Wisdom

You studied science and were told that we were animals and life was all numbers.

You studied literature and were told that existence was meaningless and reality was absurd.

You looked around at the people around you and saw that all we had was each other.

You closed your eyes, listened to the silence within, and realized that it was the silence of God. You realized that He was silent because He was listening. You realized that we were placed here for a purpose, and that we were not alone. And you wept for joy.

Shining Sparrow

Once upon a time, in a green forest with a blue sky, there lived a young sparrow. When he learned to fly, he looked up, saw the sky full of white clouds, and was fascinated by it.  He flapped his wings hesitantly and flew upwards, away from his nest. 

When he reached above the trees he twirled and whirled and swirled about. He was in the sky now, on the top of the world. All he could see above his head was the amazing blue sky. Below, the forest lay stretched out like a green carpet. Here and there he saw flowers of every bright colour bunched about in their gardens. He stayed there awhile, surveying the scene with pleased eyes.

Presently, the sky began to darken. It was time to go back to his nest. He flew down.

But on his way down, he flew into a great white cloud. He was blinded by the sheer whiteness. He fluttered about a bit, taken aback. The cloud was beautiful from the outside, but within it the sparrow felt frightened. Some wisps of the cloud suffocated him. He felt trapped. He pushed himself out into the fresh air. 

And when he was out he did not whether he was falling downwards or flying upwards. He did not know where the sky was and where the earth was, and he did not care.

Half-falling and half-flying, he got to the ground. He lay there a while, feeling nothing.

After a while he got up, and began to fly back to his nest. On his way back, he saw a tall teak tree. Large leaves draped it in greenery. The sparrow flew around it once, twice, thrice, and settled on one the branches. Shortly it decided to fly back to its nest. It did not see the tree again.

Reaching its nest, it rested awhile, thinking. The wind blew against its wings. The sparrow smiled at the wind. The wind whispered to him, "Let me show you something." 

The wind carried the sparrow through the trees, over a river, and into a garden bursting with red and blue and yellow flowers. The sparrow looked at a yellow daffodil that lay before his eyes. He moved on, and looking back, he saw the flower wither and fall.

The sparrow flapped his wings and soared into the air. In a moment he was above the forest again.

One day, the Sun rose, and it somehow seemed to be the first dawn. With a celebration of light, day was announced to the earth. The Sun was burning, and the world warmed rapidly. The air and the leaves and the waters caught fire. 

The great white cloud and the tall teak tree and the yellow daffodil all burst into flames, and the sparrow saw that these were burning. 

The Sun grew brighter and drew the sparrow to itself. The sparrow, too, caught fire, but did not burn. He began to shine. Nested in the rising Sun, he too rose.

And suddenly nothing mattered anymore for him. Because he had found his true nest.

Yizbeleni

Today is the marriage of Peace and Suffering

Here in the grassy fields 

I, Peace, wait for him to arrive

And when he arrives 

He will honour me with his presents

He will give me wisdom and the insights of life

He will give me courage and endurance

He will open my eyes to God

Our honeymoon will be forever,

For we are off to the land where there is no death

Iron Pierced Wood

Death,

Second birth,

Opening men's eyes to God,

You are conquered and subdued

By the rising prayers and undying hopes 

Of a million men

And utterly, utterly shattered

By the life of a young man of thirty-three

Reality

He was dreaming and he knew it. Of course he knew it. You don't fly over the buildings and offices of a city in real life. 

From where he soared, he could see cars the size of beetles crawling down the road to the hectic downtown. People the size of ants sauntered about. He passed by a skyscraper and looked in. A couple of employees were in some kind of meeting. How boring, James thought to himself. Work was for reality, and reality could wait. What he wanted now was fun and frolic.

He tilted downwards and willed himself to fall like a hawk. The windows of the skyscrapers flew past him. The air swept by him in gusts. The ground rushed towards him. He was speeding down and down and down on towards the ground. Suddenly he realized that he couldn't control or stop his flight. The gray, concrete street below him came dangerously closer and closer, but he couldn't stop. 

His eyes widened.

James woke up with a gasp. He was lying on his bed. He sat up on the bed for a while, and then smiled to himself. 

His mom seemed to have got up already. She'd placed a cup of tea on the nearby table. He got out of bed and opened his bedroom door. 

A gust of wind blew into the room. It was all he could do to grab the door and the wardrobe to keep himself from falling. He looked outside. There were a dozen snow-capped mountains in the distance. Snow blew in with the wind. Nowhere in sight was the usual half-lit drawing room. He was dreaming and he knew it.  He smiled and stretched out his arms to fly.

Suddenly James woke up, yawning. There was a hot cup of tea on the table near his bed. He drank it and headed for the door. 

His mom was up already, drinking her tea in the half-lit drawing room. James felt unusually pleasant today. He took a deep breath in. Smiling, he stretched out his arms to fly. 

Reality can be the essence of the sweetest dreams, if you want it to be.

Sight

He walked down the street

With hurrying feet

Searching for sight

To see the Sun's light

The light did not fade

Not even a shade

But he could not see

Not even faintly

But Light would yet shine

As from a gold mine

He'd see dawn explode

All over the road.

Taxi Driver

How much is the fare, I ask

He is silent
Like he couldn't have cared less
Tell me, I ask again, irked by the pause

The taxi driver turns around and stares into my eyes

I see the tears that once were in his eyes

Now they are empty and vacant

Staring into a beyond that is blinding

And I realize that this is a silence and not a pause

Oh, I'll take what you give, young lad, he says in a while

His voice is but an echo

The day before he dropped me at Greenstone Square

Yesterday he dropped me at Greenstone Square

Today he drops me at Greenstone Square

And the little globe, in the library where it is kept

Spins round and round and round on its axis

Like a spinning totem

The water of the lake is blue and clear

As splendid and hollow as a tear

The sun above pulls it upwards

And the water crumbles to pieces

Cracks unevenly

Shatters into a thousand shards

And rises in a surge

Water is rising

Gathering together in suspended white

It hangs in the air

And with a whisper falls to the ground

But beyond is seven thousand brilliant suns

Teddy bear your tears to sleep, 

It'll all be okay

Seven thousand brilliant suns are shining

Outside the buildings collapse in explosion

Outside the city converges into itself

Outside the river floods its banks

Outside the storm grows louder and louder

How much do you need, I ask, raising my voice

Above the raging storm

Ten dollars be enough, he answers

I give it to him. The storm is rising

Who are you, I ask, now shouting to make myself heard

I can't hear him answer

I step out onto the pavement, 

And everything around me explodes in a flurry

hurry up please it's time

here we go round the mulberry bush
the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
here we go round the mulberry bush
early in the morning

I

in the afternoon, yes, last

tuesday afternoon i'd come to your house

wanted to pay a quick visit

just ask if things are okay

how's the health after the cold winter

you weren't there

guess i'll come later

the moon is just half of it

but it's outside already

strange

so early it's not even dusk for goodness sake

half of it half

whew and the sun is blinding my eyes

why does it have to set so early

what an annoyance

bleeding bleeding sun 

red orange yellow blue mixed in hasty hue

why do the sky sun moon stars

have to be so punctual

here we go round the forest of trees

rabbit or a parrot i wanted

to buy one of these in my childhood

but i changed my mind after i

got a job

thing ain't practical

silly things you gotta look after

them so carefully

and clean all the dirt

yeah right i'm not interested anymore

did you get my message james

no huh? hm thought so

when you didn't call me

wanted to come to your house

to cut to the matter

wanted to ask permission about

the listerdale affair
the forest of trees, the forest of trees

look here you, i need to get the go

quick time is running out

be realistic chap a pretty world 

like yours'll break to pieces 

at the first dawn

grow up i need

your sanction james

hurry up please it's time

my heart half of it is bleeding

i donno why why is half of my

heart bleeding

is it my conscience that's gone all

wrong or something

here we go round the forest of trees

hey no way am i gonna 

go all sorry and stuff

i still don't feel anything

after that little affair

it was for a good cause, you know,

nice shopping complex they've

made outta the place

was just a forest till i cleaned it up

teens love it hangout there

am i supposed to feel guilty or

something? cause i don't

though i feel a bit bad about signing 

this latest contract here 

my dear fellow you just look here

i need money and badly

this works then i can take a backseat for a

good piece of time

and i be telling you man i need that rest

the woods are lovely dark deep

but i have promises to keep

now how're the kids going james

II

to cut it in the morning

why should i care 

my dear james why should i care

knock knock

who's there

it's me, nature, i'm cold i need shelter

why should i care, i ask one last time

you should care because i feed you

and i chose whether you live or die

this evening the sunset stares at my face

the moon has waxed

the swirling colours of the sky scare me

suddenly i am afraid 

why am i so afraid

fear to me is now a handful of soil

half my heart is bleeding and it hurts

guilt, that's what it is

what have i done

what have i done

what have i done

the blood of so many forests,

birds,

animals,

on my hands

i half-killed nature and

and snuffed out the lives of her beloved

where does a macbeth wash his hands

where do i wash my hands

hurry up please it's time

shouldn't have

shouldn't have

and how shall i presume

shall i make this language of incoherence my shield

or will it betray me

do i dare enter his house again and say

"that is not what i meant

that is not what i meant at all"

do i dare? 

do i dare?

where does a hamlet kill his time

what a piece of work is nature

and to think i've killed her in a fencing match

with a poisoned foil

cold, 

nature is waiting outside wanting shelter

i am sorry for ravaging the forest

i am sorry for the listerdale affair

i am sorry for the dead birds deprived of nests

i am sorry for the dead animals robbed of their homes

i'll go, now, yes now, and try to make amends or something

dear God forgive me

hi james is it you in the

afternoon i'd like to come to your house,

just talk a few things over

would you be free?

Dewfall

When the dew evaporated, there was something thin and flaky on the surface of the desert. It was as delicate as frost.  

Exodus 16:14

Thy dead men shall live, my slain shall rise again: awake, and give praise, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is the dew of the light: and the land of the giants thou shalt pull down into ruin. 

Isaiah 26:19

I. What The Sparrow Saw

Little sparrow perched on the broken wall

What are you doing, watching the dewfall

Have you no home, have you no nest

That offers you shelter and comfort and rest

Little bird, haste, the time is now late

The night is now near, the day will not wait

So fly away soon, and take me with you

When you were six hundred years old

You sent out a white dove into the skies

It waited for the waters to subside

And when the land was dry

It flew away, free at last

The sparrow too waits for the dew to pass

And when the land is dry

It flies away, free at last, for it sees

And now I am alone

I glance around to see what he saw

Is Paris burning?

Yes it is.

Is London bridge falling?

Yes it is.

Is the mended wall breaking?

Yes it is. 

Are you crying?

Yes I am.

For in this desolation I can see no light

Where is the light?

Little bird, little bird, what saw thee

Little bird, little bird, I'll tell thee

The moon is in place and the night is now deep

The stars are awake but the birds all asleep

Is it only I that wanders alone

Having lost sight of all that I've known

I cannot see what I had seen before

Only with the light of the dawn will I see it once more

If there is light and a dawn

II. The Prophet

Dark and no light

Rock and no water

I lie where I am, stunned into silence

The night has fallen like a hawk

My flesh bleeds, melts away

All my bones are broken

Tell me again what happiness is, for I have forgotten

I want the dawn

I want to see

I need to see

But from where flows this peace, this overwhelming peace?

This river will never stop flowing

These waters will never be scarce

They will be new every morning

New every morning

A rain from heaven will gently blanket the grasses

And I will have my fill of bread

The weary nation wandering endlessly

Awoke and found manna in their midst

Like the dewfall

And so will I

At the rising of the sun

III. The People of the Desert

Wandering in this desert

Our hands and legs and feet hurt

The air is dry and heavy

Sand dunes are all we can see

Midday skies are scorching

Weary we are thirsting

We will soon starve to death

Emptied of life's breath

Sand

Endless sand

Rolling dunes, ceaseless wind

Not a shrub in sight

No leaf, no green, not even a thorn

Not even a wretched cactus

No shade to rest for a while

No shade to rest

No rest

Our feet endlessly plunging into the liquid sand

Ploughing the barren earth

Our feet ache

Our legs throb

Our hearts thirst for a better life

Water

We need water

As much as the parched ground beneath us

We bleed for water

Just a drop

A drop

That would be enough

Water

Give us water

We die of thirst

We die of thirst

"We do not understand," they whispered to one another

"What is this before us?

It is like nothing we have ever seen."

There is no water everywhere

There is no drop for us to spare

Water is scarce but the answer to our prayer

If only we had more we could live without care

Only the dew can sate your thirst

You who are like dew to Israel

See the countless grains of sand

In the dry thirsting desert

This side of the eternal dawn

Descend 

Like the dewfall

And we will rise from the dust that we are

And be transfigured by the dew of light

How could they understand?

How do we understand?

For we are dust

And to dust will return

Here we are, searching for sustenance in a distant desert

But something else awaits

A magnificent sun waiting to be torn asunder

Waiting to be broken apart

Bursting into a blazing dawn

A life ripped apart from light

A life beyond all lives

A life, burning like a wildfire,

Devouring even death

A life beyond death

IV. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem

She was once a princess

She was once held in high regard among the nations

Now she is a widow

And there is no one who will give her solace

She waits all evening for those who were friends

But none of them return

They have forgotten her and left her in her grief

She cries all through the cruel night

Where are the sounds of festivity?

Where is the celebration?

Where are the people that once were free?

Full desolate is the nation

Gone is your majesty, daughter Zion

Gone is the pulchritude

For you have forgotten your Lord

You must find him again

There will be a time for your young warriors to be crushed and defeated

A time for your children to be exiled

A time for the sand to burn your legs

A time for your thirst to be more than you can bear

I do not have the hope I need

I do not have the strength to take another step 

In these endless sands

My heart is faint and grows fainter

The night is dark and grows darker

The fire from above stabs my bones

And enters my heart

In the distance I see him,

But I walk away from where he sits teaching.

He watches me with the kindest eyes

V. The Dewfall

You are tired beyond words

Everywhere you look,

You see the endless expanse of yellow

The desert offers not an ounce of shade to you

And no water

No water

Every glimmer of blue is a cruel mirage

Water

Just a drop

To wet my lips

To feel it against my cracked skin

I need the strength to take another step

A single step

A drop

A single drop

Only the dew can sate your thirst

Not anymore the light of the sun or the moon

But the age-enduring light of God

I am returning, broken and desolate

And there will be time for the grain of wheat to fall on the grains of sand

There will be time for the distant blue oases to be true to their name

I too am returning,

And now the fire within my heart is a fire that heals

Lord, I am not worthy

Only say the word and I shall be healed

Only the word

And there will be time for the dew to fall

You will see the blanket of water 

Dispelling the thirst of the land

Only the dew can sate your thirst

Listen! Do you hear the bells tolling at the ninth hour?

Do you?

Do you hear it?

And do you hear the silence that follows,

The vast silence?

Do you?

And from that sudden silence the soft melody that rises,

Gently, mildly

A melody of hope

Listen carefully

In the morning you will see the dew in the desert

And the plentitude of manna

The fullness of life 

And then the desert which was before to you

A mere multitude of grains

Will be the sign

Of an age-old promise

Of the rise of a nation

Of liberation

Liberation

From the garden echoing with bloodstained prayers

To the court resounding with angry lies

Through the crowd jeering with shameless delight

To the cross where he lay with splendor and might

Christ Jesus breathed his last and wrecked the grave

Torn fully apart, he brought the light of the dawn

The light and the dawn

And with it the dew

Haec ergo dona, quaesumus, Spiritus tui rore sanctifica

Only say the word and I shall be healed

Only the word

Only the word

And I shall be healed

Pax Christi

So let the dew fall

Let the manna rain

And let the sun rise

That I may see again

This is how the world begins

This is how the world begins

This is how the world begins

With a shattering of the sun

When The Stars Blind You

You caught the wind in your wings last evening

You didn't know you could lose sight of the ground if you flew

You didn't think you could fly at all

Yet here you are, at the top of the world,

Shivering

Waiting for the rain to take you back to the earth

The earth where you could stand firm

And breathe free

And live calm

Maybe this little earth with its simple joys

Will be enough for you for now

There will be time to scale the mountain peaks covered in frosty snow

And when your wings are stronger and your feathers thicker

There will be time to spread out your wings and see the earth far below