Oh crab with no permanent home
you know truth
that we inhabit shell after shell
only as a means
to our true identity.
You shed your home so readily.
As you grow you take up
a new conch or snail abode.
Only the Beloved can ease my grip
on this temporary flesh and blood house.
Only my Beloved can show me
the love that I am.
Image: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Lesley,
What a beautiful channeling by using the analogy of the life of a crab and how God tends to it’s every need! The ocean is it’s home, not bound by the walls of houses and the boundaries of the towns in which we live, and call our home. Soul is a denizen of the universe(The ocean of the Divines essence) and as the crab’s soul places it self temporally in a shell later to be shed, we also shed this physical body of our current incarnation,only to later take another shell(human body), until the point until we evolve our consciousness so that we become self and God realized beings and never have to incarnate again on this physical plane. Yes, and only with the Masters grace can this freedom from the wheel of 84 be achieved as we realize and become one with his love! Thank you for all that you share, by being a pure and open channel of the Master!
Wow, Michael, what a beautiful launch you took from this little poem. That is exactly the rise I had when the Beloved brought in this analogy. The system is so perfect and so loving, even though at times our shell-shedding can feel painful. It is all love. Thank you!
You have tapped into our “hermit” side of life, Lesley. Who among us has not wanted to just leave everything and start again? Most of us live lifetimes within one life, and yet we still cling to this physical form. Its value is real, since it is only in it that we can go through the process of escaping it, an interesting juxtaposition, and that death while living can only happen when we possess these physical bodies. Your poem helps us remember that we have had physical forms before by the thousands, millions even, giving us the courage to move through the one we possess now which seems so important and wants to claim us in its identity, of all things! Beautiful, contemplative poetry, Lesley. Short, sweet and very powerful. 🙂 <3
Beautifully said, Rudy. When I researched hermit crabs an interesting point came up: The crabs tend to line up to see who will best fit in a new shell, and sometimes they fight over the shells, a great reminder of how precious are our own shells, how blessed we are to inhabit them. And yet…sometimes life in our physical body can be nearly unbearable! Truly a paradox. Thank you, Rudy, for bringing new facets to this contemplation.
Sweet reminder, Lesley. thanks
and inspired the following from my heart of heats
I am the Beloved and the Beloved is me
as we migrate from shell to shell
united rejoicing in our ability
to transform, to shift at will
residents in the ocean of love and mercy.
Thank you, Sheila, for taking this poem yet further inward. Truly, the Beloved is within.
Your poem reminds me of some lovely imagery imparted somewhere in the Works (paraphrased): Birds have nests and foxes have holes but the son of man has no where to rest his head. Our ascending consciousness keeps Its bags packed perpetually as the Master does not miss a single beat to usher us further inwardly and upwardly. Rudy’s imagery reminds me of another of the Master’s intoxicating illustrations (there are only a gazillion) which goes somewhat as follows (also paraphrased): The third eye is at its widest aperture when the eyes are open…of course speaking towards the *absolute* necessity of inhabiting human form and making hay whilst the Son/sun is Shining/shining! Beautiful imagery Lesley…it resonates and flows in a warm and fluid *way* through your recent Hafiz ‘And For No Reason’ share.
Bobby, thank you for those beautiful reminders. It is so true that we have no rest, no break on the great adventure inward to our true selves, and we a blessed with these bodies that we must inhabit en route. So fabulous the way our Beloved brings these points home again and again.
Leslie your beautiful words sparked a rhythm in my heart. Thank you
Beloved drown me in your greater sea
Dissolve all that I think is me
Remove me from this outer shell
Where ego/mind pretends to dwell
Bestow a lighter load my friend
You are my now
You are my end
Hellen, this poem so inspires me. I love the rhythm, the rhyming, the imagery and most of all the profound message. Thank you!