I
have authored a new book titled
NO MATTER WHAT WE'VE LEARNED
This
book is available below
for FREE viewing and/or download.
I
am currently doing my own printing and assembling
of each book at home.
I
am seeking donations to continue my work with
poetry and publishing messages of faith, hope,
love, peace and social importance.
Any
help with this quest will be greatly appreciated.
I
am also selling these books for $5.00 + $1.50
S&H.
As funds permit, I will also give them away, as
I don't want money to determine who gets to read
it and who does not.
To
Order, No Matter What We've
Learned
Send Check or Money Order for $6.50
to
Jay Ross
2497 Blackberry Drive
Fayetteville AR 72703
Please print or type the following
information and include it with each order.
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If you have read the book,
please send me your comments.
In an age permeated with material self-interest
and overt aggression, Jay Ross’ poetic message
is a counter offer:
the affirmation of community and non-violence as
a path to a better world, one in which each of us
must find – however daunting the task may
seem – a way out of the darkness of pessimism
and lost hope and towards the light of peace and
mutual understanding.
-- J. B. Hogan
Jay Ross encourages us to change our ways with his
poetry which strikes at the heart of consciousness.
Whether it is war, environmental disasters, or social
injustice, Ross shows us the horror of our ways.
This chapbook ends offering hope, a sense of place,
and a chance to reverse this darkness. Ross reminds
us that we could have a beautiful place in history,
if we take it.
--Gloria Mindock, Cervena Barva Press
Poignant and timely, this book comes not a moment
too soon.
-- F. E. Green
This book is not afraid to say what so many of us
feel.
-- B. Smith
Ross hits the nail on the head in presenting the
real state of affairs in these troubled times. He
then offers a way out and challenges us to accept
our mistakes and step up to the task of healing
our selves and our planet. A job well done.
-- C. R. Johnston
outside back cover
Jay
Ross, former editor of Indian Bay Press,
lives peacefully in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas
where he spends as much time as possible in the
garden with his beloved wife and muse Dabney Rose.
Jay is a Vietnam era veteran who
feels a deep sense of sorrow at what he believes
is a betrayal of the ‘American Dream’
by selfish and arrogant political and business leaders
and the betrayal of well meaning spiritual seekers
by selfish and ignorant religious leaders.
He expresses a sense of dismay at the way so many
Americans blindly follow these leaders like sheep;
repeating patterns reminiscent of Nazism and Fascism,
and he finds this alarmingly similar to political
and religious fanaticism throughout history and
around the world, which we so fervently denounce
in others.
In his first published collection
of poetry, Being Love / Estar Enamorado, Jay portrayed
Love as the source of all life including our Selves.
Jay’s words reflect the heart of a gentle
and caring man who is concerned about the un-heeded
lessons of history, as they continue to resurface
in the current events of our planet. In this book,
he exposes some of our most obvious and horrific
misdeeds, and offers a potential path to a brighter
day.
Published and printed by
JaySpeaks Publications
Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
JaySpeaks
Volume Two
This book is dedicated to all who
have suffered
and to all who hope for a brighyter day.
~~
Author’s
Note
****
It is my belief that we move, in life, in the
direction that we hold as our focus. Therefore,
it is not my intention to encourage anyone to spend
too much time looking backward or focusing on the
social ills of our societies.
However, I believe we stand at a cross-road. One
path holds the greatest potential in the history
of humankind. There is more goodness in the world
than we think; and we have the power within us to
channel that energy for the benefit of all.
This is also a time of great risk; as the other
path continues to lead us toward the brink of unprecedented
social and environmental disaster.
The wellbeing of our children, the stability of
our social structures, indeed the very survival
of our species hang in the balance between where
we are and where we choose to be.
The choices we make will be largely determined
by how we feel about our recent personal and political
decisions and where we believe we are at the moment.
I offer this collection then, not as a call for
more attention on what IS NOT WORKING, but as an
opportunity to recognize that some things ARE NOT
WORKING and thus encourage us to consider new thoughts
and new directions.
Sometimes, even when we don’t know what
will work, it is enough to know what does not work.
With that understanding, we may be more willing
to try a different path.
If we open our hearts and minds in search of a
better way, we can move away from war, social injustice,
and environmental devastation. But we must first
be willing to recognize that:
SOME THINGS ARE
NOT WORKING.
~~~
"When
fascism comes to America,
it will be wrapped in a flag
and carrying a cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis
Introduction
****
Line by line,
With rhythm and rhyme,
This true-life-fiction unfolds.
Wit and wisdom
Weave tragedy and vision.
In a story that must be told.
~
Mixing truth with lies
Forms a thin disguise
In this real-life fairy tale.
As hopes and dreams
Turn to nightmare scenes
And the balance shifts on the scales.
~
But the facts are right there.
And the truth becomes clear
When darkness is exposed to the light.
If we open our ears
And let go of our fears;
Together, we’ll make it alright.
~
There’s a way out, you see
And YOU are the key.
The way out is the way within.
So with joy, set a course
To follow your source.
With Love,
All of mankind will win.
~~~
DISCLAIMER
****
This is a
work of fiction. All persons and events in this
publication are purely the imagination of the
author and do not represent any actual events
or persons living or dead. Any resemblance to
actual events or persons living or dead is completely
coincidental.
~~~
After all;
if there really were any actual persons,
(like government, business or church
officials)
who were making decisions based
on
their own selfish greed,
lust for power,
or other personal motivations …
(like awarding billions of dollars
in military and construction contracts to their
friends without open bids,
or ignoring environmental concerns and manipulating
records to inflate profits at the expense of the
public,
or diverting millions of dollars in church funds
toward personal opulence and political manipulation)
…
Or, if there really were
any actual persons,
taking part in any actual events
(like soliciting or accepting ‘incentives’
or bribes
in the form of
campaign contributions,
travel costs,
home improvements
and other questionable, and often down right illegal,
gifts
from major oil companies or defense
contractors,
for instance) …
Or, if there
really were any actual persons,
that had deliberately lied to the
people of the United States and the world in an
effort to further their personal agendas…
(like, by repeatedly saying that there were Weapons
of Mass Destruction in Iraq,
when they knew damn well that there were not...
and saying that Iraq was directly
involved in the 911 tragedy,
when they knew damn well that they were not...
and using those lies as an excuse
to invade and occupy a sovereign nation,
that just happens to be sitting
on top of some of the largest oil fields available
on the planet) …
Or, if these actual persons,
were attempting to further their
agenda
to control Mid East oil
by planning an attack on Iran,
there-by broadening this costly war;
all the while covering up their true intentions
with even more lies and distractions …
Or, if any actual persons,
(like Dick Cheney and his Halliburton
buddies)
actually profited to the tune of
millions of dollars
from government contracts worth billions of dollars
while we continue to pay a cost in the trillions
of dollars
and nearly one hundred thousand
Iraqi civilians...
men, woman and children,
were needlessly killed
...
(not to mention the four
thousand dead American troops!)
Oh! Heck, let’s mention
them too.
They
deserve it.
If there
really were any such actual events or persons,
here in twenty first century America:
As the Patriotic American
citizens that I’m sure you are,
I have no doubt that:
you would have spoken up long ago
you would have stepped up long ago
you would have tried like hell to put a stop
to these actual events and these actual persons
long ago.
As the Patriotic American
citizens that I’m sure you are,
I have no doubt that if any actual
persons,
(like your Congressmen, your Senators,
your President or your Vice President)
knowingly acted to initiate or prolong
any such actual events …
you would vote those actual persons out of office;
and you would put those actual persons in jail.
As the Patriotic
American citizens that I’m sure you are,
I have no doubt
that you would do
all
that you could do
to
defend your country
from
any such actual scoundrels.
No Sir !…
None of this stuff is actual events
or persons living or dead.
All this stuff
is just the ramblings
of
a self proclaimed ‘Fool on The Hill’
with
nothing better to do with his time
than write poetry.
~~~
When you’re
not sure about things,
weigh the evidence for yourself.
But, be honest.
It’s bad enough being deceived by others
without deceiving yourself.
We are not blind,
and we don’t have to act like we are.
No Matter
What We’ve Learned !
****
The President said… Don't
panic.
There is no need for concern. We really have to ‘Stay the Course’
no matter what we've learned !
It’s true, the ice is getting
thin
and Atlanta's running out of water.
But we still need more SUVs
for Our sons and our daughters.
The scientists don't ALL agree.
They don't ALL see eye to eye.
And no one really gives a hoot
that Al Gore won the Nobel Prize.
I think there's still one scientist
who says THEY are all in error
and the prospect of the ocean's rise
should not be viewed with terror.
What's one degree here or there
?
or two or three or four ?
Why down in Texas, we have heat
that could fry a wild boar.
I know it looks like a desert
or some wilderness wasteland.
But it keeps the population down
when everything looks like sand.
~
And yes, it’s true the cost
of war
will now be in the trillions. And we've already killed
about one hundred thousand civilians.
But the money is going to my friends.
And the dead are all Iraqis.
Except for those four thousand
American soldiers now in boxes.
But we buried them with honor.
We draped them all with flags. And we’re shielding the 'Inconvenient
Truth'
of ALL those body bags.
~
Support is patriotic.
So support us at the polls,
even though you know the economy
is sinking deeper in the hole.
Just fly that red white and blue
and buy a bumper sticker.
You'll add a little comfort to
Dick Cheney's ailing ticker.
~
And when, at last, it comes to
pass
the ocean is at Your door
and all Your children now are dead
from one of our little wars;
Remember, just don't panic.
There is no need for concern. We really have to ‘Stay the Course’
no matter what we've learned !
~~~
Ignorance
is not ‘bliss’
Ignorance…
Is just ignorance
The Pauper
Pawn
****
I am but a pauper… used
as a pawn
in a game of life and death.
They made me a soldier when I was eighteen.
I guess you know the rest.
They shipped me off to Vietnam.
They shipped me to Iraq.
When they shipped me to Afghanistan,
I never did come back.
~
I did come back from Vietnam
but with Post Traumatic stress.
They said I never would be right.
But, that’s better than the rest.
We lost the leader of our squad
along with seven men.
I guess I really should say boys,
because that’s what we were then.
~
I hear they have another war
on the drafting table.
They’re making plans to bomb Iran.
I guess they think I’m able
To go and fight another war
so they can have their oil.
But I notice how they always seem
to fight on foreign soil.
I don’t think they could
pull this off
if we were being bombed
in New York or Los Angeles
like they were in Vietnam.
Americans seem to like their wars
somewhere far away.
Then when we kids are being killed,
they can look the other way.
They even have this rule now
about not showing our coffins
in newspapers or on TV.
But we get killed pretty often.
Over Four Thousand Americans
have been killed now in Iraq.
About ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND Iraqi Dead
since we started this attack.
~
And that’s just their civilians.
We killed their soldiers too.
Our leaders don’t care which is which,
unless they think you do.
But you don’t pay attention
when it’s not in your back yard.
Until your kid comes home in a box...
Then you find it hard
To remember what we’re fighting
for
or how this whole thing started.
So, I’ll tell you now… so you’ll
understand
when your child is... ‘departed’.
~
There’s some rich guys pulling
all the strings
and lying to our nation.
Saying; these Iraqis have to die
for us to have salvation.
GOD, they say, is on OUR side.
That’s why we kill their children
when we bomb their schools and hospitals.
(You know) Our side is just too willing
to listen to this president
and his small-minded men
saying “We are the ones being attacked”
and “We have to defend
Against weapons of mass destruction,
biological and chemical too” Even though it’s been clearly shown
that NONE of that was true.
~
All we’re really doing there,
besides the killing spree,
is making money for the rich,
not defending you or me.
So the next time you hear someone
say
“We want your kids for soldiers”
tell them
“ We don’t kill folks
anymore ! ”
Maybe then war will be over.
~~~
When I despair,
I remember that all through history
the way of truth and love
has always won.
There have been tyrants and murderers
and for a time
they seem invincible
but in the end,
they always fall
–
think of it,
ALWAYS.
- - MAHATMA GANDHI
Only Once
****
I have been issued a gun…
and given orders to kill.
I am told by those with stripes
and bars that THEY are the enemy.
But I can not, of my own accord,
determine their guilt.
I have been told time and again THEY are wrong. THEY are bad. THEY are killers.
It is kill… or be killed.
But there seems to be so many of
them.
THEY… are
Afghans. THEY… are Iraqis. THEY… are Iranians
How many then,
must I kill?
And how can I justify within myself
killing those many ?
Those with whom
I have not so much as quarreled ?
And yet...
Again I hear the voices calling.
Two voices
screaming ever louder
as if
the TRUTH…
will be determined
by THE
VOLUME.
Killing is right !
Killing is wrong !
Killing is right !
Killing is wrong !
The justification is simple…
clear.
It is good to kill ‘the killer’.
Ah !
But once I pull the trigger,
I… become ‘the killer.’
How many then, must I kill
before my death is justified ?
Must I really become the killer
of many… ?
of any... ?
What are we accomplishing with all
this killing, anyway ?
Perhaps
there is another solution.
Yes!
Now I see…
With only one shot
I can end this dilemma.
I will kill then.
But I will kill…
only once.
And with that one shot,
I will kill
the killer
that
I become.
There, the insanity will end.
Or will it?
Well,
in the alternative,
I couldn't live with myself anyway!
Yes,
I will kill then…
But only once!
~~~
Recent statistics reveal
the growing number of suicides in the US military
and indicate that, in the final toll, the US military
deaths as a result of the Iraq War may very well
be higher from suicides than from casualties in
the field.
We should never,
through our ignorance,
our arrogance,
our silence,
Put our sisters,
our brothers,
our daughters,
our sons
in a position
to feel
this
way
Again!
War
is Hell!
Bring
Them Home!
Life as
an Ostrich
****
Dear Martin,
Over forty years have come and gone
since we killed you
You tried so hard to teach us
how to live
and love
I still don't understand
why we pulled that trigger
You made it so clear
to anyone who would listen
that you meant no harm
Non-violence was your catch phrase
You were more like Gandhi than Malcolm
X
More like Bobby Kennedy than Bobby
Seal
He wept for your loss
Did you know that ?
Bobby Kennedy did
I think he understood more than
most
what you meant
when you said "I Have a Dream"
He had a dream too
So we killed him next
Why is it we kill the dreamers ?
the visionaries ?
the prophets ?
John Lennon wasn't far behind
when he asked us to ‘Imagine’
So we shot him too
I don't think this speaks very highly
of us as Americans
Our history books tout of a people:
rebelling against tyranny
saving the world from the throngs of evil doers
supporting liberty and justice for All
But Now…
What our real history and current
affairs reveals is:
We enslave whole races of people
for as long as we can get away with it
We pretend to emancipate them
but really
we just change the face of slavery
We oppress the women who brought
us life
and bring us pleasure and wisdom
We invade nation after nation
We occupy nation after nation
We assassinate world leaders (and
others)
that don't please us
We corrupt legitimate elections
in other lands
or overthrow their governments
if we don’t like the results
We sacrifice and circumvent
the needs… and wants… and directives
of our own people
and people around the world
for the sake of money and power and greed
We spy on our own population
We imprison more of our own population
than any other nation
We arrest ‘Political Prisoners’
then hold them for years
without charges or trial
while we torture them
And when the corruption, lies and
treasonous activities
of our elected officials
are made as clear as day
to the people of our land…
We… re-elect them
Then we set them free to:
strip our constitution of our beloved Bill of
Rights
under the guise of protectionism
while they rape our land and foul our waters
in the name of progress
Then we try to tell the rest of
the world
that we know better than they
how to run a country
And when they don't listen to our
lies
and follow our path of corruption and destruction
we kill them too
just like we did you
Then we fly our flag higher
and boldly say to the world
"I'm Proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm Free"
And so we seem to be:
Free to lie
Free to steal
Free to invade
Free to occupy
Free to kill
Free to turn our heads
or hide them in the sands of ignorance
But you know what Martin;
when you stick your head in the sand,
to the rest of the world
you look like an Ass!
~~~
We will have
to repent in this generation not merely
for the hateful words and actions of the
bad people but for the appalling silence
of the good people.
- - Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
(January 15,
1929 – April 4, 1968)
American
Pride
****
How many amputees per year ?
How many wounds per war ?
How many deaths does it take
Before we even the score ?
How many babies have to cry ?
How many have to die ?
Lying cold on the floor
While momma bleeds at her side.
How many poems does it take
To get the message through ?
War is not just caused by ‘them’.
It's caused by me and you...
Don't sit there and tell me
The ends justify the means
If it's not your baby on the floor
While your wife bleeds and screams.
(And) Don't tell me we've got
the right
Or that God's on our side.
It's not His fault we’re killing.
It's that dammed American Pride !
~~~
IF YOU ARE
GOING TO SEEK
REVENGE
YOU'D BETTER DIG TWO
GRAVES
The Drums of War:
"Beware the leader who bangs the drums
of war in order to whip the citizenry into
a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged
sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows
the mind.
And when the drums of war have reached a fever
pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind
has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing
the rights of the citizenry.
Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded
by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights
unto the leader and gladly so.
How do I know ?
For this is what I have done.
And I am Caesar."
- - Julius Caesar
~~~
Profit
Making War
****
We're kicking ass, not taking
names.
We don't care who you are.
We plan to make things to go our way.
(And) We don’t mind leaving scars.
We don't care what religion,
What color, race or creed.
We're not motivated by prejudice.
We're motivated by greed.
We’ll overthrow your government
If we can make a buck.
We know you may not like this,
But we don't give a fuck.
We travel over seas and back
Bombing every day.
But when we're back at home again,
We choose a different way.
~
We don't bomb people here at home.
It ruins infrastructure.
Besides, you might get pissed and then
Disrupt our power structure.
Instead we just intimidate
And suck up your resources.
Now we sell you SUVs.
Soon you’ll just ride horses.
But not until we make you buy
Every drop of oil.
If we did it any sooner,
Our plans would all be foiled.
Our mission is to take control
Of every buck we can.
Then use those bucks to make more bucks.
It's really quite a scam.
~
We're not in this to be nice guys.
So this warning, you should heed.
We plan to take all we can get
And satisfy our greed.
We find it entertaining
That our tactics make you cower.
It really makes this quest more fun.
It feeds our lust for Power.
(So) Don't go getting in our way
Because we don't give out hugs.
We'll find you out. We’ll hunt you down.
And squash you all like bugs.
You're just a bunch of pawns to
us
In this chess game you call life.
We’ve got you where we want you,
Locked in stress and strife.
Too overwhelmed to take the time
To see what we’re really doing;
Devastating life abroad
While here at home pursuing
All the money you can make
To finance this great chore.
Our ultimate creation, Profit Making War.
~~~
The Revolution
Starts Here
****
The Revolution starts Where
?
Certainly not in Poetry…
That’s just Silly.
I mean...
Can you imagine ?
It’s not like
There have been Poets
For Hundreds of Years, Thousands of Years
Voicing their Opinions, Speaking their Truths.
It’s not like
Thousands of Poets
In Hundreds of Publications
All Across the Globe
Just Speak Up And Speak Out.
Poetry is Gentle
Soothing.
It’s all about
Flowers and Love.
Soft things, Pretty things.
Poetry is NEVER LOUD
and NEVER CONFRONTATIONAL
!
Poetry does not Criticize (Those
Idiots)
Or Condemn (Them Bastards)
You would Never hear something like…
“We sent him off to Washington
armed to kill The Beast.
Instead, he joined him
in his lair
and shared his stolen feast.
Our man has joined
The Beast
that he was sent there to destroy.
Now the beast is bigger
and he is stealing all our toys.”
These are not the words of a Poet.
No Sir…
There is Nothing here about
Roses of Red and Violets of Blue.
Nothing Soft and Gentle in these words.
These are probably the words of
Subversives,
Revolutionaries
Or “Hippie Pinko Queers”
(as Spiro Agnew would say)
No my friends,
Poetry is NOT where you find Revolution.
Unless you look
!
~~~
The Scales
of Justice
****
I bought a ‘Scales
of Justice’
at a local Wal-Mart Store.
I brought them home to weigh
the pros and cons of waging war.
I put the Red White and Blue
on one side of the rail,
along with a Christian crucifix.
Then on the other side of the scale
I put the victims of Afghanistan,
the victims of Iraq,
the MIA's from Vietnam
who never did come back.
I put the pain and misery
of the families who were broken
when we sent their loved ones off to war
like little pawns and tokens.
~
The weight was quickly shifting
to this one side of the scale. Passing any sense of balance,
it really told a tale.
The scale then hit the bottom.
There was nowhere left to go.
But I still had to add the agony…
the suffering… and sorrow...
Of all the wounded soldiers
on our side and the others;
the Moms and Daughters, Sons and Dads,
our Sisters… and my Brother.
The poets who would never write,
the singers’... Sounds of Silence,
Art and Culture, Hopes and Dreams,
destroyed in senseless violence.
All because we allow ourselves
to be led by selfish leaders;
by our churches’ and our government's
professional bullshit feeders.
The powerful 'spin doctors'
who deceive us all with lies
and get us to believe
that it's OK for Them to die.
It's OK to send this suffering
half way around the world.
It's OK that it comes back in coffins
draped with flags unfurled.
~
The scales fell off the table
and crashed down to the floor.
The contents strewn across the room;
the scales could take no more.
It was not a pretty picture
but the truth was there to see;
the scales, the flag, the cross, the bodies,
the pain and misery.
~
If our country truly
is as great
as we like to say it is,
it’s time we listen to the truth
and not just to ‘show biz’.
Let’s let go of our prejudice
and then reel in our pride.
Look behind the veil of deceit
and stop trying to hide.
We can only fix what's wrong
if we take an honest look.
Then choose a new direction
instead of reading the same old book.
Let's write a whole new chapter.
(Heck) Let's write a whole new story.
Let's lead our nation and our selves
to an age of peace and glory.
‘May Peace Prevail’
in this great land.
‘May Peace Prevail’
on Earth.
May we all experience the joyful bliss
of consciousness re-birthed.
We are one extended family
on a small endangered planet;
Brothers, Sisters, Cousins.
Let’s ALL try to understand
it.
One people all
across the globe,
we share One sun and sky. Let us choose to work for lasting peace,
together… side by side.
~~~
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those
who are cold and are not clothed."
Why can’t we have Peace
on Earth ?
We’ve prayed for it for years.
Season after season
We pray right through our fears.
We watch the evening newscast.
We read the morning paper.
We look at all the problems
And wish they would get better.
We think about the president
And all his mighty men.
They’re kicking ass around the world.
But still the wars don’t end.
We have such mighty armies,
The Navy and Marines.
We’ve got the biggest bombers
And sneaky submarines.
We got nukes and smart bombs
And even guided missiles,
Tomahawks and Black Hawks
And probably poison thistle.
Our generals go to War College
To learn to be the best.
(So) Why can’t we have peace on earth
By beating all the rest ?
But we’ve tried that now
for many years.
At times, we thought it worked.
But war came back time and again.
And sometimes, it got worse.
~
Perhaps we should try something new,
More like what we’re after.
Something more like peace I guess.
Something more like laughter.
We could all laugh at our selves
For acting proud and foolish.
Acting more like bullies,
Than being golden rule-ish.
We don’t do unto others
As we would have them do.
We do what we damn well please,
And that’s give them the screw.
~
Then they blow up our buildings
And bomb our subways too.
They start to act like bullies
Just the way we do.
Please don’t get me wrong
here.
I’m not just shifting blame.
We are not the only bad guys.
We’re all acting the same.
We focus on the wrong things
To find what we are seeking.
You have to look for what you want
Not just for where it’s leaking.
So start to look for goodness,
For Love and Joy and Peace. Find it first within your self
And then feel the release
Of anger and resentment,
Of panic, fear and pain.
Feel the Peace well up in side.
Then reach for it again.
Peace can always be here
If we hold it in our heart.
It can spread around the world
And we can help it start.
Let’s all practice daily
And see how fast it spreads.
We’ll start to feel more joy in life
Instead of feeling dread.
When we focus on our joy
War will have to cease,
As all the love we feel inside
Transforms into Peace.
Others then can learn from us.
And Peace will start to grow.
From friend to friend and neighbor,
From these new seeds that we sow.
Soon we’ll all be ‘Being
Love’
And Peace will reign supreme. ‘Peace on Earth’ will be for
real.
And not just in our dreams
~~~
...So always in your mind
See the beauty of this place
And always in your heart
Know that this is
'Sacred Space'
~~~
-- From the poem Sacred
Space Being Love / Estar Enamorado
by Jay Ross
The Alchemist
****
Tell me of the alchemists
And the story that is told
Of how it is that they have learned
To turn lead into gold
Not just with bulky metals
But something much more dear
How they can turn Hate into Love
And make Joy out of Fear
Turn the weight of boredom
Into anticipation
Turn the lead of anger
Into golden expectation
How they can go to work each day
To seeming dead end jobs
And still come home and hug their kids
And gently love their wives
Tell me how they always smile
Even at their boss
And never feel that all this time
Is really just a loss
Tell me tales of grandeur
And living at its best
Leaving all the bad behind
Embracing all the rest
Tell me how it’s up to me
That I can do it too
By loving life and doing things
That I know to be true
Tell me now how even I
Can be an alchemist
By seeing all the best in life
And making up a list
Of every wonder that I see
In each and every day
In every face I look at
In all my work and play
Tell me if I learn to see
The good in everything
That I can find the magic
That causes hearts to sing
Then even when it seems
That there is darkness all around
I’ll know love is always there
And Joy can still be found
And when the tale is finished
The story has all been told
I’ll use my Love to turn the lead
Of my fears
Into Gold
~~~
Move with Love and Love will surround
you.
Go in peace and peace will be yours.
Jay
~~~
You may download the PDF version, however
it is 1.68 MB so if you do download it, please save it
to your hard drive so you don't have to download it again.
Thaks j
Jay
Ross, former editor of Indian Bay Press,
lives peacefully in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas
where he spends as much time as possible in the
garden with his beloved wife and muse Dabney Rose.
