Wednesday, July 20, 2011
'Parched" (poem by Ivan Granger)
The following beautiful poem is by Ivan Granger, followed by his own explanation of its essential meaning. Ivan for many years has offered the Poetry Chaikhana, where you can receive a free spiritual poem each day simply by signing up. The Chaikhana is a great inspiration and joy to all of us who enjoy its offerings. (For those who may not know, a "chaikhana" is a Middle Eastern tea house, where travelers may rest and listen to music and poetry.)
Parched
By Ivan M. Granger
(1969 - )
The parched know --
real thirst
draws rainwater
from an empty sky.
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Thought for the Day:
The only valid motivation is love --
love for God,
love for humanity,
love for the living Earth.
Anything less will fall short of your goal.
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(Here is Ivan's own description of the above poem, followed by his reflections on the nature of poetry.)
We've been having a heat wave where I live in Colorado, with unexpected rainstorms in the afternoons. Reminded me of this short poem I wrote some years ago...
There is a promise in every deep yearning. Every desire carries within it the seed of its own satisfaction. The trick is to relax into the tension of that yearning. Initially, it feels painful, like an unsatisfied thirst. But when the magnetic power of that thirst grows strong enough, it generates a heat vacuum within that summons rain to it.
So too with the thirst for God. Real thirst, real, all-consuming desire for the Divine, always brings a fulfilling response from heaven, no matter how lost the soul may feel.
Fulfillment descends like gentle rain from a still mind, an empty sky.
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Since I'm featuring one of my own poems today, here's a little about me, in case you're curious...
Ivan M. Granger grew up in Oregon and Southern California. He has also lived on the island of Maui. He now lives in Colorado with his wife, Michele.
When asked why he writes poetry, Ivan says, "Poetry has an immediate effect on the mind. The simple act of reading poetry alters thought patterns and the shuttle of the breath. Poetry induces trance. Its words are chant. Its rhythms are drum beats. Its images become the icons of the inner eye. Poetry is more than a description of the sacred experience; it carries the experience itself."
He adds, "My poetry is not fixed. When I read my own poems, I say them aloud, I repeat random lines, change the words around. Sometimes I sing them or chant them. I play with these poems until my mind relaxes enough to let the sacred spark shine forth."
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Poetry Chaikhana readers often ask me about myself. Who is the guy behind all those poetry emails? What drew you to sacred poetry? And just what does "Poetry Chaikhana" mean?
As a way to answer some of those questions, I thought I'd post an audio interview I did a couple of years ago. I talk a little about myself, and a lot about poetry -- the transformational power of poetry, the ways poetry naturally expresses the sacred experience, the non-dogmatic nature of poetry. And I read a few poems.
Ivan
