We show up, burn brightly, live passionately and hold nothing back and when the moment is over, when our work is done, we step back and let go.
—Rolf Gates
This moment, too, is surrender, this blazing,
this bliss-ache, this bright-chime of being,
this showing up heartbare with no shred held back,
this feral unselving, this radiant loss
of all knowing, this wild unhiding
where anything can happen next,
this, too, is surrender. Not like the soulquaking
gut-fall of grief, only just like it, no foothold
except on the needle-tip point of what is,
that place where there is no story, no self,
no yes, no no, no safety, no promises, and
all is being, yes, this, too, is surrender,
this opening beyond self, this radiant obliteration,
unfathomed unfurling, trust-flaring, now-flaming,
instructionless grace, this ecstatic exploding
that always and never arrives.
*
Oh friends … Rumi said, “Be a fool,” and also suggested “be helpless, dumbfounded, unable to say yes or no … crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute …” …
And so … happy April Fool’s. Perhaps not the fool where you try to trick people, more the fool where you are “surrendered to beauty.”
Whew! So powerful, this one. The phrase “instructionless grace” is going to linger with me. And Rumi – that holy fool!
Another quote from him –
Be a fool! Drunk on love, soaked in awe
Till dry reeds are sweet as sugarcane
Drunk on love and soaked in awe … okay!!!!
You are amazing, Rosemerry! I am speechless with the beauty of this poem!!
“Surrender to Beauty fool’…. what is the alternative? smile
j
Thank you, Joanne! This was a very fun one to write–even more exhilarating to feel it!
Happy April Fool’s! Thank you for reminding us and teaching us about the wise surprise in foolishness.
yes to the wise surprise in foolishness … I love the rhyme in there!!
Speechless … as I float in the space between the trapeze bars
floating with you!!!
Good heavens, girl, you’ve managed to outdo even yourself! Pure brilliance. Pure. Brilliance.
Would it be all right for me to forward this to my readers, with a heartfelt recommendation to check out its author’s body of wonderful works?
of course!! This one just rushed through … i felt it all so so so keenly, did all I could to stay out of the way!
Consider it done 👌
I listened to you narrate this moments ago. You mentioned prior to reading, a notion of foolishness in giving a poem a day to all of creation. Seems as if you do not really have a choice, as it flows as surely as the sun rises. I find something in everything you share. In many I find connection with who I am. Deep, heartfelt gratitude for these birdsongs of yours!
thank you so much, Steve, for these kind words. and yeah, i think it is foolish–but I am grateful in this case to be a fool! and I really do have a choice. Not writing poems is much much easier than writing poems. but the way they change the way i see and meet the world–well, the quality of life is so so so so worth it.
YES❤️!!!!!
thank you, Steve! It’s pretty ecstatic when we connect with that life force!!