Of all creatures that exist on earth,
I think the cat is the most fascinating.

We take them for granted
because they are so common.  
We don't give them a second glance.

It is said that pound for pound
Cats are the earth's supreme
predators. I agree with this.

The big cats are the most beautiful animals.
But I'm talking about house cats, now! :)

I am especially intrigued as to how
Felines can be sleeping and suddenly can
do extreme acrobatics.

This seems impossible and yet it's so.
A magic trick with no smoke, no mirrors nor
any explanation.

The cats who own me, are three.
Mocha, Peanut, Qweeny.
Mocha and Peanut are on my profile photo  

The cats who own me
Are indoors, strictly
But I have watched feral cats
Hunt things as big as a rabbit
Felines can take down prey
that are half their own body weight.
That is truly impressive.

However, cats can also be prey
And a large hawk or eagle
Can end their lives.
So while they prey upon rodents
They also make themselves
vulnerable to predation.

I find this predator/prey aspect
of their existence
To be fascinating.
Natures balancing act!
A great study for Evolutionionary
Genetics of felines.

More of a cat person than a dog person
Loving their velvet paws
And loving purring
Over the constant panting of dogs

Cats are the cleanest animals and
Just one more reason to love them.
I admire this quality of cleanliness.

Cats were worshipped in Egypt and
I feel it's a sacrament to care for cats
You are contributing to the Divine
in this simple way.

Purring is a blessing.
One cat who owns me,
Purrs all of the time.
She never stops.
She is in my top three
animals I have ever loved
In my entire life of
53 years.  

The cats that own me
Are Beautiful.
They are Burmese, Siamese
and finally Tonkinese.

They are obviously very important
And one if the best things
In my life. That is why I'm writing
About them.

They are not only important
But also paramount.

I often think, that if my husband
Would allow it, that Id like 10 cats.
Id like to be a crazy old cat lady
Dressed in a faded purple dress,
With sacred beings prancing their way
Across my living room!

They sooth me, in a way that
Humans cannot & in a way dogs cannot.

I never cease to be amazed
By the qualities these cats imbue

I feel fortunate that these
Three cats have adopted me

I feel a sense of love from them,
from some very wise beings.

I love them, too.

They are now all senior cats
I won't have them forever.
I am facing the fact that humans
simply live longer than critters.
The number of animals I've lost
In my life is truly staggering.
Each death as painful as the one before.

On the other hand, one of my
cats lived to 22 an I hope the
current kitties will be so lucky.
I can only do my best to care for them.

You have to love fearlessly
As if you've never lost.
I will suffer when they die
But I do not hold back my love
for them.
You have to be courageous to
Love sometimes.

You have to face impermanence
By losing your loved ones
And in this way
The three cats that own me
Teach me valuable
Lessons of life.

A huge lesson is not to cling
Another is to accept death.

What else can I do but appreciate their love
And love them in return.

I never take them for granted.
I am always appreciative
Toward these blessings in my life.

They are both Holy and Divine.
And also, most revered spiritual teachers

~Arianna Darshani

What is really important in life
Is the delicate art of growing plants

Of course the animals come first!
My dog and three cats.

I have orchids the size of a quarter
I have a 7 foot tall Cape Jasmine tree in my porch

All of this challenging, growing things tropical
While it is -20F outside, living here, in Minnesota!

There is nothing like feet of snow,
Piled so high you are house ridden,

With a porch filled with tropical plants.

Sometimes I pretend I'm in Maui.
And I'll lay in the sun for as long as it's out.

The days get short here.
I believe the shortest day is close to
9 hours!

Having some help from plant grow lights
That guide the flowers but also
Brighten the house.

The plants have to speak to you.
You need to listen to them,
Long before they have a hint of brown.

I let my plants speak to me,
And they seem guided by my voice.

~Arianna Darshani

I had a simple wonder, one day,
As to why the moon has been yellow
Particles in the air, of course,
But what particles and from where?

I did some research on the wild fires in Canada
There is a jet stream carrying smoke
From Saskatchewan down to Iowa
Covering Minnesota, where I live.

This is an example of how the Earth is One Place
Events thousands of miles away can occur
Anywhere else on the Earth

And my first experience of allergies,
I willingly accept as part of the wild fires
That rage in Canada
Over one thousand miles away.

Harder to accept is,
the Fukishima nuclear plant which
Is still pouring radiation into the sea
And how that radiation has
Made its way to the US West Coast
All the way from Japan.

Something so very far away, is simultaneously,
So very intimate and near.

The Earth is all One Place
And we are part of the Earth

We make the Earth our *****
Instead of our intimate and loving partner.

~Arianna Elise Darshani

Perhaps I should
Not go into details
So I won't.

Just that . . .

In six months
My father
did more damage
to me.
Than my entire
Rest of my life
Combined.

Thank God
he did not raise me.
I would have perished.

Only that six months
that still rages like a forest fire
In the calm forest
Where I abide.

We all have problems
With our parents
But he is very perverse
By anyone's standards.

How many people
Start a *** cult?  
And then invite
their 11 year old daughter
To come visit?

So I left my mother
Who had sole custody.
What a bad mistake.
I was only eleven.
Mistakes are allowed.
Gullibility is expected.

"Grooming" is not recognized,
for what it is.  

I only hang on now
Based upon the
Magnetism
Of genes shared.

A few emails per month

He in total denial
But that's not rare.

I guess it's best
To not say anything else.

There is too much
to say.
And it happened
Forty years ago.

I have found new fathers
In my life.
That's good enough.

At my age
I am not seeking out any fathers
But did seek them out
For two decades.
That's over with.

~Arianna Elise Darshani

You did not shatter me
I never lost my center
Even as you attacked me with your fangs

And now you will find, that by escaping you,
That I have only grown stronger

Im strong enough to own a conscience
Im strong enough to contain a soul

You will never have what I have
You will never have Love
You will never have Hope
You will never have a sense of Beauty
Nor will you ever be Innocent

You are nothing but an animal
Who has to **** your own child
in order feel anything at all.

How ****** up is that?

You are why I believe in Hell.

Good bye and I thank you
for the hard Life lesson learned.

Thank you for making me stronger.

~Arianna Darshani

Dear Swamiji,

How I miss you
Since you've gone away
I know you are in a better place.

How can I begin to describe
How much you have meant to me

Your calm voice
Your touch

You have been my father
You have been my mentor
You have been my friend

I am a grateful recipient
Of your unconditional love

You have been my spiritual guide.

You have taught me relaxation
You have taught me meditation
You have initiated me into the Tradition
You have taught me Yoga Nidra.

Thought your 83 year old body
Was wracked by illness
You never suffered
And you always had an easy smile on your face

My last lesson, which is how to alleviate my suffering
Was never completed
And now you are not there
To teach me.
Not in corporeal form, anyway

You spoke of Will and it's a Koan
I have not found a resolution to

You have forgiven all my many flaws
You have forgiven all my mistakes
I have have been filled with plenty of both
You never rejected me
Nor did you abandon me

I came across your teaching
At age 19
And then studied with you directly
For 20 glorious years.
And for 33 years I have benefitted
From your sacred words.

Somewhere a lotus flower
Grows in the mother Ganges.
It is blooming for you
And bears silent witness
To the legacy of your life

Death has not set us apart
You will live in my heart forever
Truly, you will be the jewel in the Lotus
And i will continue the work.

I will continue to study your teachings
And I will live the way you have lived
To the best of my ability.

Dear Swamiji, I love you and I miss you

~Arianna Darshani

If there is one thing I admire
Is the fine poetry all over this Hello site.
I so admire those who have such
Facile skills with words.

I find I can't write a single
Poetic sentiment
Leaving me with
Envy mixed with Admiration.

So I thank you all for sharing
Your wonderful gifts with me
Im truly in awe.

I have different gifts which are irrelevant
Im really good at advanced math and science

I try to bring my mind to a artistic place
And it just won't settle there.

Thank you all again.
I love your work.

~Arianna Elise Darshani