Haiku From the Heart, a Collection of Inspirational Haiku

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Jennifer

Haiku
From the Heart

A
Collection of Inspirational Haiku

Dear Wonder
Child Blog Readers,

Thank you
for stopping by. Today I am going to
share some inspirational haiku poems I wrote on twitter recently. They are not traditional haiku in that they
don’t always “cut,” (the root in haiku
means “to cut”) in the sense of having a surprise ending, or an ending that
jolts (gently or not so gently), or an
ending that wakes you up. I am simply
using the 5/7/5 syllable form to couch some images and spiritual ideas. I enjoy the challenge of using a set structure
to fit words into. It’s like a puzzle or
a game that yields satisfying results (for me, that is, and hopefully for you,
Dear Reader). In traditional haiku
nature is almost always mentioned in some way and the season of the year is
often implied or explicitly stated.
Sometimes I follow this tradition, sometimes I don’t. Mostly, I am just having fun sharing poetically
wrought insights and images that might inspire you to keep moving towards your
heart’s desire, or to rise up and sing, to love yourself and the world around
you, to forgive and be forgiven, or to be filled with hope and wonder. These are some of the goals of my haiku. Of course, there are some written just to be
silly. I’ll sprinkle in a couple of
those in another entry. Let me know what
you think if you would please and feel free to add some of your own.

Peace and
Light,

Joseph

Haiku
From the Heart

by Joseph Anthony

Winter woods opened ∞bent to receive
the children ∞living for their joy

Gazing at the moon ∞ dreamers looking
for heaven ∞ find it in themselves

There is grace within ∞ it sleeps in
winter’s garden ∞ waiting for your hand

Gratitude rises ∞ clearing away
morning fog ∞ glad to be alive

January trees ∞ draped in ragged,
misty shawls ∞ know that spring will come

Inner acceptance ∞ navigating the
darkness ∞ following your light

Climbing up from night ∞ the sun rises
inside us ∞ clearing fears away

Discover your dreams ∞ held in the
hands of the heart ∞ waiting to be shared

The winter hawk glides ∞ letting
winter comb its wings ∞ cleansing my spirit

When you find yourself ∞ it will be in
the moment ∞ holding hands with love

Dreaming in the ground ∞ the seed
senses holy light ∞ and begins to grow

Winter’s greatest gift ∞ it reveals to
us our breath ∞ and where our souls go

A world filled with light ∞ is shining
in every child ∞ is shining in you

Gratitude and praise ∞ ever rising
from the heart ∞ of the lost one found

I create the spring ∞ every time I
stop to praise ∞ the wonder of you

Prayers and Meditations for Sandy Hook, for Ourselves, for the World

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Jennifer

Prayers and Meditations for Sandy Hook,
For Ourselves, for the World

When I first heard the news yesterday about the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook, I stopped walking where I was, and just stood there.
Later in the night I remembered I have a devotional chanting concert to give on Sunday, and my mind said, “You can’t sing, you’re too shocked and saddened, you can’t.” And then my soul said, “Joseph, you can sing, you MUST sing.” And so sing I will. The sorrow, pain, outrage, and fear must be expressed, and shared, and transformed. My singing will be for that.

These prayers and meditations are for that too.

Those falling stars I saw last night
weren’t falling stars at all.
They were angels coming to help us
on such a dark and frightening day.

Sorrow sings through the cold winter air,
sadness takes our breath away.
Where do we find hope in the frozen sky?
How can we rise up again?

The angels banked their wild turns, wheeled around in the impossible sky, searching for innocence, searching for hope,
ready to enter our broken, desperate hearts
in the form of our presence,
in the form of our embraces.

What can we do to help each other?
How can we help bear one another’s burdens?
How can we reach out towards healing ourselves
and each other?

Everyone is carrying secret pain.
May we learn to recognize it in each other’s eyes and voice,
for it cannot be totally hidden there.

Once we recognize that someone is hurting, may we learn to risk pausing, opening our hearts, listening, guiding, loving,
bearing witness
to each other’s pain.

Lift your prayers to the sky, scatter your tears to the earth,
shout your pain to the ocean, open your heart
and grieve, oh nation, grieve.

May we search for hope together,
may we search for hope as one,
may we search for hope in the darkness
with the light of each other’s love.

May we close our holy books for now
and instead open our arms.

The Holy Child rose from the petals of sorrow,
looked deeply into the heart of world,
opened His arms and cried,
“People, let me be born in you.”

My Helpless Heart: Tweets for the Beloved, Part II

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Jennifer

My
Helpless Heart: Tweets for the Beloved, Part II

I saw
the leaf swept suddenly high on a swirling skyward journey, and thought,

that’s
what you have done, Beloved, to my helpless heart.

When I read your letters, I hear your voice speaking the
words and suddenly I am there,

in your presence, ready to go with you anywhere.

Please close your eyes, Beloved, I’m coming in to be with
you,

but I am wearing nothing but rags.

The Beloved’s voice threads through my life; I spend my days
teasing it out of the pain

instead of simply listening to its healing song.

In the darkness there shines a light, in the confusion
there rests an answer, in the noise there weaves a song, in the loneliness, the
Beloved.

Beloved, I am tired.
Let me rest in your arms and let my weariness and worries drift away
like so many autumn leaves.

Beloved, my head spins when I realize your breath swirls
within me. You kissed me once

and I have been chasing you around ever since.

Just as fire sleeps in wood, so your light sleeps in me.
Kiss me again, Beloved, stoke the flame you have planted with your own hands.

Think of this and try not to go mad with wonder:

the
Beloved breathed into you long ago.

You have already been kissed by the One you seek.

Last night, I fell asleep calling your name. I know you
were near and answered, Beloved, for when I woke you were calling mine.

Cast your nets in the dark waters. Light is found in
difficult places. With effort and grace, soon your haul will be spilling
everywhere.

Sleep is calling and I must answer. It is waiting to bring me to the Beloved who will

gather me into her arms and carry me to the dawn.

Walking Through Gold: Autumn Tweets

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Jennifer

Walking Through Gold: Autumn Tweets

Good Day, Dear Readers,

Like my post The Lover and the Beloved: Who Knows Whose Who? Tweets for the Beloved, this will be a little collection of some recent tweets, only this time they will be about Autumn. Enjoy, and look for another collection of Lover/Beloved Tweets soon.

Peace,

Joseph

On our front lawn, the leaves of the Japanese maple make
a blazing crown of crimson on its umber colored branches.

I walked out into the frost coated yard. Autumn was
sitting on the bench breathing crisp, cold air. In his hands a sphere of golden
light.

When Autumn invited me into his heart I went, but didn’t
exactly leap at the chance. I knew what
was there: frost, death, and cleansing light.

When I went into Autumn’s heart and saw the hope of
things to come, I stood dazzled at the beams of light coming from the seeds
underground.

What can we do except bow before Autumn’s great and
golden majesty? Go ahead. It will get you closer to the ground where hope
sleeps.

Autumn stands still in the morning trees. In his mind the
warning: All things die. In his heart the reassurance: All things are born
again.

Lover and Beloved, Who Knows Who’s Who? Tweets For the Beloved

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Jennifer

Lover and Beloved, Who Knows Who’s Who?

Tweets For the Beloved

Good Day, Dear Wonder Child Blog Readers,

Here is an offering of some recent tweets I’ve posted on
my twitter feed (Joseph Anthony @ thewonderchild). These find me in a very
devotional mood. Maybe it’s Hurricane
Sandy coming here to Philly, maybe it’s the autumn, it doesn’t need a reason
really, it’s just longing for the Beloved.

These tweets are about that.

***

Beloved, from the first day I heard your voice my head
has been spinning.

Now I stumble around, like a drunk, lost in the melody you
sing.

***

Beloved, you have been singing in me ever since I can
remember. I try to sing along,

but end up drunk from just listening.

***

On the eve of a hurricane I find myself repeating the
Beloved’s name. Not out of fear.

I am just reminded that his love can be like a storm.

***

The Beloved roams the dark forest of my soul, leaving a
trail of votive candles

along the path leading to his chambers.

***

“What am I supposed to do,” I ask, “drop
everything to listen to you sing?”

“No,” you say, “Just everything that keeps
you from dancing.”

***

The Beloved moves within me, his robe dusting away the self-pity
and shame

from the floor of my mind, clearing a space for us to
talk alone.

***

Why is it I long to be with you, to listen to you sing,
and yet keep adding

more and more distractions, more and more noise to keep
me away?

***

Every now and again, something breaks within me, and I
weep, dazzled.

Then I realize,

Beloved, it’s just you, trying to get my
attention.

***

Beloved, I know you want me to play, to have fun, to
rejoice, to sing. I also know

there is a time to drop my toys and follow you home.

***

It seems everything I do is just pretending I’m not
listening. The fact is I hear you,

I know you’re calling. I know you only want me home.

***

Inexplicable, unbelievable, unimaginable–it makes no
sense:

You have been singing to me all these years, never tiring, always

full of love.

***

I see the golden leaves fade to brown, see the aging
person in the mirror. And then

I think of you Beloved, and I weep, wanting to come home.

***

Lover, Beloved…when we’re together, I forget who’s who.

***

The Wonder Child Blog

Sharing the Journey

Category Archives: Highlights from Twitter

Haiku From the Heart, a Collection of Inspirational Haiku

Prayers and Meditations for Sandy Hook, for Ourselves, for the World

My Helpless Heart: Tweets for the Beloved, Part II

Walking Through Gold: Autumn Tweets

Lover and Beloved, Who Knows Who’s Who? Tweets For the Beloved

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