(Poetry/ Vol. 1. ) Raptured & Taken

Taken

From the end of the age

Yet from the dawn of time

Someone leveling towards you---  

Sharper than the point of a needle

Faster than the blink of an eye---

Hurtling through the ages

Bent on finding you

Traversing ten thousand mountains

And tearing them all down---

Terrible in his longing to reach you

Glorious in his desire to keep you---

But will you receive him when you see him?

Will you give him all you have? 

Let him take you till you've nothing left? 

To give you all he has

Through Veiled Realms of Swiftlight

Out of the things which were first, the greater part of purple palaces

Inner castles graced with ivory towers and the amaranth within

The amethyst flowerets mystic pale with milky light 

All fused with royal red and blue

Casting from the windows of my sight

The firstling things I have within

To speak instead in silent gems of the veiled realms of swiftlight

Of the breaking parts of truth that slowly fill with love and unravel here

Out of the things which were second, the amaranthine tumbling spires

From which my inner-writing banners flew

Out from my highest tower my hooded tercel tossed skyward

Flung from a seamless gloved hand

Set free to gather its beloved prey and return to me the longed for news 

That from afar they would hear and in that oneness promised

Draw near and I would know that from today

I was not alone

Season of Alterings

How softly sang the wind in his dreamy silken music

Of a change in the heavens were the coils of men unwound

When one played upon a pipe ten others heard and wept 

When a hundred saw the light a thousand cried

As understanding alters so too the seasons of fish and birds

Of a change in the world were their cages opening

And all the winged little ones did swim away free

Too small to trap love’s tiddlers escaped man's horrid snare

As knowledge alters so too the seasons of men and trees

Of a change in the wind did their sap rise or fall

Where one tree bent double two others fell forward

Where four saw the light eight others were slain  

In joyous loss they held to nothing that could be seen

Of love were all free to go flying upon their falls

Lifted higher and higher the greater the descent

Of old judgments freed, all turned, changed about!

Rails Retracing

Runs and rasps and rails retracing

Covered parts of subjects chasing

Pilfered traps and bundles trailing

In further rays of rattled fin flaying

Rips and tips and tattles telling

Mitered parts of people moving

Saps and frosts and rendered fraying

In further splays of patterns playing

Depths and deeps and colours showing

Savoured parts of personal growing

Whispered peeps and shadows clearing

In further arrays of rainbows crossing

Running outflows all telling one tale

What was within, was what would come out

Whatever was there, was all that was hale

And the things outside, now inside out

Gift of Four

Four hid stones in a stream

Incandescent pebbles 

Small round and smooth

Shining there fire bright

Four hid feathers in the air

Little sharp quills

Brave and beautiful

Twirling there very light

Four cornered shafts all found in my middle

Stony weights and feathered burdens first

Yet freed in uplifts both come weaving through

Till bathed in lit-life winged sight they give me

Love in delight in patience born of peace 

These four all a perfect portion form

When drawn of light I am drowned in life

And left shining there . . . underneath. 

Tides of Everland

In the nearer stillness the gentle tide laps about the stones

Coming closer and closer

Yet you cannot tell

Unless you wait a long while and observe

So were the swirling waters which edged about my shores

All half unnoticed changings

Ever hinting of new things to discover

Curved things

Things which have borne the mark of a thousand tides 

All imperceptibly upon the edges of my heart

In the nearer kindness a gentle wind bends about the trees

Whispering clearer and clearer 

Yet you wouldn't know it

Unless with an inner ear you heard it

So were the whirling breezes which moved upon my heart 

All living callings

Ever speaking of the further things of love

Channeled things

Things by which opened lines were well etched

Moving entirely upon my spirit alone

From Everland the living tide comes searching me out

Finding answers in drawings

Though its pull you hardly felt

Unless in the secret place you fell

So was my heart borne upon to bear the sweetest light

All answers in unveilings

Each one a telling leaf of living truth

Hard shaped wonders

Taking me past the safe to the unknown  

And to havens of delight in even the tiniest thing

Just Being Loved!

Loved and held – held and loved! 

A lark’s ascent

A twirling upward spark of life

Flew through me!

Held, held – held in his arms

I felt the gentle pressure of his presence

Holding me tight

And I was completely garrisoned

Against all fear

I was thought of – thought of!

Taught by his song

I felt the inner unravellings of his love

Telling me all

And I was entirely undone

Known in my own story 

Loved, loved – loved by the light!

I felt the waves of his warmth

Leading me through

And I was all-taken of the river

To the Other Side

  

I was, assured – and adored!

Assured by his answer

I felt the kindling rapture of his kindness

Assuring me more

And I was swept up and spent

Utterly loved and renewed

Thought of! And adored!

Adored, and thought of!

As my tides were unforeseen

A streaming in – and a flowing out

A wave of joy sweeps through me

Cared for, and gathered!

Gathered, and cared for

Down through the ages

Searched out and sought for! 

Tastings in the Tinglewoods

In the bearings of the beautiful

Lingerings of the light

In my tastings in the tinglewoods

Ripe rimmings fire red

In the rivers writing wreaths of things  

Circles of my soul

In those were further wings within

Soft spinnings burnt and bled            

In the playings of the plentiful

Weavings of the willow

In my graspings in the tangible

Swift singings glad and bold

Many cornered are my pathways

Calling the melodic

In those were fillings up inside

Fed runnings hid within

In the leavings letting go awhile

Spillings of my will

In my surgings in the sounds of things

Bright learnings rippling through

A Summer's Morning

I woke upon a summer’s morning

Made all new with expecting

Even the birds could sense it

Oh everything around me knew!

I leaned upon a window’s warming

Held all through with hoping

Even the glass could feel it

Oh everything around me knew!

I dressed in haste a child’s clothing

Blessed all bright with wanting  

Even my garb could sense it

Oh everything around me knew!

I rushed outside a young one’s running

Filled all through with singing

Even my feet could feel it

Oh everything around me knew!    

I danced in glee a sunbeam’s dreaming

Risen all bright with glimpsing

Even the grass could sense it                                   

Oh everything around me knew – 

A love hold’s gleaning!

Two Parts of Thought

There in the curving trail of the locked ellipse

I was, full of wonder placed sitting on the ground

Putting out one hand to lean on as I turned around

Glimpsed, fluttering, a tiny bird passed by 

In its flight I saw:

First seen, the upward part of thought: a bird

Then a whirring of wings as simple things go exploring 

Caught, waiting, held in high-flowing expressways  

For fast tracking thoughts

The singing of things, which are in Another Place

The unravelling centers where all my flying things go 

Prickled, stinging, a tiny thorn beneath my hand

In its gifted pain I knew:

Second seen, the inward part of thought: a thorn

Then a pulling of weeds as hard things go deeper

Sad, breaking, yet glad in low-moving sightings

For slow piercing thoughts

The crying of things, which are deep within me

The layered harvests where all my lying things hide

There in the curving trail of the locked ellipse

I was, full of questions placed far above

Putting out one wing to realign on as I turned around

                                          *

It was in being sad, at their first sighting that I was freed

For then came the knowledge that my thorn-weeds 

Had their own place

Where they could change in being transplanted

And there, not frowned on were called flowers:

Trails of briar and columbine, tangles of muddled thought

Mainly selfish, but in their transplanting – transforming

And from there the inward part of treasure: 

The all-answering love-gold

From My Falling . . .

The more I lost, the more I found

And the more did broken-open letters fly

In coats of many colours

Brave autumn leaves of prismed sunlight

From my falling, loosed and freed

Sailing on this bright day’s breeze

To places far and wide

Would any traveler ever see them?

Find in them quintessential delight?

Would any seeker ever find this leaf 

And read it?

And discover to their pleasure

Their own heart’s hidden pearls

All wrapped in another language

Waiting to be found?

   

Amethyst Poetry / Writing Saga # 2 / Continuing Inspiration According to Surrender

      All that I had in the way of any qualifications for writing was through my heart's surrender in the LORD, my Beloved, in simple faith and love. All that came out of my midst in ‘ragged writing’ was inspired upon the inner wings of a complete ‘letting go’ and a total losing to find. Every day new inspiration came at the very moment I began to write; for every day the inestimable treasure of loving surrender was given me in the Spirit. 

      Although I had studied Journalism for a year in London when I was eighteen years old, writing was in me from the time I first learned to hold a pencil. …My first ‘book’ I wrote at the age of seven and a half. It consisted of five, one sentence pages, all sown together with purple yarn . . .

‘My Book

When I am old I will write a pearl.

The pearl will be 25,000 miles wide because it will circle the world in one second.

It will be the smallest thing which can do that, small as a pea under 20 mattresses.

That is why it will be a pearl.

Then the world will know what is has forgotten, and I will be gone.’

                                                         *

These are the titles of the next five ‘ragged writings’ /poems:  

In the Light of Innocence

From My Falling 

Willowed Stream

In Another Form

The Two Parts of Thought

Rays Uncounted

Of seven rays the colours of light

More I could not see

Yet they were there

All paths of light spilling out the truth

Going uncounted of them

That for love knew nothing

Going unnamed and untitled

The rays could not be pulled apart

Or owned, or torn to shreds

Or chopped up in pieces.

Maligned they were in  

Multiplicity’s deceptive knowledge

Thinking I knew, I was counting

And counting paths left holes

And as many gaps in truth

As rays named

Could I count the stars

I would know how many rays

Could I count every grain of sand

On every shore

I might even see them all

But if I knew all things

Which only those who know nothing do

I should find I had hardly begun to see them

Before . . .

Before glass windows sea

Before see-through eyes dust 

Before love could blossom ashes

Cast the Bridges

Cast the bridges that ply the bright seas

Sweeping proud ashes beneath its streams

They go past unnoticed with hazy bent wings

And cease not to lose their footing for the light they bring

Scalloped the fringes of silvered seas

Surging lace filigrees that unloose tight seams

Passing marbled halls their veiled voice stays

And seals up all hollow canyons left by their waves

Loosed the moonbeams on all bare shores

Bringing new aligns to our poor peppered bites                          

For by lingering light the heated wealth lies taken

And all peoples’ hoarded gain by revelation lies forsaken          

Silvered Seam

Fallow my space along all shores of sand

Emptied lines trace the waiting edge

Of those who fly

Hidden the silence that holds the blind heart

Knowledge leaves holes in the better part

Of those who know   

Silvered the seam that binds the sharp sea

Fallen wings deem folly the broken parts

Of those who wait  

Rolling of waves the flood tides enters 

Yet who could ever tell the fullness it fills

For those who have waited   

  

Clouds Follow Stars

Clouds follow stars in filmy coverings of flesh

Hope bringing his own content

To harbours steeped in everlasting peace.

Whither fly the sparrows from your altars buried deep

Conflagrations of incense expand there

Following on before to keep your faltering flight

Where will I find the sum of a sparrow lost

Floating on strings that through God’s dust

Will change in pulling her along

Hushed the brave sleep and there fulfill their frail song

For then will they come to him and fall

Helped in each descending stair to rest in peace