It starts when one is young
and even long before
the searching, the yearning
for that moment
when your mother’s eyes alight on you,
or your father’s gaze
snaps into focus
with you as its target.
Two universes connect,
slide together, magnet and iron.
The chest expands, synapses spark,
and a fluid of ease courses
through the spine.
An assurance slips
into the amygdala:
“I matter.”
The seeking continues…
That man across the dance floor
with the sizzling smile,
his eyes suddenly rivet to yours
and no one else exists.
Or maybe it’s your employer,
who fixes you in his sight
and says, “Good job.”
A settling happens inside,
seeking ceases and confidence blooms.
Life becomes a waterfall,
cooling, quenching,
and you disappear into the relief.
Until…
it’s no longer enough
for him or you.
Maybe your child’s gaze
that used to catapult you into oblivion
shifts to his work,
and you wilt like a scorched petal.
One day, after the deaths,
the drownings in lakes of tears
the burning within the heart’s bonfire,
you realize the futility of the search.
You go without
and find little satisfaction.
It’s all for naught,
you surmise,
this world
and its broken promises.
But one clear day
the mist lifts
and your eyes
fall on the
One.
That gaze of the Beloved,
when returned to you,
suspends thought
and sends you above
the treetops and frozen peaks
the skyscrapers and contrails
the moon, sun and even distant stars,
into unalloyed bliss.
Always at the root
of your seeking outward,
it is suddenly here within,
this Essence,
more absolute than gravity.
You finally stop
running, striving, managing
because everything you need
exists right here.
It is the promise of…
immortality unmarred by any scar our bruise…
eternity stretching beyond that vast ocean of blue…
a knowing broader than all the writings of the world…
and a unity with God’s great exhale of love…
All sparked by the gaze
inward to the true
You.
Whew! That is teary-deep, Lesley. Its message is so beautifully stated, so rich and wonderful. “Two universes connect…” such a perfect description of who we as souls really are as we toss around our gaze underestimating its power, and who we long to become again but taking so long to recognize that and even longer to realize it. Thank you for sharing this pearl of great price!
Oh my, you hit it out of the ballpark with this razor sharp and soulful piece!!! It is like the completion of a blessed circle…..
thank you 🙏
Wow. Baraka Bashad!
Beautiful, deep and profound. Thank you
That is an extraordinary rendition of the journey from seeking outwardly to gazing inwardly! Loving thanks for the eloquence and inspiration.
Just wonderful, thank you!
Thank you all for your loving comments. This journey of soul is such a process of continuously SEEING what catches our gaze and redirecting to the only One that matters. What an adventure it is!
Beautiful…powerful…tears of joy…thank you!🙏🏻💜
Lesley, without a doubt this is the most inspiring poem I have ever read. Thank you for this incredibly wonderful gift that truly reflects how the Master’s presence raises us above life in the Pinda.