Pilgrimage Day 6: A Pilgrim's Journey

"Praise be to God that through His gracious bounty you were enabled to visit His exalted, His sacred and luminous Threshold, to refresh and perfume your nostrils with the sweet-scented fragrances of God diffused from these imperishable, holy Places. This wondrous gift calls for thanksgiving, and this heavenly bestowal warrants praise and glorification. And such praise is best expressed when one’s pilgrimage, one’s honour at attaining His holy Court and becoming the recipient of His favours and loving-kindness produce a profound effect and influence upon every aspect of one’s life, upon one’s bearing and demeanour, and one’s activities. There is no doubt that it will be so. " - Bahiyyih Khanum


Such a bounty this blessing
Such a wonder these days
Stepping away from the material
Our spirits set ablaze
The world beyond these hours
Seems naught but a distant haze
Guests of the Blessed Beauty
Our souls held by His gaze


The gates are opened wide
Only beauty greets our sight
His servants bow their heads in thanks
In the joy and devotion they delight
Without the presence of the pilgrims
These servants would be lost in night
For such purity, faith and unswerving devotion
Refresh and enable them to carry His light


Though these days are as fleeting
As a comet in the sky
They have the power to transform you
Your life spread out before your eyes
Like Badi, kindled in a single moment
His love so strong, for it he would die
If we take the same love from our own sacred meeting
We will assuredly fly

Pilgrimage Day 5: The Strength Behind Those Blessed Eyes

" 'I fought with myself until I conquered myself. Then I came back and I turned myself over to God and I was the Guardian.’ ‘Now,’ he said, ‘every Bahá’í in the world, every person in the world has to do exactly that same thing… regardless of what you are, whatever you are doing in the Cause, every Bahá’í must fight with himself and conquer himself. And when he has conquered himself, then he becomes a true instrument for the service of the Cause of God—and not until that. And he will not achieve as great a success until he has done it." - Quoting Shoghi Effendi from a talk given by Leroy Ioas

Even as a child upon his Grandfather’s knee

His destiny was written on the pages of fate

A burden and blessing would be His to be carried

A lifelong responsibility, an uncompromising weight

When his Grandfather died and the Will was read

His life as he knew it had ended

So he retreated to nature to conquer himself

To become the one on whom the world now depended

The sorrow and anguish faced in His path

Are more profound then words can mention

His achievements far greater than a poem can share

His courage and strength beyond comprehension

He brought administration through his faith and persistence

Guidance through his interpretive translations

Political relations through his trustworthiness and honesty

And the exponential spread of this Cause to all nations

Without his light bringing unity to our collective history

This Faith would have perished like many before

But he guided it through, he built the foundation

For pilgrims and lovers to pray at His door

Pilgrimage Day 4: Akka, Your Glory Awaits

"The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness." - Baha'u'llah


When He reached the shores of your city
He was met with banners of light
The atoms screamed their greetings
Though only He could see this sight

Instead your eyes were blinded
To the Gem standing before you
Sorrow and deep suffering brought
To the One who would transform you

Nine years He spent imprisoned
Within your tear stained walls
This time was spent in anguish
By the answerers of His call

His beloved son and servant
Died long before his time
Sacrificing his life
For the unity of mankind

Though you may not see it yet
Your future is bathed with Glory
For you were chosen by the Hand of God
To be the Mecca of His story

(The photo above was taken a year ago outside the Prison where Baha'u'llah was imprisoned, the photo below was taken today in the House of 'Udi Khammar a house where His family moved still within the walls of the city of Akka)

Pilgrimage Day 3: The Greatest Holy Leaf

“He is the Eternal! This is My testimony for her who hath heard My voice and drawn nigh unto Me. Verily, she is a leaf that hath sprung from this pre-existent Root. She hath revealed herself in My name and tasted of the sweet savours of My holy, My wondrous pleasure… Upon her rest the glory of My name and the fragrance of My shining robe.” –Baha’u’llah

To our world she is an immortal heroine

A blessing to all creation

To her Holy and Blessed Father

She was solace and consolation

A leaf upon His tree

A tendril of His flame

A soul beyond this world

A letter of His Name

Her life was filled with sorrow

Caused by others fear and blindness

Yet with courage and love she moved ahead

The embodiment of kindness

I pray to follow her example

To be gentle, loving and strong

To give my life to His Covenant

To sing her glorious song

Pilgrimage Day 2: Spreaders of Light

"Behold, there is an intermediary necessary between the sun and the earth; the sun does not descend to the earth, neither does the earth ascend to the sun. This contact is made by the rays of the sun which bring light and warmth and heat."  - Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks

As they walked into the room

The atoms screamed His Name

The power they exude

No force on earth can tame

To serve His Cause completely

Their one and only aim

The pillars of His guidance

The Ray's igniting flame

They feed the fire blazing

In hearts of every nation

Gently urging it to grow

Their guidance the foundation

Examples of devotion

His love's manifestation

Their presence on this earth a gift

Creator to creation

Pilgrimage Day 1: A Brilliant Flame Within the Sun

"The prayer of the prophets of God has always been, and still is: Oh God, I long to lay down my life in the path to Thee! I desire to shed my blood for Thee, and to make the supreme sacrifice." Abdu'l-Baha


To be steadfast as the stones on these paths

To be patient as the trees we walk past

To be fragrant as the rose that's in bloom

To see beauty in the dust and the gloom

To shine light upon the world as a lamp

To bring His love to others with His stamp

To fly above this world as a bird

To give my life as you did at His word

Your presence hidden in the Glory of your Lord

Your resting place the pivot of the prayers of all the world

Your deepest wishes answered in your sacrifice of love

Your worldly dust inseparable from that of your Beloved

Unquestioning obedience and a pure unhindered heart

Devotion the emotion which your memory imparts

You proved your faith completely, when you answered His request

And now forever in His arms your remains lovingly rest

30 Days of Creativity: Day 5 - A Perfect Heart

When a heart is touched
A connection is formed; A bond created
Two worlds collide; Two lives are changed
A piece of each heart exchanged

A heart untouched has never loved
No scar tissue; No lessons learned
One lost existence; One lonely soul
Not knowing that loss will make it whole

A friend is a companion you share your heart with
A piece given to them; A piece of theirs in its place
Not a beautiful operation; Not a perfect fit
But a place where the flame of love has been lit

A heart such as this has little of itself left
It is full of holes; It is covered in scars
Each hole a testament; Each scar a broken wall
But this shared heart is the most beautiful of all

30 Days of Creativity: Day 4 - A Quick Note on Love and Beauty

When the sun sets below the horizon

When the waves hit the shore

When the wind howls in your ears

When the rain begins to pour

When the lights turn off before you're ready

When your world crashes to the floor

Remember His strength, let go your fears

And allow His love to heal and restore

30 Days of Creativity: Day 2 - Ode to My Parents

They shared His light with me
They taught me how to pray
Their wisdom, the strength I turned to
When I knew not what to say

Their joy now shines through me
Their light guides my way
Their teaching, the foundation
On which I walk each day

30 Days of Creativity: Day 1 - Ode to a Dolphin

Light glistens off each wave
Your fins dance through the masterpiece
A breeze textures the rich ocean surface
My vision created for this wondrous purpose
To breathe in the beauty of your presence

Each piece of creation mirrors forth His beauty
Glimpses of His unknowable essence
The rock His Steadfastness, the candle His Light
Your existence reminds me to see with His sight
For your love and grace bring joy to my soul

Shrouded in Mystery

Shrouded in mystery

The veils before our eyes

This unique moment in history

Gazing at a beauty none can surmise

All walking in the same direction

Moving closer with every stride

Working toward our world's perfection

Your shrouded light our only guide

Let Your beacon of love shine bright

Give life to the dead and sight to the blind

Lift our hearts from despair's dark night

And unveil Your radiance to all mankind

Waiting for Them

Oh how I yearn

     to see their faces

     to hold their hands

     to shower them with love

     to watch them grow

     to guide their path    

     to teach and learn from them

     to share their joys

     to comfort their sorrows

     to fight off their fears

     to feel their love

     to care more deeply than I've ever known

     to love them from within my soul

I am here waiting

     for your gentle smiles

     for your joy filled laughter

     for your tiny fingers in my hand

     for your endless questions

     for your thoughtful wisdom

     for your unique and magnificent qualities

     for your unassuming wonder

     for your unconditional love

     for your unmistakable connection

     for your soul fulfilling presence

     for your world changing existence

     for your light to shine upon my life

A Joyous Day

A joyous day is the light in my life

The milestones of my past

On my future paths it is cast

It leads me forward with radiance and courage

Optimistically I move ahead

My soul afflame with the joy it was fed

This joy is the soundtrack of my life

My heartbeat, my measure

My deepest, cherished treasure

Without this blessed means of connecting 

I would surely perish and lose sight of what's real

But His mercy has given me this gift - to feel

(17-Mar-2011)

The Fast

This mystical month has come again

A time which no words can adequately represent

When our minds are purified from self and passion

Our souls rejuvenated by Your intoxicating scent

The tests come stronger, the pain deeply rooted

But the successes triumph and the losses are muted

We fast not for fear or self and desire

But as an outer token of our spiritual fast

A time for us to strive to acquire

The virtues of the truly ablaze and steadfast

To restrain ourselves from aught but Your love

And be carried away by your breath from above

Each hour of each day is endowed with a power

A virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee

That’s two hundred and twenty-four radiant hours

Of striving towards setting our higher selves free

Each hour a blessing of struggle and pleasure

Which through Your mercy we may cherish and treasure

"I ask of Thee by Thy Self and by him who hath fasted out of love for Thee and for Thy good-pleasure—and not out of self and desire, nor out of fear of Thy wrath—and by Thy most excellent names and august attributes, to purify Thy servants from the love of aught except Thee and to draw them nigh unto the Dawning-Place of the lights of Thy countenance and the Seat of the throne of Thy oneness."
 - Baha'u'llah

Revelation

It falls, heavy and thick

Engulfing everything, nothing left unaffected

It pours, steady and quick

Purifying all creation, bringing life to the dejected

It streams, unhindered and transcendent

Enlivening the weak, giving sustenance to the sorely tried

It flows, undeterred and resplendent

Forging a new world, for those who put their egos aside

Proof of God's Existence

Your proof can be seen in the enchantment of a song

The beauty of a rainbow

The awe of inspiration

Your proof can be seen in the grace of a swan

The gentleness of falling snow

The joy of confirmation

Your essence can be seen in the purity of a child

                The kindness of a stranger

                The complexity of our world’s design

Your essence can be seen in the warmth of a smile

                The joint hope for a brighter future

                The unity of all mankind

'Abdu'l-Baha

Your light is the beacon which guides my way
Your example, the lens I look through each day
Your actions, a standard by which I judge my own
Your love, my constant companion as I've grown

You are my solace in times of sorrow
You are my reason for seeing tomorrow
You are my hope when all seems lost
You are my warmth in the winter's frost

Remembrance of You brings joy to my heart
A joy which nothing can force to depart
Your love is my light and Your deeds are my guide
And I know, in my heart, You will always reside

Sensing Spirituality

The shores of Your ocean

Can be tasted through Your word

Your voice of Truth

Can be understood, if heard

The fire of Your love

Can be felt if we reach

The essence of Your message

Will be seen when we teach

The purpose of this life

Is the fragrance of Your beauty

Striving to attain Your Presence

Is our most sacred duty

Jumping

My soul is screaming to jump

With no fear of hitting the ground

Trusting that I will be caught

My heart no longer earthly bound

But staring at the edge I’m struck

Terror seeps into my core

Drowning any objectivity

My mind and heart deeply at war

Frozen before I’ve even begun

The potential lain ahead

Leering and taunting me to jump

While suffocating me with dread

If I never jump I may never know

If I’ve found my answering call

But what if I jump with utter trust

And instead I only fall?

Putting it all Together

A source of strength and love
In the dark a guiding light
A picture of beauty and grace
A most beautiful and wondrous sight

A mystifying inner calm
That can quiet any weather
I wish you could see that
You already have it all together

The loyalty of your friends
Is a testament to you
Of the inner essence of who you are
The love you can't help but shine through

Your thirst for knowledge and understanding
And sincerity with no pretense
The indiscriminate kindness you share
And the wisdom you dispense

These are all pieces of the resplendent puzzle
That put together is who you are today
While the picture may change as your soul is honed
Your essence and beauty will forever stay

My True Friend

My eyes tear up just thinking of the day you will depart

          My true friend from the start,

          The one who sees my heart

It feels too soon to say good-bye, too soon to let you go

          The winds of time so quickly blow,

          Didn't we just say hello?

It feels like only yesterday we sat and talked for hours

          As our friendship’s lovely flowers,

          Bloomed with Godly showers

Didn't I just come to you with sadness on my face?

          And with a deep embrace,

          You filled me with His Grace

The bonds of love I feel for you are deeper than the ocean

          This wondrous emotion,

          An unswerving devotion

I already have a hole inside though you haven’t even left yet

          That date a silent, heavy threat,

          Of teary eyes and hearts upset

And yet I know deep in my heart that all I will ever have to do

          To feel God's love and be renewed,

          Is close my eyes and think of you

To my Tucson Sisters and Brothers

To my sisters and brothers

My fathers, my mothers

My neighbors, my cohorts

My friends, my supports

In a single horrifying and devastating action

Our foundation and our "world" has been tragically fractioned

Many are hurt and six loved ones are dead

By a senseless attack, which left pain in its stead

No longer a quiet city unknown

The nation is now viewing a disaster zone

With sadness and horror they share our vignette

But deep in their hearts they pray to forget

Yet we'll always remember our lost sisters and brothers

Our lost fathers and uncles, daughters and mothers

The sadness and heartache we felt in our core

When death and anguish came in our front door

Tore holes in our hearts and invaded our brains

Our actions, our emotions, wrapped up in chains

Lost for a time, in the anger and shock

Unable to work, our minds in a lock

But once we moved past that and thought of each other

The flame which ignited, no power could smother

A beautiful light, though frail at its start

Has grown brilliant and strong in each and every heart

So proud am I of my fellow neighbors and friends

Of the selflessness and care which each of you extends

The love you poured out to those hurt in our community

Is proof that nothing can extinguish the fire of unity

A New Year, A New World

This year with all my heart I pray
To share His love and grace each day
To serve with radiance and live with trust
In the pathway of His loved ones to be as dust

To soften their footsteps and conquer their fears
To lighten their burdens and wipe away their tears
To not be weighed down by my own selfish worries
To not be crushed by life's passing flurries

I pray for the strength to dedicate my time
To transforming my community and to my own endless climb
To bettering myself through service to others
And to seeing all people as my sisters and brothers

On this day when many promises are made
I pray for Your strength and beg for Your aide
To learn to be self-less and detached from all things
And to keep this promise and the light which it brings

Our time on this earth is fleeting and brief
Why waste it with worry, anger and grief?
If we care for each other and selflessly serve
I know we will find all the joy we deserve

Written for a contest on figment.com - http://figment.com/books/17536-A-New-Year-A-New-World

The True Self

On the wings of Your Faith, I fly
Soaring above it all, a tiny dot in a vast blue sky
Longing for reunion, aflame with Your love
Above all the pain, as Noah's white dove
Your presence quenches the blazing fire
A calm fills me, and I am lifted higher

With wind cradling my mortal wings, I soar
Joy enrapturing my essence, creeping down to my very core
Light shining through, a tiny vision caught
A realization, a newly formed thought
This bird in the sky, not the shadow below
Is the true form of "I", what sets me aglow

A Guide's Gift

The light shines off the marble
Creating a mystical glow
Elegant shadows blanket the stone
And the night air moves calm and slow

The doors are opened wide and inviting
People quietly gaze
With humility and wonder they greet their Beloved
Then walk in and their heart's set abaze

They back out with reverance, when their prayers are complete
lamps shining strong and bright
They turn to face the world once again
Taking with them a ray of His light

I watch them walk past, still in a trance
A piece of them left in His shrine
Their worry and anguish lain on the threshold
Moving forward by a power Divine

Whispered Longing

In my mind I see
The leaves change, the colors range
My heart starts beating, the season's greeting
The wind blows by, the mountains sigh
As rain lightly falls, purifying inflexible walls

In my heart I feel the glee
First sight of snow, sets my eyes aglow
Calm settles on the trees, anchored by the winter freeze
Lights reflected, peace perfected
Joy resounding, love abounding
As it settles in my soul, the beauty brings life and makes me whole

A Slowly Fading Friendship

Eyes plead for understanding
Hearts confused and broken
Demolition zones expanding
Troubled by words unspoken

Haunted by memories lost in debris
Not hearing what each has to say
Caring and kindness atrophy
At the ties of friendship's slow decay

Lost in a web, the source oblique
Every day a steeper slope
Unsure which road to seek
Empty of both joy and hope

A protective wall is quietly built
By fear, hurt, judgment and pain
Mistrust clouded by storms of guilt
A friendship drowned in the rain.

Enough

My brain says there is something missing in my life
That this isn't enough
That I'm missing something

My heart yearns for what it does not have
What it does not know
What will make it whole

My mind speaks of wisdom of in searching for what is lost
A light on the horizon
A new beginning

My soul says all I need is what I have with me
Within my heart
Within His love

A Gnat into an Eagle

I once wrote a poem about a butterfly
These beautiful creatures with wings of light
In many ways you remind me of one
Ever striving to reach greater heights
You yearn for transformation and detachment from self
But you fear the responsibilities of flight
The distance you'd fall or the pain you'd inflict
If you didn't do everything exactly right

What you seem to be missing is the most important part
The process which allows it to fly
For a butterfly begins as a very small creature
Vulnerable, small and infinitely shy
A power beyond its own strength or might
Tests it so thoroughly that to itself it must die
But if it were to resist this transformation
It would never reach the heights of the sky

Right now you are wrapped in fear and doubt
Caged in by a force that is ripping you apart
Cocooned without light, you are anxious and scared
But know that this is the hardest part
He is breaking down walls that the "self" has put up
Transforming you into His work of Art
And all you must do to see light once again is
Place your life in His hands and His love in your heart

Trust He is giving you the tools you will need
To fly on the breeze of His tests
To share with the world your beautiful colors
To soar free and unsuppressed
Leave your fears on the ground and spread your wings
Trust He is guiding your quest
For within His love is the strength you need and
Armed with His name you are assured and blessed  

The Gift of Happiness

How could I not be unconsciously happy
In this wondrous place where His light shone
How could I not be filled with joy and wonder
At the way my spirit and mind have been honed
What astounding blessings have I been given
More profound and unfathomable than I have ever known
I pray with the fire which burns deep in my heart
That when I leave my capacity to serve Him will have grown

How could I not share this joy with others
When it has so graciously been bestowed upon me
How could I possibly cover this light
Which radiates and glows for all to see
This love and joy I find deep in your eyes
This laughter of life, this soul weaving glee
With happiness, laughter, joy and love
He gave us the gifts to set our souls free

A World in Hiding

These evils, impossible to undo
Are more unfathomable than I ever knew
The tests and pain, followed by shame
Then bullying, distancing and blame

Youth are hurt, innocence claimed
Their lives will never be the same
Then their peers, cause more tears
Evoking self hate and exploiting their fears

Yearning for compassion and understanding
They receive ridicule and reprimanding
A community hides, puts justice aside
And allows a poor child to drown in the tide

What will have to happen for all this to halt
For us to realize these deaths are our fault
To take control, make compassion our goal
And to love and support these lost and hurt souls?

Missing the Music in my Life

Your love brings music to my soul
The harmony fills me and makes me whole
Our chord so in tune
The tides and the moon
Oh how I pray to see you soon

A hole in my life where you should be
A grand piano with a missing key
Songs play without it
The sound doesn't quit
But there is an ache every time that it's hit

A hollow feeling of the missing chime
A reminder of a melody faded with time
A yearning to hear
The applause and the cheer
As my heart starts singing because you are near