Tag Archives: poetry

pure desire

pure desire
There once was a child
Who played with a ball
And thought of the children
With no ball at all:
He picked up that ball
And gave it a kiss
And for every poor child
A ball he did wish.
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There once was a child
Who looked at the sky
And seeing the dirt there
She started to cry:
She reached out her arms
Hugged sky to her heart
And prayed that the people
Stop sending up dark.
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There once was a child
Who dreamed in the night
That God is inside us
With comfort and light,
And when the time comes
For the Mother to rise
All the problems will end
In the love from our eyes.
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– e.s.
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Child of Love

Have you loved your Heart this day?
Held it like a tender Child,
Beheld pure Innocence at play,
Shared Its laughter, bold yet mild?

Have you turned your eyes within?
Seeing Goodness spread Its wings,
Breathing deep the cool, soft Wind,
Thanking Love for all good things?

Have you felt Her Lotus Hands
Carress the Child who dwells within,
Bathing It in Amrit sweet,
That flows as joy from Love’s Ocean?

Have you loved your Heart this day?
Have you sung Its Song of Bliss?

Take this moment now to pray
That we may all now share in This.

– Edward Saugstad 1985

(This poem ‘came’ to me in a special location, overlooking the North Shore Mountains in downtown Vancouver, one day when I worked in the city streets there. I stopped and sat down on a bench, located about where the heart of the Ganesha would be in this photo, and jotted down these soothing lines. For some reason I always felt my heart open and my attention become calm and clear when I passed through this area, despite the city congestion.)

StanleyPark Ganesha

Earth Baby

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girls are crazy!

Take That Back!

Girls are crazy,
They’re always so lazy.
They walk around logs
And hate big bull-frogs.

They think boys are brats
Because they like rats,
And bring home dead snakes,
And make some mistakes.

In school they chatter,
The teacher’s no matter.
They try to look wise,
And watch you like spies.

The older you grow
The more you will know:
Girls are crazy!

– award winning poem by Eddie Saugstad, 1968, age 11/grade 6

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. . . At least, that’s what I thought about the snobby or flirty creatures in my eleventh year. I did grow to respect (some of) them. I remember a couple of instances in my youth when I found that a girl looked up to me as a supportive brother figure. It gave me an unaccustomed dignified feeling inside. I still enjoy similar relationships to this day, and find them a relief and stabilizing factor in a world of promiscuous addiction.

Here’s a nice article by – at the risk of sounding cliche, but meaning it from the heart – a wise sister:

Does male-female friendship exist?
That is one of the questions that preoccupies the pretty heads of the western society in the last centuries. . . .

friends

(By the way, the indignant little girl with the exclamation mark is my wife.)

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the bully and the ghost

The Earth where we live is a very old place.
She has seen many things come and go.
From the left to the right, and right to the left,
The people have moved, fast and slow.

Here is a story about someone who’s left,
And someone who went very right.
And how, when they met, everything for them changed
And they came to the center of Light…

There once was a boy called Billy the Bull
Who walked with his nose in the air.
And when someone tried to show him their love,
He said that, “I really don’t care!”

But deep down inside Billy cared very much
And he wanted to show that he cared;
But when he was small he was hurt and abused,
And now he was angry and scared.

Every time big, bad Billy went out in the world
To find someone small to pick on,
He hid in his heart a big ocean of love,
And wished that the hate was all gone.

One lonely night, as he lay in his bed,
Billy felt he’s the worst in the world.
And as he sat up to shout out his shame,
He saw the small shape of a girl.

“What – who are you?” asked the boy in the dark.
But the little white shape hid and cried,
Till he walked ‘cross the room and sat on the floor
And told her to sit by his side.

There in the dark, on the cold bedroom floor,
Sat the bully and the white fairy.
Billy was trying to stay calm and strong,
But really he found her quite scary.

“You need not fear me”, came her quivering voice,
I’m a soul who has gone from this Earth.
When I was alive I was treated so bad
That I left, for I had little worth.”

And as she moved o’er, as if to fly off,
Billy begged her to stay and cheer up.
“Just because you were hurt, it’s no reason to die.
Why didn’t you fight and bear up?”

“You think it is better to fight like a fool?”
Asked the shimmering shape by his side.
“It is better to run and hide from the world,
Than show off your hate and false pride.”

“What do you mean? Running off is for fools!”
But before he could say any more
The room filled with golden, grand, sunny, warm Light,
And the children were filled with great awe!

Before them, a Boy with an elephant’s head
And the crown and the jewels of a king,
Stood smiling and shining like sun on a stream
With joy and sweet love o’erflowing.

“Take not to heart, all the pain that you’ve lived.
The dark ages of fear are to end.
For, coming to Earth, is the Mother’s sweet Realm.
All the wounds and dark thoughts, She will mend!”

“Little sister, fly up now and wait till you’re called.
A dear family is waiting for you.
You’ll come back, a baby in loving, warm arms
In a world with hearts clear and true!”

“And my brother, you’ve also been lonely too long.
Come with me and I’ll show you the times
That are coming to Earth, when innocence shines,
And all heart-songs, together, will rhyme!”

And up they did fly through great, wondrous dreams,
Till the whole world was laughing with joy.
Then down Billy bounced, into his soft bed,
Where he cuddled his favorite of toys.

When he awoke, with the sun in his eyes,
He looked out to see the new world.
Deep in his heart he saw, for the first time,
New hope shine for each boy and girl.

– Ed Saugstad

Innocence Wins

Innocence Wins

One fine morning, down the street,
An elephant I chanced to meet:
“Good day,” I said, and trying to pass
Spoiled my shoes in the dewy grass.

(For he filled the sidewalk, where
He stood without a thought or care.)

“Excuse me sir, I’m late for work!”
I shouted up, a bit berserk.
“If I’m not there by half-passed eight
“I’ll loose my job for being late!”

(But he pretended not to hear
And simply smiled from ear to ear.)

“What’s wrong with elephants these days?!”
I cursed, my liver now ablaze.
“Don’t you watch the stock-exchange?!”
“Time is money! Life is change!”

(He waved his ears and gave a yawn
And nodded to the rising sun.)

“I’ve sweated all my life to be
“Important in the company!
“No elephant will make me stop
“My ardent race to reach the top!”

(With his trunk he picked a rose
And pushed it up against my nose.)

“Listen here you thoughtless brute,
“Perhaps you think you’re being cute,
“But you’d better face the fact:
“You’re holding evolution back!”

At this remark he seemed to grow
And over me, a shadow throw;
A shadow cool and comforting . . .
I wondered what was happening.

Just then I noticed in his eyes
A clear blue depth, like endless skies.
And did, or did I not there see
All life, all hope, all destiny?

Suddenly I seemed to wake
And gave myself a good, strong shake.
“What is . . . where am . . . how did . . .?” said I.
“Where is that god who made me cry?”

(Then wiping tears from both my eyes
I stepped back in great surprise.)

For there before me on the walk
A little child stood looking up.
With head just slightly to one side
He sweetly watched my melting pride.

(I felt embarrassed by his gaze
Which read me like the sun’s pure rays.)

With smile playing on his lips
He quickly turned, and off he skipped.
Was it my heart that, by his whim,
Ran that day along with him?

~

That was a long, long time ago.
And though today I’m gray and old
I feel that child within me still.
And gratefully, I always will.

– Edward E. Saugstad, Cambridge, summer of ’87

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