Monthly Archive for February, 2008

Hold Fast Your Dreams!

I recently stumbled upon JewelFaerie’s blog, where I discovered this amazing poem by American poet Louise Driscoll:

Hold Fast Your Dreams

Hold fast your dreams!
Within your heart
Keep one still, secret spot
Where dreams may go,
And sheltered so
May thrive and grow -
Where doubt and fear are not.
O, keep a place apart,
Within your heart,
For little dreams to go!

Think still of lovely things that are not true.
Let wish and magic work at will in you.
Be sometimes blind to sorrow. Make believe!
Forget the calm that lies
In disillusioned eyes.
Though we all know that we must die,
Yet you and I
May walk like gods and be
Even now at home in immortality.

We see so many ugly things -
Deceits and wrongs and quarrellings;
We know, alas! We know
How quickly fade
The colour in the west,
The bloom upon the flower,
The bloom upon the breast
And youth’s blind hour.
Yet keep within your heart
A place apart
Where little dreams may go,
May thrive and grow.
Hold fast - hold fast your dreams!

I’ll take these words to my heart. Will you? :-)

End of an Era

Once upon a dark winter’s night, on December 14, 2002 my paths became inseparably entwined with those of the most wonderful woman I have ever met: Natalie.

For a long time we were walking together on a magical path through our eternal paradise, so blissful that it seemed utterly unreal all along the way, and yet it was never an illusion.

But alas, we fell from grace - trapped in our individual Gordian knots composed of fear, doubt, insecurity, guilt, regret and blame, all unnecessarily self-directed without any solid foundation. We lost our paradise, and suffered from growing despair as we believed we could not get back in, and that we did not deserve it. We could not see that we were actually standing right in front of the gates.

Five years later, on December 14, 2007 this era ended. And at the same time a new era begins. Through all the suffering I am also learning the key lesson of my life, which shall not end with regret any more. “Ardently doing what should be done today” (Buddha), “be the change you wish to see in the world” (Gandhi). A clear vision. The pieces have aligned. I hold true to my heart. I shall give no less than 100% until my final breath.

This is the Christmas poem I composed for Natalie.

Who would have wisely thought, or long foreseen,
that Fortune sings a such unlikely call?
Now finally my will is strong and keen:
I’ll fear no more, nor doubt myself, nor fall.

For thee I wish no less; rise up, fly high!
Be free to seek thine answers, find thy soul!
Have faith, and worry not! For ’tis no lie:
all bleeding hearts will ’sooth again be whole.

When to our selves and paths we true will keep
as sunlight sparkling on fresh morning dew,
then heaven’s angels shall no longer weep,
our beacon will in time be lit anew.

Farewell! And know this doubtless heart of me
once and forevermore shall beat for thee.

One day, when the grief has faded, I shall fulfill an old promise, and write a book giving a detailed account of these amazing years with Natalie: especially how it all started, and also how it ended. It will serve as both inspiration and warning, revealing a romantic fairy-tale beyond imagination. And somehow, someday, these words will unfold their meaning: Eternity is far too short.

Homage to Boykie

The smallest living being can have an enormous impact on the fortunes of other living beings, and thus on the course of the world.

One such being was Boykie, a cat with black fur and soothing radiance. When Boykie passed away in the dignified age of 17 years, I felt compelled to compose a poem, thus paying well-deserved homage to him, as well as to those who loved him as a family member. I feel honoured to know him and the beneficial impact that his presence had among the family and living beings around him.

Black like a panther gleamed his fur,
of amber were his eyes:
a feline beauty, soft his purr -
an angel in disguise.

In graceful steps he strode along
and spread upon the throne,
to snooze and fill the air with song
while sun upon him shone.

With radiance comely and serene
he filled our hearts with peace,
caressed our souls with love and sheen,
set troubled minds at ease.

Our guardian, bequeath the flame -
your earthly quest is done;
A star has risen, bears your name:
you are compare to none.

Farewell! And may you ever shine
upon our night and day!
In loving memories through time
immortal you will stay.