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19.5k · Sep 2018
O Heritage Highway
Rolling down St. John's Heritage Highway
after Sean, my grandson's birthday party
I belt out my pioneer song with vigor
echoing across the vast beauty,
wide open, sacred spaces
pristine vistas

Norman Rockwell cows grazing
in bygone pastures happily
moo along

Driving past the yellow deer crossing sign
Florida woodlands giddyap near the edge of the road
long brown antlers prancing to
a timeless rhythm

I hope and pray that I can somehow
kindle a spark of appreciation
in my niece and grandsons
so that they may behold
the baffling greatness
and mystery that is our universe

These young'uns are mighty attached to the
virtual reality, world and landscape
of computer technology

A sprinkling of cowboy stars flash
an omnipresent wink
Sunset bonfire explodes across
the frontier horizon

Turning the corner onto Emerson Drive
smoldering scarlet orange embers
reflecting lights
shoot fireworks, launch rockets
through an ever expanding field of vision
4.7k · Mar 2014
I Am
God loves, sustains
and protects
all of His devotees
regardless of the
name chosen
to praise Him

inside my global prayer wheel
all the names of God
are humming

I am Allah, I am Jesus
I am Krishna, I am Buddha
I am Jehova, I am Jah,
I am Durga, I am Ahura Mazda
I am Quan Yin, I am Mother Mary,
I am Lakshmi, I am Shiva, I am Brahma
I am, I am, I am, I am, I am, I am....
...................You
3.3k · Aug 2013
God's Consort
In the twilight zephyrs
under milky way skies
I stroll beside my peacock plumed God

Along the banks of the Yamuna river
with captivating charm
He teaches me
the Language of Love

Honeybees buzz around us
even though the coral pink
sun has melted into a
puddle of nectar at
His silken lotus Feet
and all the flowers have
folded their drowsy petals

raven heavens raise their
ebony veils and a
chorus of rhapsodic stars
chant Krishna's glorious name

I feel His raincloud blue face
close to mine
lightning from His eyes
strikes my Soul

...and We dance...

A trillion psychedelic umbrellas
whirling, dazzling Sufi circles
beneath the Golden parasol
of God's enormous
Love

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2.9k · Aug 2014
Handsome Hari
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
2.9k · Aug 2015
Krishna Madhava
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
2.9k · Aug 2014
Nandalala
sit with me before the dance
in my little thatch hut
on a mat of yellow reeds
together we’ll string
garlands
marigolds, jasmine,
roses
to offer at His petite, azure feet
with glossy red kisses
we’ll serenade our Sri Krishna
weave peacock feathers through His
perfumed tresses
the Yamuna river is lit up with
lotus lanterns and
vrindavan incense
we have adorned ourselves
in the finest silk saris
and red *** *** dots
we are ready with
aching, ardent hearts to
dance with the Lord
come into our eager, hopeful arms
darling Giridhari
2.9k · Mar 2013
Feng Shui-ed
At an airport garden in Hong Kong
I sit and refresh my traveling spirit
amidst an effusion of lucky bamboo
Crepe white and fuchsia orchids
coyly fan their geisha faces

The Morning Sun, at first a pale opal ember
climbing over slumbering, stone-washed
mountains

Roars into brilliance
like a golden Peacock Dragon
strutting through China blue skies

I smile inwardly....
let the moment sweep me off my feet
Breathe in......
colors, sights, sounds
gifts....fullness
2.8k · Jan 2015
Gift of the Gods
The Universe is our Kamasutra
constellations, red tailed comets
brilliant devas, divine horsemen
prance through the galactic playground
everywhere and in everything
our eyes behold a starry courtship

Romance impregnates the very air
we breathe

billowy breezes caress our bodies
and the sun does not hesitate
to shower us with burning kisses
mysterious lady of the coven night
cools the passions of the day
with dreamy moonlight and
soft melody

Innocent, pristine
we experience, explore and
enjoy the sacred foreplay
blooming in the garden
of our chakras

So vastly turned on
feeling  high
expansive
all inclusive

How can we contain the
bliss that courses
through every particle
and atom towards its
ultimate collective
consummation

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati
locked forever in the throes of Love
“Spirit and Nature dancing together”
2.8k · Dec 2013
tea leaves
I won't remember you...
the husky sound of your voice
tall, lanky stature
Lithuanian shape of your
Baltic blue eyes sledding
across my heart

even this embrace
standing on Melbourne beach
the wind swoons
two silhouettes melting into
each other

All the lines on my hands
are erased
the ocean pours tears into
a half moon shell
my body, a blind mermaid
washed ashore
upon the smooth, faceless sand
2.7k · Jan 2014
bala lotus
in Your blessed heart
I slumber
a lotus seed
curled up tendrils
drowsy little foetus
nurtured and coaxed
to open and expand my
budding petals


On the lake of
black mirrors
I emerge so shy
at first
watch over me
Lord
guide me to let
only light and love
in
one day I pray to be
a garland at Your
Lotus Feet
2.6k · Jan 2016
Oasis
It’s a warm evening on the sahara
camel washed sand dunes
rise up like sacred mountains in the
red distance
I unzip the flap of my
nomad tent
dry desert winds
plait golden grains of sand
through my nubian hair

Sai Krishna
my heart is a parched fig
monsoon tears flood the nile
and my mind plays ***** tricks on me
mirages robed in ochre
waver across the striped horizon

Peacock Lord
Your Radha has prepared a basin of
fragrant myrrh
to anoint your lotus feet
flowers gathered from the gardens of
Isis
are eager to adorn Your divine neck

Prema Swaroopa!
Answer the ardent prayer of Your devotee
before the moon rises a silver swan
in the heavens
2.5k · Mar 2013
Isis
The milk in your breast has
soured
and silence of desert tombs
echoes through your heart

Those eyes,
once whirling gypsy skirts
mouth red cartwheels, tambourines,
night fires, dark and moist
invite — wilderness

Birds caught on thorns
flail
like arms that reach out to
nowhere
slowly delivering HIM, piece by
piece
to lurking crocodiles

Your children, tiny white candles
gather flowers to fill the chasm
form a human bridge, a link
an aisle for you to walk down
only this time
Alone

Marble eyes weep real tears
Trumpets greet
ISIS resurrected
takes her place, whole, strong
Transcendental
inside the chamber of
Kings
2.1k · Feb 2014
Namaste
God visited our house last Sunday
a bright papaya orange butterfly
welcomed Him,
fluttering in loops like a kite
as He stepped out of His car

Embracing our dear friend Jon from
New Jersey
He entered our pagoda
indeed, not as a guest but
as an embodiment of God

The early afternoon was garlanded
in loving, intimate, animated conversation
and a delectable lunch was served to our
beloved  brother
This was topped off with nectar sweet
chocolate coconut prasadam

Everything from matters of the spirit
to soul stirring S.R.F. devotional songs
chanting sublimely
suffused our heavenly day

Even the backyard birds turned out
in large numbers
their cocky red, brown and
sky blue heads
peeking curiously through
the patio door
craned to catch a glimpse
of our divine companion

Jon, His mellow, prayerful eyes
blessing all His gaze fell upon
leaned back comfortably in
the recliner chair
like a long lost friend
returning home ~
2.1k · Nov 2018
Sunrise Footsteps
We walked in beauty at daybreak
a cool breeze blew through our arms
like long feathered eagle spirit wings

Sky pressed its cobalt palms
together in prayer and
bowed to the four directions

Stopping to commune with
the new baby across the street
round, gurgling Buddha face radiant
as the sun glittering above us

His mother expressed concern
over a recent viral infection he'd
just gotten over, her greenish gray
eyes beaming with maternal devotion
in the morningstar light

We continued our beauteous trek
I paused just off of Island street
to take a pine blossom bath
Thanking the noble, handsome pine
I immersed myself in the aura cleansing
prickly, tickling pine needles

A dark blue car ambled slowly pass me
wondering, "What the heck?!"

Laughing, I wandered on...
singing to the sun dancing higher in the heavens
showering the earth and all my
brothers and sisters
in Golden Beauty
2.0k · Oct 2013
Raindance
Forty days and Forty nights
Kachina dolls danced
pounding deer skin drums
rattling snake gourds
whistling circles of
flustered chicken feathers and totem poles
around the drooping firmament

here and there wisps of
sunken chested, shrunken breasted
castrated clouds dragging their empty
rain barrels could be seen straggling
across heat infested waves

at times I swear I could hear the wind
cussing through dry crackling branches
Pine wearing wide brimmed straw hats
squabbling with over bleached blond Palms

How we languished and thirsted for the
dulcet, pure, pellucid taste of Your crystal kisses
lavender squeaky clean smell of rain-bells
oh! to feel those torrents gushing down our
upturned faces, slicked back hair,
engulfing our flowering *****
drenching us to the bone

then this morning we heard an unfamiliar sound
fairy feet tap-dancing on rooftops
excited I ran outside
crowing the Gayatri mantra
flapping prema pink wings
waddling like a duck in slap happy puddles

Yes, Dear God
a grateful, thankful swan,
gossamer reflection
glistening fervently up at You
from diaphanous depths
inexhaustible wellspring
diamond spa of Your Love
Hari Om

Visit my author's page:
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and my website:
sairapture.com
2.0k · Mar 2013
Samadhi
This morning I asked a rose
for a kiss
dew on her petals
tears from my eyes

All the emerald leaves in my garden
are garbed in noir
and Joy the parrot has shrouded herself
with raven feathers

We bow our heads, close our wings in prayer
to honor our dear friend, Sam the Cairn terrier
who gifted us so many, many hours of
sunny, frisky, faithful love and devotion

These memories bring a smile to our countenance
and lift our spirits beyond the temporal horizon
where we can clearly see
beloved Sam playing frisbee with God
running free through Doggy Heaven
1.9k · Nov 2014
Eternal Rendezvous
Within the lotus pink petals
of my tear soaked *****
He has hidden His splendor

Under a raincloud the color
of His peacock skin

camouflaged

He waits

Darling Giridhari
I have driven the tenacious, evil
bats of hatred, envy, anger and
greed from the tall steel towers, belfry
of my mind

Nectarine incense of prayer
and contemplation on You
burns day and night on the altar
of my penitent heart

Ceaselessly my breath does not
hesitate to chant Your divine name

From these eyes the Yamuna river
pours and floods its banks
while I wait for You to
dance with me

Every season is an endless Winter
without your warm Spring embrace
snow drifts pursue and threaten to bury
the tender shoots of love

Hurry Hari Krishna
pull this poison cupid's arrow
from Your devotee's
smitten heart
1.7k · Jun 2013
Summa~Time
Day lilies and dragonflies
in Arkansas June
boy do I need a sombrero!
not a cloud in the sky
and I pray for a genteel breeze
to cool my brow
The crepe myrtle has
crept its way into
my heart
From dawn to dusk
She stands unscathed
shocking pink candelabrum
boisterous laughter of
school children on vacation and
belly flops in chlorine blue green pools
brings to mind a delightful dip
in a secluded, sylvan
mountain stream
where I can with palms folded
Love brimming
salute the Summer Solstice
1.7k · Feb 2013
Crystal Salt
clay-baked women beat their clothes
clean on river rocks at dawn
cook rice and dal on an open
communal hearth
beneath a natural lantern
of Indian stars

for 20 rupees a day, roughly
half a buck
I have seen men and women tie
rags to cushion their heads
towing heavy mortar
for new construction

yet there is always a
brotherly smile gleaming
and sisterly hands eager to share
what meager provisions earned

these are no feeble folk
no fashion slaves or mere mortals
melodious bhajans mingle with
the sweat from their brows
and mantras, leelas of God
echo through the
Taj Mahal temples of their hearts

I raise my bhakti glass to the
backbone of India
Her kundalini rising
innocent, humble
village peasantry
true priests
gopikas and gopalas
who actually live
the Vedic life
1.7k · Jun 2015
Suicide is not an option
if you slit your wrists
only nectar flows
You are not this body
You are Spirit eternal
Your body is a sacred temple
fashioned by
God for you to learn how
to love more expansively
So suicide is not an option
Swami says this:
“DEVOTEE: Swami, when I am distressed, I feel like committing suicide.
SWAMI: You should not. However difficult life is,
try to be its master and not its slave.
Every human being has a preordained life span.
It is like staying in a leased house.
Before you actually vacate the house,
you have to find another one to move in.
Similarly, before leaving one body,
God selects another body and a span,
depending upon the karmic debts.
In case death is inflicted arbitrarily,
you are denying yourself a chance to work out
your karma as early as possible
and reach a permanent abode.
In suicide, you are stranded midway.
It would be a frightening state of affairs for you.
There is no vacant space in nature.
God has filled the space with spirits
and many other invisible entities.
When suicide is committed, they show up and terrorize you.
Moreover, a jivi is blissfully aware of God only
for one hour in its life. First, fifteen minutes
while shedding the mortal coil, i.e., at death;
second, fifteen minutes after coming
out of the womb, i.e., at birth;
and third, thirty minutes during the marriage.
God is present with the jivi on all these three occasions.
Hence, do not destroy the life that God has given you.
Lead the life you have got righteously.
The person who faces the trials in life calmly
and always remembers God will one day,
definitely, get His grace. Do not doubt its veracity.
Face these tests with faith in Him.

(Swami asked other people to get their doubts clarified.
Nobody asked anything.)” **~Sai Rapture, p.82
1.7k · Nov 2014
Gunga Gal
Gunga peas calypso
Madly
in my cooking ***
gradually I pour canned coconut milk
into the swirling flavors
of cilantro, garlic and onions


Staring into the rich brown
stew
I can see my Mother grating
coconut meat and hand squeezing
the milk like teats from a cow
(Too much work for me)
creating a traditional coconut rice and peas
dish


She was raised on a farm in St. Elizabeth,
Jamaica
early hours, rugged, hard labor were natural
for the family which included nine siblings
Pauline was a kind big hearted Soul
with ample soft *****
perfect for children
to lay their heads upon
and skin that always seemed
to smell of curry


Burnt sienna Indian complexion
wavy black river hair
and colorful patois accent
painted a portrait
cavorting over the dandy, rolling
goat hooved hills of
Jamaican village peasantry


The Moravian church of England formed
beliefs woven inextricably through
the fabric of her simplistic
innocent existence
our Mom instilled a love of
God in us that was pure and hearty

"Sonya stop your daydreaming"
my Mother's clarion voice interrupts
my avid reverie

"Bumba!" I cry aloud
"I haven't had bammy in eons"

Quickly my fingers Google
Another tasty native recipe

chock full of memories
and cassava root
1.6k · Mar 2014
Angelface
David flew into my bedroom
light blue eyes flashing excitement

"Sonya ki," he gushed

"We are now the proud parents
of a newborn baby pineapple!"

For two years David fathered
and diligently nurtured the
pineapple cutting from
the Yoga ashram

Cooing, lullabying,
coaxing, fertilizing

I threw on my sandals
and dashed into the
bucolic nursery

There peeking up at us
it's amber pink body
swaddled in spiky
leaves
was our own little
darling pineapple
1.6k · Oct 2013
Bala Krishna
peacock shimmering
night glades
our sweet Hari
His flute-song floats
stealing the butter
cream of our Love
on all fours
crawling so innocently
but when He yawns
universes spill like
glittering marbles
the entire macrocosm
inside the mouth
of babes
1.6k · Jul 2016
Purple Turban
A cyclist in a purple turban and salwar pants
whizzed past us as we trudged up the steep hills

of Arlington, Virginia

His gaze caught mine 
just a starry
flash in the bucket

wordless soul communion
that said so much



Do you know what religion he is?
queried my hubby, David
"Sikh...I think" still reflecting
on our brief exchange


David and I were in town for our niece's wedding 

and also on vacation
enjoying the sights and plethora
of attractions that flourish in the capitol
city, Washington, DC


As I surveyed the beautiful capitol
abounding with lush gardens, parks,
magnificent magnolia trees and
fragrant pink and white crepe myrtle

I couldn't help observing the rich diversity
of people and cultures working and living

here


"Where are you from?" I asked our taxi driver

"I'm originally from Ethiopia,"
a waiter in a restaurant told us
he was from Morocco...another person from Egypt...
India...China and so on…



USA has a diverse topography
heavenly mountain ranges, verdant forests,
fruitful farmlands
span outward to luminous blue shores

The racial, political, cultural diversity of our
great nation is what makes us so 

unique and special
It's in our DNA, and literally in mine, 

a real melting ***

All Americans have one thing in common:
our thirst for liberty and freedom

These words from the Memorial of Abraham Lincoln
are brilliant with truth and timeless with love:

"I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty
will burn in your bosoms until there shall
no longer be a doubt that all men are
created free and equal." ~Lincoln
1.6k · Nov 2013
This Moment Won't Last
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
1.6k · Apr 2015
Lotus Petals on the wind
Beloved
I yearn night and day
each blood tinged second
for the intravenous
of Your intoxicating Presence

like ripe, ruby grapes crave
to be tread and pressed into
the drunken bliss
of holy wine

Like the cow maiden Radha
and Princess Mirabai
pine for their peacock plumed
Blue Lord’s
rapturous darshan

Like Magdalene’s tears rolling
down her love soaked cheeks
seek only to wash and kiss
gentle Jesus’ celestial
Lotus feet

Like the great scholar Rumi
scouring the desolate streets
of Damascus
searches for even the
faintest echo
ghostly glimpse
of his beloved
God mad vagabond
Shams of Tabriz

Like my breath liberated from this
time bound, earthly form
soars free, unfettered
a shooting star
exploding into the
chaotic brilliance
of Your perfect Love
Your incomprehensible, pristine,
pure, primordial Peace
1.5k · Mar 2014
Inseparable
Swami You have
driven us all mad
with Your bewitching Love
we gather in confused circles
spinning senselessly like
gopi maidens without
Sri Krishna in their arms

Over the barren dust bowl hills
of Parthi the wind
sobs and red eyed rainclouds
weep Your Holy name
even rays of the
sun scan the earth for
a chance to fall once
again upon Your
tender Lotus Feet

Beloved Lord
roll away the
gravestone
from our hearts
the funereal shroud
that hides our
immortal truth
Lift the white veil
and gaze into
lovestruck eyes
eternally wedded
to You
Om Sai Ram Dear Family

Excellent news! Thank You Swamiji. "108 Bhakti Kisses" Poetry book has been added to the Brevard Central Library collection in Florida. Paste the url below:

http://discover.mylibraryworld.com/#section=resource&resourceid;=449915711¤tIndex=0&view;=allCopiesDetailsTab


Sai Blessings,

Sonya Ki Tomlinson
1.4k · Nov 2013
Butterfly Satsangh
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.
1.4k · Nov 2014
Empty Jhoola
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
1.4k · Jun 2014
Sandalwood dreams
Incense mists rise from
the beautifully decorated altar
bowls of prasadam
bananas, apples, bright oranges
offered at Your Lotus Feet
Vedic hymns
hypnotic, chants
flood the prayer room
I gaze through the smoke and fog
my eyes tightly shut
sound asleep
feels like aeons
how I pray to awaken
at long last
1.3k · Mar 2017
White petals
Naughty Bougainvillea
flash
their gypsy red burgundy parasols
like Creole maidens
from New Orlean French Quarters
their wild beauty
adorns Floridian gardens and
ocean courtyards

But, they are no match for
the Queenly Gardenia
Her soft, ivory, alabaster *****
exudes a scent found only in Paradise
As she unfolds her exquisite, royal,
Saraswati petals
I wait blushing with bated anticipation
for a whiff of Heaven itself
1.3k · Nov 2013
Extracelestial
It's a mystery to note
that despite how advanced in age we are
still we earnestly strive to survive, preserve
at all costs this physical entity

My sister, Vivien and I
watched vicariously
as our 91 year old Father
tubes plugged in every orifice and cavity
sat gripping the edge of his hospital bed
gasping for air

We didn't know it then, but he was suffering
a mild heart attack
mentally, tenderly we massaged
his Spirit with prayers

I thought to myself
how difficult it is to convince yourself
that you are not this body
while warm blood and passions rush
through veins and brick by brick
from birth we carefully construct,
insulate, protect, pamper and cater to
the whims and demands of this
terra firma

I stared numbly as hospital staff
wheeled Dad away for further tests
Emergency room visits were
fast becoming a regular ritual
Intravenous bags hang
heavy black nimbus clouds
stingily dispensing one last drop of mortality

my heart a stone sinking in my chest
plummeted with a thud into a bottomless
inky pool
so many poignant, familial memories
rowing merrily across the paper thin
surface of Life's fragile dream

I could sense my mother's intangible presence
close by  
soft brown sepia eyes gazing tenderly
through the partially drawn diaphanous veils
chariots swinging low

father's condition is stable now
though they released him for the holidays
the appellation, "Comeback Charlie"
our nickname for his extraordinary
resilience and vigor
didn't have quite the same ring
something missing, that spark, stolen
reflected in hollow, vacant
jack-o-lantern eyes

I prayed as we prepared a tropical
fruit basket to cheer him up
that he would clearly see
an Angel not a thief
standing eternally by his side
1.3k · Jun 2014
Summer dreaming
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~
1.3k · May 2015
Dancing with God
Immersed in God ecstasy
and orange robes
the true bhakta’s thoughts
are always on God, for God
and of God
armed with pure love
the slings and arrows
of maya, good, bad and outrageous fortune
are averted
God and His beloved
whirl across the bhakti path
dancing with Rumi, Kabir,  St. Francis  Meera Bai
and all the beautiful bhaktas
for eternity
1.3k · Feb 2013
Lou
Lou
stars crinkle under our feet
bouncing off the blades of moonlit grass
carried downstream in the canal behind
my house
I walk down memory lane with my brother Lou
Lou lost it in his teens diagnosed schizoid
but able to function under guidance and meds
together we lug a cumbersome old wooden box
to the trash
gently I quizzed him
“do you remember us when we were little
on our sled all the snow and fun we had?”
Lou stares blankly into the night,
“I was never small, I was made 6 ft. 3 in.”
“but I have a photo of us”
again Lou denies that such a time ever existed,
insisting that he sprang full-grown
from the mind of some unknown madness
Christmas lights blink coloring his face
red then green
“That's alright Lou, I remember....”
whispering goodnight
I tuck Lou under the blankets
of my heart
and watch him trudge away
a small boy in a gray snowsuit


“Time it was, and what a time it was, it was
A time of innocence, a time of confidences
Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you”


(Simon & Garfunkle, 1968)
Our little teenage babushka
Carina Marie
flaxen haired beauty
with caramel pink complexion
and starlight eyes

I watch as you paint the world
with a vivid imagination and
the rich, dayglo colors of your
palette

Although I do wonder why you
hang cans from the ceiling
and tape a fork to the fan
all with an avant-garde shrug of
your shoulders
and a blasé smile

I see the hidden potential
bursting forth like a sudden
downpour of sunshine

A bright door opens in
the golden mist
1.2k · Apr 2014
Purple Moonflowers
Fairy blossoms
climb through my dreams
cascading over moonlight
and statuesque fountains
purple parachutes
pirouette across the
gloaming
in a twinkle
the laughter of evening
bells
and swirling petticoats
caper through the garden
till dawn
1.2k · Jan 2014
Temple Alucinante
Far from the
restless boom box blare
jazz blue ****
city lights and guitars on fire

miles from the urban smell
of opulent people, pierced armpits
bulldog buildings pressed
together in a dead-heat

many asphalt moons from
quaint village cafes
Yankee Stadium, Central Park,
Queens Boulevard
and downtown mystical bookshops

I found a clear, pure halcyon stream
hewn from stars,
trickling down from Heaven
an affluent vision of strength
gushing over the softer
translucent parts of me

gentle Yogi yodeling through
my alpine heart
lets sail upstream to the roof of your
prayer washed Zen mountain
offer lotus garlands and incense
at sunrise we kneel in the
Temple Alucinante

(Please share the warm embrace of my new Poetry book:
108 Bhakti Kisses, The Ecstatic Poetry of a Modern Day Gopi
http://amzn.com/0984787216)
1.2k · Aug 2013
Saguna Gems
The nectar of Your name
caresses my numb heart
softens the hardened portals
unblocks the sadness, disappointment,
grief, fear, bitterness
that clogs the passageways
and poisons the spirit

The dog treasures his bone
squirrels their acorn
day adores the sun
night seduces the milk white moon

I drown in the holy honey of
Your Name

God! God! GOD!

You who will never forsake
or abandon Your devotee

You and Your name are
One
1.2k · Sep 2018
Soul Trek
I sprinkle holy water
over the crown of my head
as I enter the sacred heart
of Our Lady of Lourdes Church

Breathing in peace and tranquility
of this blessed church, lighting a few candles,
I kneel at rose petaled feet of
the Divine Mother

My Soul enters a heavenly portal
I think of all Her suffering children
and pray She alleviate their pain
with voice cracking:
"So many afflicted, in anguish, please
help, have mercy"

Healing, gurgling fountains of Lourdes
flows unceasing
Misty visions drift through
the quiet atmosphere

Rose of Sharon, His gentle hands outstretched
appears and the soft face of His Mother swims towards me
my tears mingle with the miraculous waters
a garland of lotus blossoms floating
on the Cosmic Sea

Hymns gush forth from my grateful heart
echoing through the empty church:

"Joyful, joyful we adore Thee
God of Glory, Lord of Love
Hearts unfold like flowers
before Thee, opening to the
Sun above"
1.2k · Apr 2014
Garden Zen
tending the garden is a lot like cultivating the mind
maintaining balance, harmony and symbiosis
is essential for both flora and fauna
providing proper PH for the soil,
fertilizing and feeding each plant
with the right kind of food
mindful irrigation, going with the flow
plenty of bustling sunshine
as well as periods of deep shade and contemplation
and lets not forget those blessed weeds
only takes a good spring rain
to turn your botanical oasis into a
wild and woolly patch of snarling jungle animals
chattering monkeys swinging from
rampant running vines
tenacious elephants stomping over
shrinking african violets
hungry, growling lions stalking the marigolds
take a deep breath, get centered try not to curse them
after all, it has been said that one man's ****
is another man's flower
gently I tug the miscreant roots
and regain my composure
realizing, they too, have a place in the Cosmic
scheme of things
the brass Buddha smiling between
the hawaiian plumeria and ruffled hot pink hibiscus
winks at me
as I evenly, attentively, consciously align and establish
stepping stones on the Middle path
1.2k · Jun 2014
Igloo
I've pitched my tent close to
the cloistered stars
where the cool breath of heaven
caresses my cloud capped face
and my heart can exile
her pain in the uninhabited
sterling stillness
no footprints lead to my door
in this endless white tundra
not even an echo enters
silent black pearl
crystallized, suspended
inanimate
exhaled
but I am not lost
Source: "108 Bhakti Kisses" By Sonya Ki Tomlinson - available on Amazon
http://amzn.com/0984787216)
1.2k · Jun 2015
Kokopelli's Sky Flute
Hari
my feet are raw and bleeding
How many more lives
must I tread this mortal path?

The savanna sun blisters
my tender skin
and mirages as real
as this pain beckon for me
to take refuge in them

Still Ramakrishna
with a hoarse voice
I chant your divine name
follow Your lotus
footsteps
beneath desert stars
past lonely, melancholy cactus
red sentinel canyons and
cow skulls staring
blankly into space
1.2k · Jan 2019
Golden Lord
Surya Lights the blazing candle in the sky
and our day begins
on a pillow of clouds my spirit
bows at His vast blue altar

In fact, gods, goddesses, earthlings
and all the inhabitants of the Cosmos
kneel and prostrate at His glorious, life giving Feet

Today Lord Surya ascends to His northernmost
temple in the heavens
Courtly tablas boom, traditional Indian trumpets blare

Sweet sticky aroma and flavors of
sesame and jaggery confection
overflow in banquet halls on earth and in Kailasa

Colorful kites, bits of starry confetti
drift downward from the celestial celebration

David and I, our hands folded in prayer
stand on the front lawn offering our salutations
to the Golden Lord

By Serendipitous good fortune, my brother Chris just happens
to pass by at this moment and stops to join
us in our Sun worship

Happy Makar Sankranti
May Surya Deva's auspicious saffron rays
bless you with Peace, Love and Prosperity
1.2k · Apr 2014
Eye of Ra
Bastet
crouches in
dimly lit corridors
of the Egyptian temple
Her marble black skin
shimmering pools
incandescent green orbs
lit with altar fire
Feline Goddess
of the Nile
carries a kitten
by the scruff
gently she lowers
the newborn bundle
of fluffy joy
on our doorstep
Baby Rama
He who brings
enduring bliss
Galaxies
and all the Cosmos
reflected in his
sweet eyes
1.2k · Jan 2015
Red Pomegranate seeds
The New Year stretches its arms
towards us
fresh, clean scent of green pine needles
and wishes for happiness
surround shiny, glittering faces
of people in Times Square and
all across the globe
like Christmas ornaments still
hanging from a tree
and candles glowing on
windowsills
I don my flashy sequined New Year’s hat
cross my legs in lotus pose
with a prayer on my lips
and hope in my heart
wait for the dazzling ball
to drop
1.2k · Apr 2015
Group Hug
even if you can’t believe
in God, a higher consciousness
or immortality
can you at least open your
heart to the basic
unitive, umbilical connection we all share?
******* tears trickling
down your quivering rouge lips
the flavor is familiar
listen to my heart rumbling inside
your spacious chest
and the clap of thunder
as our warm breath fogs
a rain streaked window
we are so much alike...
I sprang ****** and naked
from my mother’s belly
just like you
and it breaks my heart
to see you cry,
suffer, or go hungry
There is so much
love inside of you
dearest
it just overflows
naturally, effortlessly
collectively
into me
1.2k · Jul 2015
Vishnu's Lotus Feet
Kailasa mountain peaks
composed completely of clouds
hover mystically across the
mauve purple horizon

I stare dreamily out the car window
this celestial impression arouses
a sacred memory that has haunted
my consciousness
since I first alighted 12,000 feet above
sea level onto the blessed Himalayan
mountain range

I don’t think there is any place
like this on earth
glaciers hang like huge crystal malas
around majestic white bluffs
the air ripples, tingles tangibly with spirits of
Sages, Saints and other sublime beings
ethereal cathedral bells ring brightly
in the crisp altitude

The road climbing from Badrinath
to Vishnu’s auspicious Footprint
continues ascending
to the very threshold of Heaven
everything is just so luminous
even the breath filling our lungs
shimmers

As I travel back in time to that holy place
I know a part of me still sits in padmasana
aloft those Godly hills
through the melting snows
spring rains and summer monsoons
lost in supreme bliss
1.1k · Mar 2013
Parallelworlds
eyes beneath
emerald lakes gazing upward
breath rippling green gills
mermaids don't travel in schools
but we see stars in another
fathomless, fabulous universe
and play hooky with dolphins in
the moonlight
sometimes the alluring world
of men beacons like a lost lighthouse
bobbing in the soft whale gray mist
and for a brief moment... we touch
souls
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