poem: a season of loss

poem: a season of loss
feeling the deep sting of loss
in this dark, wet, cold,
season of mid-winter

and yet, what personal hubris of one’s self
would tell someone to worry about the comfort
and safety of their own ego

only in the dark night of the soul
are we liberated from old attachments
and compulsions so that we love more freely

only with suffering can we
awaken to the deepest
compassion and wisdom of life eternal

and only in healing can one
know the complimentary, both/and,
unitive, full process of suffering

yes, here and now in the second half of life,
it is time to put away our childish ways,
and spiritually discern our falling upward

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
January 27, 2023

photo by author “Home”
author’s note: the second line of the last verse is from 1 Corinthians 13:11. 
Richard Rohr has an excellent book titled, “Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the 
Two Halves of Life.”

poem: a missive from a hard winter and a possible return

poem: a missive from
a hard winter and a
possible return

from deep within
the dark lair 

wounds are salved
and broken things mended

a buffeting wet, cold
winter wind chills the bone

quality of life
frail and weak

free floating soul
battered in the storm

consciousness clouded
the way uncertain

circling in this thin place
in liminal time

letting go of survival instinct
for more understanding

perhaps a bit more repose
into the bardos of uncertainty

faith in one’s good nature,
clarity, and hope of return

opening to what lies beyond,
transformation, re-engagement

the intuitive wisdom of knowing
beyond the mind

emergence of True Self joined
mutually in beloved community

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
January 13, 2023

photo by author
‘Old Coyote in Winter’

poem: “maybe not being on the way is also the way”

poem: “maybe not being on the way

is also the way”at one with life’s Cosmic Flow,
in the True Self and Authentic Nature
of all things here and now,
the way is eternally unending

our story becomes broken
when things become hard,
we pick and choose: ego erupts,
shadows creep in, suffering ensues

one feels they have lost the thread of life,
are off the path, are in exile,
lost in the dark night of the soul,
no longer walking towards home

maybe once on the way, there is no way
but the way; the conscious/unconscious,
engaged/disengaged, yin/yang,
wholeness of it all

“nothing goes away until it teaches us
what we need to learn”: isolation,
grief, loss, illness, doubt, heartbreak;
all are the way on the way

within the complementary tension of Cosmic
Flow, here is the Truth, Authenticity,
and Wholeness that guides us step by step
unending in the eternal way of all things

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
November 19, 2022

author’s note: the title of the poem is a quote from the writing of Toka-Pa Turner.
The quote in the fifth stanza is a quote from the writing of Pema Chodron. I am
grateful to these two contemporary seers for their deep wisdom, writing, and
teachings which inspires me to reflect and write as I seek to know for my Self.

image: Cosmic Dust Flow, NASA Hubble Space Telescope

No photo description available.

poem: conscious aging, spiritual foresight, perennial wisdom

poem: conscious aging,
spiritual foresight,
perennial wisdommindfully present
flowing in the
universal rhythms
of the Cosmos
here and now

letting go any
pretense of
hubris, sentimentality,
power, control,
and domination

pure being,
not desiring,
doing,
grasping,
or withholding

emptying,
opening,
uniting,
in the eternal, omnipresent
One Peace/One Love

sharing mutually
authentic presence
of belonging: witnesses,
prophets, seers, souls,
and saints

focusing, preparing, practicing,
participating, reflecting,
celebrating, liberating,
transitioning, whole-making,
arriving full-circle

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
October 20, 2022

photo by author

“Full Circle”

poem: an elder’s perspective on time and space

poem: an elder’s perspective
on time and space

thinking of the past is useless
unless it informs the present

always going for the gust
is a fool’s dream

worrying for tomorrow
a thief in the night

thus taking more time
mindfully present here and now

with loved ones, dear friends,
soul mates, and witnesses

wherever you go, there you are
you will find me there

covering less ground somewhere
between disengaged and belonging

close to home
Homeward bound

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
October 27, 2022

author’s note: My reflection on aging

was sparked after reading Thomas Merton’s
quote, “Take more time, cover less ground.”
John Kabat- Zinn is reflected in a book title
of his, “Wherever You Go, There You Are.”
And Ram Dass’ iconic words, “Be Here Now”
from his book by the same title is
represented in the poem. Merton, a Catholic
monk; Kabat-Zinn, a biomedical scientist
influenced by Buddhism; and Ram Dass,
a Harvard social psychology research professor who became
a disciple of Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba.
These and others have been my teachers from
whom I have learned about living, aging, and dying.
I have tried to be a good student and continue to learn.
photo by author ‘On the Front Stoop’

poem: a caregiver’s satori

poem: a caregiver’s satori

with the beauty of
a new autumn day
this tapestry
of colors

blue, pink, white
sky above
orange, red, yellow
leaves below

a caregiver’s day
begins early
it holding
much to do

caring for
my beloved
ordinary chores
and errands

here and now
this satori moment
and then the laundry,
meals, and dishes

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
October 13, 2022

photos by author

poem: loving-kindness for weary souls

poem: loving-kindness

for weary souls

attention narrowing
deep in thought
blank stare
unmoored in rough seas

sensing distress
husband and caregiver
wife and charge
weary souls connect

gently taking her hand
and whispering
“we need some loving-kindness”
she smiles tenderly back at me

metta, compassion,
benevolent tender affection
re-centering us back
in the here and now

loving-kindness
is our healing balm
for much of the weariness
of this world

may all beings be safe
may all beings be free of pain and suffering
may all beings be whole
may all beings be loving and loved

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
September 5, 2022

photo and quote by author