slowly poured
God into God

there's a fairy with a harp
a white moon spirit
in my garden

at twilight when
purple iris tides flood
the western horizon
and the evening star
hovers brightly over
her ***** head
she tiptoes past the
Lakshmi lotus fountain
tossing golden coins at our feet
and if in the mood
she swings in the jhoola with me

when the atmosphere thins
and we see through the walls
our imaginations have built
if you listen with a
fine-tuned ear you can
surely hear her
Celtic swan~song rippling...
carrying us across
gossamer wavelengths
to distant luminous shores

the jhoola is damp from
evening rains
still I enjoy swinging under
misty twilight skies
the moon beaming a toothless grin

Funny how it all feels so real
solid, permanent
I’ll always be Sonya ki
in this familiar body,
surroundings and place

I gaze at puddles
of silvery water glistening
over the garden beds
visions from the past float to the
surface
not too long ago I was living in
Arkansas, and before that the big apple
childhood memories of my mother’s
comforting voice and soft lap
eclipses the other images morphing
into a cascade of ever changing
ephemeral moments in time

If nothing stays the same then
what is it that resounds through
the hills and valleys of my being
like an eternal echo

That fixed point where the sun never rises nor sets
Splendor enthroned within
Immortal witness
Beloved

“Consciousness is neither inward turned nor outward turned nor both
It is not undifferentiated, it is beyond cognition and non cognition.
Not experienced by the senses nor known by comparison or inference,
incomprehensible, unthinkable and indescribable,
pure consciousness, the real Self, the cessation of all phenomena,
tranquil, all-blissful, one without a second,
this fourth state (Turiya ), the Atma (Real Self)
(Eternal Witness)
is to be realized”
~Mandukya Upanishad

Vernal breezes gently rocked
the garden jhoola
the blue sky vine looping
across the butterfly bench
created a festoon of stunning amethyst flowers
Ram Namavali was approaching
contemplating Him, Lion of the Raghu dynasty
embodiment of dharma and source of bliss
my heart and lips blossomed open
a garland of melodious Ram
bhajans perfumed the noonday air
after the sweet singing session
I did a few Yoga stretches and
decided to pick some luscious black mulberries
I approached the mulberry tree skyrocketing in the
western corner of the backyard
lifting large heart shaped
green leaves I found one or two ripe berries
“Hmm” I thought to myself I wonder what happened to all
the mulberries?
Parting another section of the tree, two orange speckled eyes
met mine exploding in innocent wonder
there seated nonchalantly on a happy branch was a
pretty lil’ brown dove
“So it’s you who’s been goggling all the mulberries!” I exclaimed
caught “red-winged” the bewildered bird took off scampering
across the sky
I gathered my meager but delicious bounty added a few frozen
blue berries squirted a heap of whipped cream
then myself and Rama (the kitty) eagerly licked the platter clean

“Honey you got yellow pollen all over your nose!”
exclaimed the cashier at Walmart  hurrying to hand me a tissue.
I had stopped to ask her if 4 O’Clocks did well here in florida.
“Oh-h-h” I giggled, “that’s from sniffing the Easter lilies.”
Lately, I have been trying to figure out how to
to add more fragrance to our southern garden.

There is plenty of color, the hibiscus has donned her frilly, coquettish
tangerine and red petticoats
The double begonias are showing off gorgeous salmon pink bonnets
much to the chagrin of their ******* clad penta sisters in
neighboring ceramic pots

Cape May daisies twirling dozens of yellow parasols
caper coyly across the lush terrain
and the newly planted milkweeds hold the promise
of glorious monarch butterflies alighting
on their burgeoning buds

For me the paradise of having a garden
right outside my door is a blessing of
huge proportions
a native New Yorker, I clearly remember
gazing out my window only to be greeted
by another building blocking any scrap of
green or organic color the cluttered urban landscape
had to offer

Thanking the sales lady I dashed off to Lowes
and found a jewel hiding amongst the rows
of spring plants and avid garden shoppers
Star of Tuscany a rose-like jasmine with a
perfume scent only angels could have designed

Whisking her away along with the enchanting
confederate jasmine I hurried home to plant
and welcome our sweet new companions

Later that evening while
swinging in the jhoola at Easter sunset
scarlet, gold and purple hues
cast a glow of hope over the garden of eden

Mother Nature renews herself perennially
shedding all that is not needed or useful
she leaves the sepulcher behind
wrapped in the throes and ecstasy of eternal love
she gives birth to eternal life

There was a kind breeze
in the sweltering inferno
of an August Summer day
in Palm Bay, Florida

Penelope the climbing orphan
rose gazed up at me gratefully
as I trimmed away the last of
the blue sky vine
Now she could ascend in
all her purple glory

The breeze followed me to the jhoola.
As i sat swinging on the soft comfortable
cushions, I was thrilled to observe that
our white French trellis was finally adorning
herself with romantic red roses

Like a little love chateau in gay Paris
climbing Don Juans serenaded her vinyl bodice
in bold, flamboyant, valentine red

Out the corner of my eye I spotted the
handsome but shy red cardinal swaying between the
branches of our hibiscus bush located close to the
lantern shaped red bird feeder

Dewy sweetness of the moment filled my heart
leaning back in the swing, I thought to myself:

"This is certainly turning out to be a bright Red-Letter Day!"

Evening wind chimes, misty laughter
tug wistfully at bamboo flute strings of my heart

Garden oasis, gorgeous geisha maiden
Robed in red kimona
opens Her moon blushed fan
Delicate tea blossoms
and nightingale's song

Wise Buddha fountain
carrying a lantern of hope
gushes soft slippered through
smokey black topaz shadows

Resting on the garden jhoola
cocooned in white netting
I close my eyes
search the ink brushed
horizon

Returning home
Summer Swallows in flight
follow a starry trajectory
Kohl black tears
mingle with garden watercolors

We will meet again
Ancient Love

When plum blossoms awaken
on jade green boughs
and crown us completely in
lovely lavender umbrellas