Poem – Page 17 – The Narrow Path

Lost at Sea.

A ship is lost in the treacherous open sea. The crew grows more impatient each day; the Captain is worried about a potential mutiny. No land in sight.

Will this be the end?

My crew goes weary.

Mumbling & arguing with each other.

Constantly chattering.

The smell of mutiny in the air.

I observe them from my private charters.

One moment they are angry.

The next they are sad.

Anxious.

Depressed.

Fearful.

Will we ever see land again?

A large wave swells up from the depths of the ocean.

Panic.

HOLD ON!!!!!

The ship creaks and moans.

We survive.

A month goes by.

Food short on supply.

Crew sick and diseased.

Birds of prey circle above us.

The end is near.

Until one day I see darkness on the horizon.

LAND!!

We are safe.

Joy & tears flow into the sea.

My crew dances under the moonlight.

No wave can sink me.

No storm will worry me.

I won’t break to my crew’s demands.

For I am the Captain.

I am not my thoughts. I am not my emotions. I am the observer. The Captain of my body & mind. I will honor these thoughts & emotions as impermanent. I will not sink into the darkness.

Gratitude.

I breathe in.

I smile.

How wonderful it is to be alive!

Joy pulsates through my body.

A smile lights across my face.

My heart beats with compassion.

My lungs full of gratitude.

Grateful for pain.

Heartbreak.

My breath.

And Joy.

Grateful to be alive.

I will smile.

I will laugh.

I will dance.

For life is impermanent.

Thank you life.

Thank you impermanence.

Thank you.

Innocent Living Beings.

By just being alive I will cause suffering in the world.

But I strive to negate as much as I can.

I vow to look at all living beings with compassion.

I vow to look at the suffering I cause in the world.

I vow to take action to alleviate suffering in all living beings.

Rape, torture, and death.

I see a tear go down a mother cows cheek.

I hear the last squeal of a suffering pig.

How we call ourselves peaceful while supporting such violence?

Blinded by industry lies.

Cold with apathy.

Myths.

Outdated traditions.

Wake up to compassion.

Wake up to peace.

Wake up to 2018.

A time of abundance.

A time where we don’t need animal products to survive.

There is another way.

A way of peace.

A way of compassion.

A way of love.

Will you join me?

The Broken Dam.

Pain.

Anger.

Confusion.

Suffering.

The pain of loneliness.

Isolation.

Fear.

Building up like water flowing into a mighty dam.

Cracks form.

The wall deteriorates.

Until one day the walls scream in pain.

The dam is broken.

Suffering overflows into the world.

The river mourns.

The birds cry.

Innocent beings swept away by the waves of suffering.

I have no answers.

Only questions.

How can we prevent suffering from spilling over?

How can we live in peace?

How can we heal our nation?

Time.

What time is it?

I glance at my clock.

The time is now.

I must change.

I must grow.

I must let go.

Now.

Impermanence.

The constant flow of time.

A seed grows into a tree.

A baby grows into a young adult.

Dreams.

Love.

Peace.

Compassion.

Joy.

Now.

Breathing in deeply I embrace my impermanence.

Breathing out I feel joy pulsate throughout my body.

I vow to not waste my life.

I vow to live in the now.

For this is not my practice life.

Shore.

A wave flows in & out.

A seagull floats above me.

A crab clings to a rock.

A sand castle withers away.

Nature’s many lessons all around me.

Consistency.

Patience.

Resilience.

Impermanence.

Nature can only guide us so far.

Be still.

Bring yourself to the now.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Observe.

Smile.

Stardust.

Infinite space.

Infinite time.

Infinite possibilities.

The darkness of a black hole.

The blinding light of a quasar.

A massive star becomes a supernova.

A supernova transforms into a pulsar.

Dancing light into the darkness.

Does the Universe mourn the dying star?

Or does it celebrate the supernova for giving birth to new life?

Does a star truly die?

Or can it only transform?

For I am stardust.

Born from a dying star.

Dancing into the darkness.

Mayur “Kumar” Sarhad.

6 years have passed.

Today it feels like 6 seconds.

I pick up the phone.

Shock. Disbelief. Tears.

So unexpected. Tragedy.

The pain of losing a great young man too soon.

Tears.

Sadness.

Because your life gave us joy.

You taught us that life is impermanent.

You taught us gratitude for every moment alive.

You showed us that life can be taken away at any given moment.

You taught us to not take our friends for granted.

Thank you for being an amazing friend.

A second big brother to me.

I could always count on you.

Thank you, Mayur (Kumar) Sarhad.

You live on through your brother Veeral.

You live on through your parents.

You live on through your friends.

When we walk, you walk.

When we breathe, you breathe.

When we smile, you smile.

Does a cloud die when it turns into rain, ice, or snow? Or can it only transform?

Love you bro,

Johnny Hoffman

Anchor.

A wave hits.

The wind howls.

A shark lurks in the darkness.

The storm surrounds me.

Will I sink into the darkness?

I throw my anchor into the depths of the sea.

No wave can break me.

No wind can push me.

No shark can hurt me.

No storm will out last my anchor.

Whenever times are tough, I can bring my focus back to my anchor.

My anchor of mindful breathing.

This anchor will be with me until my last moment.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

On a dark & stormy night, a lost ship sees a lighthouse in the distance.
The sailors can barely see the light at first, for the light is blinded by dark clouds surrounding the ship. They slowly begin their journey to shore.

The lighthouse does not judge the sailors lost at sea.
The lighthouse does not force the lost ship to shore.
The lighthouse just keeps shedding its light in order for others to see out of the darkness.

Do not bend to strong winds.

Do not worry about powerful waves.

Do not sink into the ocean of darkness.

Focus your energy on making your light stronger and clearer.
The stronger the light, the better those lost will be able to see the shore.

Be confident. Be patient.
Allow them to make the long and challenging voyage to shore.

Become the lighthouse.
Become the light for others to see out of the darkness.
But first, you must acknowledge the lighthouse within your heart.

The light within your true nature.

Category: Poem