100. Io

Outside of space and outside a time
a column of Light towers above me
Beneath it a Universe spins anti-clockwise
behind it, one spinning the opposite way

Now in the presence of something Divine
my body is stricken and filled with great fear
Never before has it ever been close
to what many people, might call, our God

I'm deadly still, for fear of moving
I close off my ears in fear of exploding
and simply stand with the greatest humility
beholding a sight, few ever will see...

57. Powers of the Night

I leap from my bed and see hundres of moths
who flutter and fall all about my own room
They land on my head, my shoulders and arms
all shades of white and all shades of blue

They cannot stay here I think to myself
and reach for the light switch to bring about dark
They follow the light of the bright shining moon
and make for the window and out into the night

On leaving - the sun, now shines in the room
and choruses of singing is heard from outside
Where there were hundreds of moths I now see
kaumātua or elders singing to me

They sing of the moon and sing of the stars
of songs which delighted me when I was a boy
and a grey haired old man strums a guitar
belting out words amidst smiles and roars

The words of the song perplex me a little
as I hear of a dialect void of an 'f'
and beside me my grand aunt steps into the light
and we watch all our kin of the Pai Mārire faith

Guiding me slowly with love and with light
my elders now sing of the powers of night
They sing of the moon and sing of the stars
and sing, as my tears, fall across my own heart....

56. The Dark Arts

The crystal beside me glows
from the light of my bedside clock
Casting a blue hue across the duvet,
across the curtains and out across the room
In the deepness of sleep I see
it and hear choruses of people
all talking and singing, all laughing and crying

In my mind I hear the
toilet door unlock and then see it open
and standing over me is a
shimmering figure reaching forward
extinguishing the clock's light and
bathing us in darkness

I am not afraid as I have prepared
for this next stage of my life
and sit in my heart with love and with faith
no-longer ruled by imagined fears or
scenarios of my modern day mind

I sit upright in bed holding her to me
as she now re-appears in human form with long hair
She falls at my feet in love and humility
and I motion to join me atop of my bed

With respect she declines as her World is sacred
as well as the impact it could have on my life
But for now, we sit - in love and humility
enabling me, to see into the dark...

14. The Young King of Sri Lanka

Pretty and beautiful the young King of Sri Lanka

Moved and danced entertaining his Court
To a backdrop of tables filled with friends,
filled with feasts and as his own washing
blew about his sweet face

With liberty and freedom did he dance once again
without even a care, for the English invading
He lifted the spirits of all those around
his people, his minders - all of the crowd

In this dream he taught me sweet values in life
to revel against danger, be humble despite station
And most of all, despite my own state
Was to focus on others – to inspire, give hope

7. Strength through love

Lack of compassion filled my heart with fear
forced my eyes shut and made me play nursery rhymes
about god in my ears

Lack of compassion saw nights of terror
endless days filled with worry
and impending horror with the setting of the sun

But love and compassion - that's a different story

Love and compassion now made me laugh and take pity
on shadows that screamed and howled all around me
Love and compassion made me reach out and guide
the lost and forlorn to safety and rest

But love and compassion now give me the strength
to ask - if good or bad, is its actual intent....