Heartbeats from the Soul

Heartbeats from the Soul

Dr. Gregory T. Lawton

Heartbeats from the Soul, Copyright 2014, Revised 2017 Dr. Gregory T. Lawton All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from Gregory T. Lawton.

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Writing, Photography and Design – Dr. Gregory T. Lawton ii

Dedication The following dedication appeared in my previous book of poetry entitled, “Translated from a Foreign Tongue”. I see no good reason to change these words, they are truer now than they were then.

In my book, “Scent of a Forgotten Flower” I stated that power is the ability to change a human heart. That ability is only possessed by the Great Teachers that pass this way every few thousand years and who are the true Educators of humankind.

I owe the changes in my life to one such Teacher and to the Baha’i Faith. If my life and work have any substance or value, it is due to the Bahá'i Faith. Like a flower I receive the gift of life from the light and warmth of the writings of Bahá’u’lláh.

The second force for change and growth in my life is due to my wife Ginny. The positive dynamic between a man and a woman, as husband and wife, is like the orbiting of the planets or the gravity between the earth and the moon, and can serve to keep us on a constant and steady path.

The third important force for change in my life is the result of my daughters Megan and Jaime.

The gift of children in a life shows you your possibilities for goodness and innocence.

And finally, the last positive force for change in my life has been my teachers and mentors. I am blessed to have had several remarkable people in my life who selflessly shared their abilities and wisdom with me. These teachers include Professor Huo Chi-Kwang, Dr. James Schleichert, Joan Laird, and Mr. Dhikru’llah Khadem.

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“Verily, I chanted thy poem. Its significance was beautiful, its composition eloquent and its words excellent. It was like the melody of the birds of holiness in the paradise of El-ABHA. The breasts of the maid-servants of the Merciful were exhilarated by its chanting. Blessed art thou for uttering forth such an excellent poem and brilliant pearl.”

'Abdu'l-Bahá “Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī.

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Preface I must begin by apologizing to you, the reader, of this collection of poems as I am by no means an expert in the field of poetry or fine literature. I am perhaps more of a craftsman than an artist, more of a woodchopper, than a carver. But I have chosen poetry as a method by which to express certain thoughts that I have regarding the difficulty of the human journey and intimacy of the human condition. I find that poetry, is well, a more “poetic” form of expression and method of explaining and describing my concepts and a way that results in deeper meaning, and fewer words. In the wise words of Bahá’u’lláh, “Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.”

So, what are my credentials? I am foremost a member of the Bahá'i Faith and as such I have immersed myself in thoughts of the hope of peace, I am a doctor that ministers to the diseases of the human condition; whether mind, body, or spirit, I am ranking holder of belts and awards within the martial arts; and deeply invested in its meditations and philosophy, I am artist and photographer, and I am a teacher, a writer, and a storyteller of many seasons, but more than all of this, and to the great amusement of myself, I have through my devotion to God, been made a mystic who tries to balance sense and reason, with the sublime divine.

…and yes, I apologize to the true speakers of the English language, who will find my fumbling grammar and punctuation quaint, possibly creative, and perhaps – annoying. But in the words of my poem High Country, “I want to whisper these words to your soul and coax tears from your heart.”

Dr. Gregory T. Lawton May 2014

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Introduction Since I completed my book of poetry, “Translated from a Foreign Tongue” in 2013 my poetic voice has not been still. I have continued to write poems that are inspired by many ideas, concepts, and thoughts, as well as, by current events. This book of poetry is admittedly less “coherent” than my previous work in that, and from my perspective, the poems represent a more divergent collection of work than the poems that appeared in my earlier book “Translated from a Foreign Tongue”.

Woven deeply into the fiber of this book is the idea that there are two dynamic motivators to creativity, one is spirituality and the other is service to humanity. These are fundamental verities that are frequently lost to contemporary art and creative expression, but the truth is that they are essential and that all lasting artistic and creative endeavors derive their motive power from these great forces.

I am allowing this collection of poetry, “Heartbeats from the Soul”, to stand mostly on words and I have not included as many images of my paintings and photographic work in this book as I did in my last book.

I have included and sprinkled throughout this book, like gemstones, quotes from Bahá’u’lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Rūmī, and occasionally the Christian Bible.

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Table of Contents: Heartbeats from the Soul Heartbeats from the Soul I would rise Even Our Bones Will Moan I Burn for Thee High Country There is a Cry Immersed in a Sea The Language of Clouds Stepping Stones of Gold The Breath Blessed are the Peacemakers In Surrender Two Rivers Joining Hummingbird of Love If I Could…

The Eternal Flowers of Peace Remember me to the wind Facing East Troubled Soul In the Shadows of Wings Baghdad Winter Comes After the Storm Where my Soul was Born In the Rose Garden A Pilgrimage of Lovers “Unrestrained as the Wind” Voice of Lament The Yearning Tree The Twinkle of a Distant Star

Page Three Page Six Page Nine Page Thirteen Page Sixteen Page Nineteen Page Twenty-three Page Twenty-seven Page Thirty-two Page Thirty-five Page Thirty-eight Page Forty-three Page Forty-six Page Forty-eight Page Fifty-three Page Fifty-six Page Fifty-eight Page Sixty-two Page Sixty-five Page Sixty-eight Page Seventy Page Seventy-five Page Seventy-eight Page Eighty-two Page Eighty-six Page Eighty-nine Page Ninety-three Page Ninety-six Page Ninety-eight 1

Heartbeats from the Soul

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Heartbeats from the Soul With prayerful hands I lift up these words to you, And drape myself upon The cross of your arms.

Hear then my soul’s confession In words that transform wave and flame To apparitions of mist and vapor.

Through water and air I travel this lonely path to you

My heart lies broken on the shore Shipwrecked and hopeless.

Smothered by the sobbing wind, Is it the waves or the rocks that roar?

The light we cannot see Fills the darkness around us, But we are blind to it.

I did not ask for this light, Or the scarcity of self that it reveals.

Light and shadow They are the same to me But only light will shine.

I am made of love and salt

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And this flesh is both sweet and sour, But yet do I hunger for you.

You swallowed the bitterness of sorrow And showered us with infinite tenderness.

You adorned yourself with the scars of our sins That we would be delivered, pure again.

At the dawn of separation, Will I remain true to you?

How can I bear this gentleness, This love, this devotion...

This gift you gave to me.

I passed it from hand to hand, I gave it to a bird, to the sky, I laid it on the shore, and in the waves But still it always returned to me.

This pulsing vein issues a red river of life In a gushing flow of love.

These words, are heartbeats from my soul, And the very pulse of my life.

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I would rise, I would rise

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I would rise, I would rise To heaven on the prayer Of a child.

Dangling from the tender wing Of a butterfly.

I would rise, I would rise To the concourse on high.

Soft, sweet, and innocent Are the prayers of a child.

"O God, guide me, protect me".

You make of me a, "shining lamp" And a "brilliant star".

You carry me aloft and fling me far.

I would rise, I would rise On the words of a whispered prayer.

Most pure, most luminous are The prayers of a child - as A guiding light and wayfarers Star they show the way to the Heart of God is found in the Light of innocence on the Face of a child.

I would rise, I would rise.

On the sweet words, Of a whispered prayer.

I would rise, I would rise In the soft murmur Of a child’s plea.

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In the light of A shining lamp And the radiance Of a brilliant star.

I would rise!

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Even Our Bones Will Moan

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Even Our Bones Will Moan I see things I do not want to see, I hear words I do not want to hear, This heart feels pain it does not want to feel.

I am walking in the dark on a rain-filled night And find no shelter from this storm.

These souls of the flesh Are wandering destitute.

Their bodies are devoid of life, Their bones quake and make A most mournful sound.

Nobility has fallen in the dust And abasement is the risen king.

These souls no longer possess shame, And their mortal sins are fragrantly Displayed like lilies at a wake.

My crying eyes are empty springs And this dry mouth remains mute.

Of your doings, I will not speak...

But must you announce your fall With so much pomp and circumstance?

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Even the proudest bird falls victim To the talons of the raptor.

When the flesh is finally torn away, You will hear the moaning of their bones And the sobbing of their hearts.

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I Burn for Thee

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I Burn for Thee There is a flame that burns, It burns eternally.

From this flame A spark is flung To ignite the hearts Of men...

You can't put out this fire That glows within a heart.

You can't extinguish a flame Whose spark was the Burning Bush.

You can't blow out a candle Lit by the Hand of God. Like fine gold, The heat of this flame Only serves to purify me, And to increase my worth.

The flames of your love Are like a tender kiss Upon my skin.

The exquisite pain Of your searing touch Leaves scars that are My beauty marks.

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This is how I would die, Consumed in the flames Of my love for Thee. ‌And I rise, I rise like Flakes of ash On waves of heat, I rise to Thee.

For whether within the fire, I burn.

Or in flames of separation, I burn.

Still then, I burn for Thee...

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High country

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High country I want to whisper these words to your soul And coax tears from your heart.

Why do we whisper the sweetest words of love When they should be shouted?

At the command of the Beloved I pass by like the gentlest of breezes And move a wisp of hair across your face.

It is the rocks of the ages that comfort me And call me forth like the wind of the spirit That blows softly across the mountain meadow.

I long to walk the high country and follow the Path of Moses where He kneeled at the Burning Bush.

These are the paths that only lovers may walk And stand and sway like dancers in intoxication.

Here, in the high country, The veils are more delicate Than gossamer wings.

“Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the loved one; More than this I am not permitted to tell.”

…yet is it for my sake, that Thou hast removed this veil, And not for Thine.

No human foot may cross this distance or tread this path.

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Here you must go where the unseen guides lead As you dare to commune with the heavenly spirits.

The Flower that is first given in grace, Can never be the wage of sinfulness.

This voice echoes from a strange land.

Far off it calls to me, but I see now that distance In these mountains - is an illusion.

I am lost in these mountains of God…

Time moves so slowly here that I cannot tell If these mountains are lifting me towards Heaven Or crumbling and carrying me down to Hell.

It is the iron in my soul that gives me my bearing And serves to guide my migration towards the high country, And home.

Quotes from writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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There is a Cry

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There is a Cry Mothers tell your children this story, That wherever the People of Glory assemble, There is a cry that will make men tremble.

“God the Great, God the Most Great, God the Most Beauteous, God the Most Glorious, God the Most Pure.”

Set your feet on the path to Zanjan And follow the road to the Sacred Gate To there join the believers in a joyous fete.

“God the Great, God the Most Great, God the Most Beauteous, God the Most Glorious, God the Most pure.”

Here it is that the lovers will part, As brothers become like Cain and Abel, For not all men sit at this heavenly table.

“God the Great, God the Most Great, God the Most Beauteous, God the Most Glorious, God the Most pure.”

This is the "advent of a mighty day", Whose light dawns on this Exalted Spot, Consecrated by the blood of a thousand Sadat's.

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“God the Great, God the Most Great, God the Most Beauteous, God the Most Glorious, God the Most pure.”

Scatter then upon the winds, And carry this Gospel to the cities of men, That the hater may become thy trusted friend.

“God the Great, God the Most Great, God the Most Beauteous, God the Most Glorious, God the Most pure.”

The Beloved awaits you behind the veil, With a love no man has ever beheld, That from this fire, to His heart, your heart may meld.

“God the Great, God the Most Great, God the Most Beauteous, God the Most Glorious, God the Most pure.”

Quotes from writings of The Báb

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Immersed in a Sea

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Immersed in a Sea Like rain drops falling From a flower petal Hope appears in the Palm of my hand.

Like a grain of salt In an ocean wave Hope tumbles To the shore Of my life.

Hope is the dew Craved by this Parched blade of grass...

I have lost my thirst for water It is hope now that my every cell craves.

It is hope that flows over these Lips and it is the sweet scent of hope That issues forth with my every breath.

Hope is sometimes elusive, Sometimes fragile, Sometimes fleeting, And sometimes impossible To grasp in even The strongest hand.

Hope is that essence of life That is identical to the

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Promise of life Wrapped tightly in the Faithful mustard seed.

But hope once conceived, Is the mightiest of life-giving forces.

And I am strengthened in the way That the tide draws power from the moon, And I am "immersed in a sea Of God’s blessings."

I stand in a golden sun shower of rain Each drop of which encircles a prism of light And each drop of which enfolds a private hope, And a fervent prayer.

Within this merciful shower of hope Am I cleansed of all fear, Of all doubt, Of all sickness.

And thus are my cells, My organs, and this body Healed like the verdant growth Of a fresh young plant in spring.

It is hope then that is My food, My light, My air, My water, And my way

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Upon this path, As it is in hope That I am renewed And made to be whole again.

Quote from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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The Language of Clouds

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The Language of Clouds I read to you these words From the language of clouds Traced across the patterns Of the sky.

The sky is a diary and clouds Form words and sentences Into this calligraphy Of vaporous lines and shapes, That when spoken In the tongues of men Form the “murmur of syllables and sounds.”

I am an interpreter Of the mysterious language Of the clouds.

Spoken in a transparent tongue Barely discernable to the Eyes of most men.

Here I bear witness, Amidst clouds of flowing ink, To the living Gospel of God Spread spaciously Across the endless sky.

And I see the nodding figures of Saint’s Counting prayers in beads of rain And flashing words of lightning With thunderous consequences

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For the Children of Men.

The Heavens have been cleft asunder And the Spirit of Truth Has descended in clouds.

But clouds of vapor Are all that separate Men from God. And they willingly sacrifice Their truth to the light Of the Sun.

If my heart should not hearken To the language of clouds.

If my soul should not rise to the sky.

If I should fall…

The rain does not blame the cloud, The leaf does not accuse the wind.

And if I should fall.

The fault in falling, is mine.

Quote from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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"Strive, then, that ye may attain that station, that ye may unravel the mysteries of love from its wind-flowers and learn the secret of divine and consummate wisdom from its eternal fruits. Solaced are the eyes of them that enter and abide therein!"

Bahá’u’lláh

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Stepping Stones of Gold

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Stepping Stones of Gold Without these eyes, I could not See the splendor of the rising sun.

Or know the truth of the Promised One. Every day has a sunset And every heart it's light As does every star have its night.

This heart is untouched and yearning This heart is faithful and burning...

From this fog appears a radiant bird And from this veil is revealed the truth To which no man may remain aloof.

This bird has been singing songs And telling secrets it meant to keep Of treasures carried from the oceans deep.

Of holy promises fulfilled Just as God has willed.

What man would not put on The sacred robe of Peter, What woman would not Wear the holy scarf of Mary?

If born to that most holy day What soul would simply turn away?

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That sacred day has dawned again So, let the martyrdoms begin.

Wouldn't you then give your life Just to glimpse His face, Or bear witness to His eternal grace?

Arise then from your sleeping coach And realize this waking dream That for each soul Is its sacred theme.

And if you should fulfill your promise To stand before the Holy Throne In faithfulness will your soul atone As to Heavens door will you be shown. ...so, if this poor one May be so bold, I would suggest that Someday we will be Stories that are told Upon stepping stones Of gold.

But if you deny this eternal truth Your iron will turn to rust, And fall upon the earth as dust.

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The Breath

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The Breath Beloved, I am a child held in its mother’s arms Whose breath flows in rhythmic tide Pulled by a lover’s moon.

Such is the gravity of Our eternal bond.

I feel the rise and the fall Of Thy bosom and the inflow Of the winds of Thine inspiration.

One breath draws me closer And one breath carries me away But near or far from Thee In every breath, I am reminded Of my love for Thee.

As in clouds the drop Returns to the ocean There is no separation of spirit, This love is a bond that cannot Be broken.

This breath is a wind That cannot be stilled.

Once a lifeless form of molded clay Thou art then the very life and breath of me As it is Thy love that resuscitates me And gives me life eternal.

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“I have breathed within thee a breath of My Own Spirit, That thou mayest be My lover. “ O’ Beloved, what have I done That Thou loves me so?

"O Lord, (thus do you) Increase my astonishment at Thee!"

This breath, this breath, this life It fills me up with love of Thee And leaves me breathless.

Quotes from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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Blessed are the Peacemakers

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Blessed are the Peacemakers I am a dancing shadow Cast by the light of God. Weak I struggle on, Frail I falter and fall, Hopeful I walk on.

If within my heart there is peace, From where do my enemies arise?

Some words are life And some words are death.

These words fall out of the mouths Like tacks and serve as coffin nails.

These words fall upon me like rocks And raise the walls of separation.

This breath is death, and causes The flowers to wilt and die.

These winds of separation Would uproot the tree of unity.

Opinions are like stones thrown At the body of man, they are Crude and bruising and leave Unforgiving wounds.

They drive the hopeful ones From the valley of search.

They deaden the hearts of The seekers.

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The words of my mouth seek To make you in mine own image.

Your fear has a harsh voice, I was never so unkind to you.

Let us not argue, rather then To sit and watch the sun rise.

Instead I say it is better to heal Than to harm…

“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they will be called children of God.” We are the children of God, And we are children of a gentle father.

May the spirit of unity fill your heart And marry you in the glory of god.

Unity is the body of man, Unity is the legs and arms of man, Unity is the perfect eye of man And through this great vision We see as one.

“The limbs of my body testify to Thy unity, And the hair of my head declareth The power of Thy sovereignty and might.”

Unity is a song sung by many voices Let us then sing in harmony for “When two men argue, both are wrong”.

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The sun of the sky Rises under the arching Dome of unity.

We must all reach Higher and with our hands Touch the dome of the sky And hold it up together.

In the highest heaven, Nearest to the Throne of God The sweetest music is sung By love struck angels In the Choir of Light.

Let us join in near embrace And cling dearly to each other As we dance to the song of Divine unity.

Quotes from the Christian Bible and the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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In Surrender

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In Surrender Water lives a secret life.

In the desert water Finds surrender Is the price of admission To the sky.

The fire in my heart is smoldering Like your eyes in candlelight And I wonder, how does The blind man know that his Light has gone out?

In this darkened room I can't see the water I can't hear the sea.

I can't see the light.

I am running From a shadow, but But the shadow is mine.

If service is the rent We pay to live in this house, I am in arrears.

And In the desert Of your love Every tear disappears.

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In surrender I have traded My iron For air...

You must struggle beyond Everything that life has done to you, And everything that you have done in life, Until you touch that pure, kindly, And radiant spirit within.

You are water in the desert, Sacrificing yourself to the sky.

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Two Rivers Joining

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Two Rivers Joining I think of us as two rivers joining.

We didn't find each other, Like two rivers joining, We were destined to meet.

I think of us as two hearts joining.

When two hearts love, Like two rivers joining, They flow together as one. ...and neither can be separated From the other.

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Hummingbird of Love

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Hummingbird of Love O’ quickening Hummingbird of Love Come grace me with your shimmering beauty And hover around my sugared sweetness from above.

Come drink deeply of my soul’s devotion And float above the waves of this endless ocean.

O’ enlivening Hummingbird of Love Come drink the sweet nectar of this heart And wrap about this soul like a hand within a glove.

Come drink of this soul’s sweetest passion And flutter and flitter around - as is your fashion.

O’ beauteous Hummingbird of Love Come lay your red breast upon my head And cast your darksome eyes upon this lonesome dove.

Come and join this most perfect flower And lay entwined with me upon loves highest bower.

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If I Could…

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If I Could‌ If I could see through your eyes I would see only beauty, If I could feel with your heart I would feel only love, If I could touch with your fingers I would touch the soul of man, If could embrace with your arms I would embrace the world.

If I could rain tears from the sky They would fall upon flowers of unity, If I could taste the soil of the earth It would taste sweeter than honey, If I could smell the perfume of your soul It would smell like an endless field of roses.

All these things that I could be...

You, my Lord, Have already made me.

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The Eternal Flowers of Peace

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The Eternal Flowers of Peace I will not be flesh again So, let the quickening begin.

I will not be man again So, let the light of heaven in.

String these bones together And wrap me in the flesh of clay.

Then baptize me in the river And inspire me with the The breath of life To so, free these wings of light.

When the wind And the spirit moves me.

I will unfold my soul And let it be my sail.

When spirit moves Through me like a river.

I will flow on down to Where the water meets the light.

There amidst the clouds of mercy, I will embrace my Beloved. ...drifting towards the sun, We will fly through the heavens, And rain hope upon the earth.

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That from this rain may rise The eternal flowers of peace.

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Remember me to the wind

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Remember me to the wind I am held above in the arms of the sky And lay on clouds that pass you by.

Remember me then to the wind...

And I will wrap my soul Around your heart And fill you with grace, Like alms in a beggar’s bowl.

I will build a fire On the mountain spire To signal my return to you.

And I will build a kingdom to come, A kingdom to come.

The whispered prayer brings peace to me As you too bring peace to me, peace to me.

I think we two just might agree That there isn't a place here for me.

So, in the morning as you pray Remember me to the wind And bring peace to the sky Peace to the sky, As I pass you by.

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Facing East

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Facing East I was born facing east And my first cries Were a call to prayer.

Issued In the hope Of gathering the faithful In His hallowed name.

As a day might begin Fresh and resplendent This soul shined radiant From sky-colored eyes Only to fade to darkest night.

And deep despair.

As the sun vanishes in the clouds, Such is the eclipse of a goodly life.

But in time we might learn That the deepest well brings Up from the earth The sweetest water.

So, it is not how far we fall That matters most, But rather how high we soar.

On this gentle morning, Beneath a falling rain of grace, I greet you on bended knees

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I am a beggar in the shadows, Kneeling on poisoned ground, Who has rubbed his hands raw Trying to polish a heart of stone To the luster of a mirror.

The flesh of this soul Hangs upon a body, Framed by rotten bone, And I grieve for The lost parts of myself As a mother might grieve The loss of her first born.

I am a fallen son Expectant that I will be lifted up Into the arms Of my Father.

And that I will Be born again Facing east.

And that my cries Will be heard As a call to prayer.

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Troubled Soul

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Troubled Soul Troubled soul, troubled soul Lay your burden down, Press your breast against my chest And arouse me with your tears As you make of me A coffin for your fears.

Kiss these two unseeing eyes And unstop these unhearing ears.

Unchain the Satan from upon my back.

For my blinded eyes Don’t see that I am Dancing with the devil in the night.

Anger can never stop The oncoming rush Of this river of pain I will move mountains And carve canyons in the earth Before I will change.

I am going to take This tattered soul Down to the river To fill its holes With mud and water.

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For I am nothing more Than an empty space Formed by the air around me, The moisture, Rain drops and dust, The wind and the light, And the cold and the night.

For myself, I am nothing.

More than a speck of dust, In the eye of an ant, As I stand naked On the doorstep of creation.

Before this majestic beauty.

Humility bows her head and falls Prostrate into the dust.

I am a vacuum Hungry for a breath of life.

I am the dark side of the moon Begging for a ray of light. ...But I am an eggshell With a treasure, inside.

Troubled times, these troubled times Will crack this weathered shell And let in the light that will quicken A troubled soul, a troubled soul.

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In the Shadows of Wings

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In the Shadows of Wings I see these veils as wings And it is in the shadows of wings That this bird begs for shelter.

This trembling fragile bird Has spent a lifetime building this tangled nest And within it finds no peace or rest.

O’ snow white, radiant, most luminous bird Throw off the raptors hood And loose the jesses from your legs.

Forsake this dissolute land of dust and yearn to soar, For feet of clay will never touch the clouds.

There your whirling wings will serve you better.

So free yourself from the fractious fetters of this world And see before your eyes a hidden heaven unfurled.

Escape is found in the solace of wings And this is the branch upon which I cling.

“Neath the shade of Thy protecting wings let me nestle, And cast upon me the glance of Thine all-protecting eye.”

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It is in the shadows of wings that this bird sings, And it is in the solace of wings that all hope springs.

I see these veils as wings.

I see these veils as wings.

Quote from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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Baghdad

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Baghdad How can we then know The measure of this loss?

By the path of destruction, - By the uncounted tears That fall from our eyes?

Angry barbs and thorns of terror Will needle at the tender flesh And rend the limbs asunder.

“Revenge is despised in the eyes of God”, Who then, as Christ, will not turn the other cheek?

“…never having gazed upon the beauty of the rose, return (then) to water and clay and be of them that God has caused to forget, even themselves.”

Quotes from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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Winter Comes

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Winter Comes Winter comes, Winter comes, Like an ocean tide At dawn and it Envelopes me.

Winter falls upon me And buries me Within this cold Weeping from the sky.

My words are scattered Like snowflakes upon the ground And blown away in a gripping wind.

Who knows within What mind they will drift.

In winters light, The raven stands Against the winter cold.

A black on white contrast, Like a lump of coal On a piece of ice.

And the winds of this cold December Bury me in clouds of white snow.

As the earth opens its mouth to Receive communion with my body.

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This prince will lay in state Cradled in icy drifts of snow, Wrapped in frozen lace, And adorned with Clear crystal diamonds.

Covered in a blanket spun of white This sleeping beauty awaits the kiss Of a dawning light.

I fear not the bleak winter of tomorrow As I grieve not the storm of yesterday.

Fear not the cold!

"If it were not for the cold, How would the heat Of Thy words prevail?

O' Expounder of the worlds?"

There is a coldness To wisdom Like the bite of frost.

As there is sharpness On the edge of a blade.

The keen mind cuts To the heart of all things For there is no pity In the cold reality of truth.

When I hear the howling wind Will I heed its warning cry?

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The cold heart is a hollow bell And from its chambers rings a Mournful tone.

Some will wander in the wilderness, Some are found upon the mountain top.

And some will never rise from off their knees.

O' earth, yesterday your arms were warm And opened wide to let me in.

And today your eyes are cold And there is a hint of frost upon Your skin.

If in this cold and ice Is found your beauty Then I yield to its embrace...

But O' how the winter spirit hardens the land And makes it inhospitable to all but the raven, That stands against the winter cold.

Some there are that do not fear the cold of night But embrace this cold in deep delight.

And in winters sky's they take to flight...

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After the Storm

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After the Storm After the wind, After the rain, After the storm.

Comes the awful silence, And then nothing is left, But the sound of prayers.

I find my faith upon my knees I find my gratitude in the grace Of prayer, for prayer is All that is left to me.

Now my heart is ripped out of me.

Now my desolate soul droops.

Now my eyes weep tears of blood.

Now my mouth is wounded as No words erupt from this lacerated throat.

Bodies piled and tangled up, Are united in a common grave.

And there they lie in mute assent.

And in grave testimony to death.

Now their limbs are held in pantomime.

Now their dull eyes are fixed and frozen.

Now they offer a feast for colonies of flies.

Still do not grieve for me For “death is a messenger of joy to me�.

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My mouth is filled with the sea And its salty water runs deep in me.

My skin is made of sand and the Breeze at dawn sculpts and shapes The ripples and curves of me.

My hair is woven into the grasses And I am knitted to its stems and seeds.

I am become salt, and sand, and seed And I fly away in the whirling arms Of this “messenger of joy”, And from this storm I find my peace.

Quote from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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Where my Soul was Born

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Where my Soul was Born Take this humble clay and Hold me once again in the Palm of your hands, Where my soul was born, And mold me "out of the Clay of love".

Take this humble clay and Like sacred words from your holy book Breathe spirit into this empty vessel Spinning on the wheel of life.

Make of me what you will A beggar’s bowl, a candlestick, An offering plate.

Make of me a flower, a leaf, Or a sea shell Make of me a useful thing A giving thing A beauteous wonder of the earth below And of heaven above.

I am as lowly as the earth your Hands have scooped me from.

As lowly as the earth to which this molded Form belongs.

As lowly as the earth to which this "moving form Of dust" returns.

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Take then this mortal form of clay And hold me once again In the hands from where My soul was born.

Quotes from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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In the Rose Garden

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In the Rose Garden All life is born of death And upon the pasts decay.

As in the spring the flowers push Aside the hardened ground And the cold cloak of winters crust Becomes a new playground.

Tenderly cup these words in thy hands And plant them in the fertile soil of thy heart That from thy heart they may flow out From your breast as mild and pure as Mother’s milk as nourishment for the Children of God. The voice of the poet sings softly To the heart and the soul, As a child is securely cradled In the arms of its mother.

The birth of a poem is like the opening of a flower It is God that filled the seed with life From which the flower blooms.

Is not the rose then the prayer of a seed?

So then, may all our prayers be roses Gently unfolding in beauty and spreading A most pleasing fragrance‌ 82

The fragrance and the beauty of the rose Was held deep within the core of the seed And lying there was called forth By the grace of the seasons.

For as we know, “To everything there is a season, And a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

We all bow to and worship gods of our own devices.

O’ soul, I would share these words with thee This mortal cage is not your home For you are destined to fly in another realm.

The body feeds upon the flesh of the earth While the bird of the spirit Seeks the seeds of an everlasting life.

We may adorn ourselves With the ornament of flowers And the attar of roses, But these temporal vestures fade and wither.

Our true adorning is the love of God And the mantle placed upon our shoulders is His grace.

Many are those who are blind To the fragrance and beauty of the rose But still the rivers flow, the winds do blow, And the sun graces the sky each day.

For nothing relies upon man for its existence And God exists without faith or belief.

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It is the love of God that planted this Rose Within the heart of existence and it is Love that gives it fragrance and beauty, But the bloom and glow of this Rose is eternal.

“In the Rose Garden of changeless splendor A Flower hath begun to bloom, Compared to which every other flower is but a thorn, And before the brightness of Whose glory The very essence of beauty must pale and wither.”

Quote from the Christian Bible and the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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A Pilgrimage of Lovers

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A Pilgrimage of Lovers Beloved, why whisper these words of love When our souls weep their meaning?

We speak of wedding today That two hearts will beat as one, That two lives will join as one, And that two souls will become as one.

This trembling heart has been purified by your decent, As it has become a welcome place of sanctuary for you.

These two-body’s join in this lovers embrace and “Entwine as threading lights of abounding grace”.

These two most radiant and luminous lamps Like the Burning Bush are effulgent in life’s eternal flame.

Time will pass and lovers may separate, but only To meet again in the naked beauty of their shining souls.

This then is the pilgrimage of lovers, To embrace the passing of time, As a loving friend and to dwell forever In eternal light and love.

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“God picks up the reed-flute world and blows.

Each note is a need coming through one of us, a passion, a longing pain.

Remember the lips where the wind-breath originated, and let your note be clear.

Don't try to end it.

Be your note.”

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī

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“Unrestrained as the Wind”

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“Unrestrained as the Wind” See the wind how it dances And across the lands it prances.

It has no fear of any man As its glad tidings it advances.

Across the waters it rushes And the sides of mountains it brushes.

It leaves no stone unturned As along its course it gushes.

Be unrestrained as the faithful wind That blows where it is bidden And carries the message to all mankind That once was invisible and hidden.

“Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind Can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, Of the Promised One.” This Face shines like the sun at noon and No man can gaze upon it.

Soon will even the brightest lights Flicker and fade before it As all mankind sees this light and enters then within it.

This Voice is a mighty wind and No mountain can stand before it.

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Soon will even the strongest oak Bow and fall before it As all mankind learns to love, Cherish, and adore it.

See the wind how it dances As unrestrained it advances.

Quote from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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Voice of Lament

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Voice of Lament This is the voice of my lament As I cry out in anguish and grief And unbidden fall to my knees in prayer.

O’ Lord, lend me please your strength For a while, I seem to have lost mine.

Silhouettes and shadows of smoke stand Transfixed by this burning nightmare as This spreading darkness becomes a tomb.

This sorrow cannot find words to speak.

Our souls in silence cannot speak.

We hold our breath and cannot speak, And slip beneath the cold black surface of this grief.

This blood falls as a ceaseless rain But the source of this torrent remains Unknown as “The winds of despair are, alas, Blowing from every direction…”

This is the place where the destiny of many Rivers meet and Fate picks up Her garment To wade across the waters of torment.

This is the place where many rivers meet And in the roiling commotion the souls dance The dance of unnumbered tears.

These are the moments that shape us As the fierce chisel of the merciless master mason Breaks open the stone and releases this abomination.

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“My sighs, O my God, proclaim the bitterness of mine anguish, And the tears I shed attest my love for Thee.”

Tear the shroud from off my soul And bind it around my heart To stanch these open wounds.

Wrap this grief as a birthday gift And offer it in sacrifice to heal The wounds of the severed hearts.

As the shadow of the wings of death Passes over me, “Cause me to rest Under the shadow of the wings of Thy grace…”

These wars of man wage on Within the battlefield of the heart, But this is the sacred ground Where peace is born.

Through the bloody storm The rose does yet bloom – It is the blood of innocents That dyes the reddest rose.

Above us all shines the everlasting star – an eternity away The light of these passing souls shines through the darkness Of deepest and darkest night.

So then shall they all, shine on – everlastingly Quotes from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh

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The Yearning Tree

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The Yearning Tree I am a yearning tree reaching Towards the sun in the fervent Hope of touching the face Of hearing the voice, of catching the light…

These roots run deep And they husband the earth In deep embrace.

These roots drink deeply of Of this mother’s milk, and take Firm hold to stand this ground.

These leaves are bursting with life, Fruit and seed - yet to be caught Up by the wind and carried To unknown and faraway lands.

There to raise their expectant mouths To rain, to sun, to wind, to bend, To yield, to pray in the stance Of a yearning tree.

“The utterance of God is a lamp, Whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, And the leaves of one branch.”

O’ but to be a yearning tree…

Quote from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh 96

The Twinkle of a Distant Star

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The Twinkle of a Distant Star I hear the strains of melodies unheard And the sweet accents of the voice of Baha carried on the wings of doves And by the winds of peace.

In a night vision, I see Baha sailing Upon the Ocean of Light Through thundering waves And dancing salty spray A pearl shaped prism is formed And flies aloft on buoyant eddies Of divine breath reflecting glimmers Of rainbows of light and glory – Baha.

Sail on Crimson Ark! Roll across the waves of light Light within light and upon seas of light Where atoms become suns And mirrors of God are formed and polished By the snow-white hand that reaches forth.

In the mirror of your image I am But a single shard of light, A shining fragment of the light of God, A pearly coalescence of light and being, A solitary ripple of reflected Sun on the stream of light, A radiant missile of light streaming through Space like a flash of lightning in the night sky.

Sail on then O, ruby colored vessel of light,

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Your bow breaking through the mist, As dancing drops of light form apparitions And colored dust captures the rays of the sun And forms a golden noose that snares the Hearts of men.

O’ Baha, sail then this Crimson Ark! Sail on into an eternity of light and Reach the golden shores of the kingdom Of grandeur dragging behind you, O’ Fisher Of Men, like fireflies in the dragnet of God, The captured hearts of men.

We as men, are but the twinkle of a distant star In the night sky of God, the blink of an eye on the Morn of God, a soft whisper of pale moonlight On soft water - the lovers caress of the candles light On the wall of hope.

This falling tear, catches a glint of the Light of God as I weep for those who Cannot weep, and for those that will not weep - As the glorious dawn of the most radiant Light has risen in the Divine sunrise of the Glory of God. O’ Baha O’ Light O’Glory

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“Every word of thy poetry is indeed like unto a mirror in which the evidences of the devotion and love thou cherishest for God and His chosen ones are reflected.”

Baha'u'llah “All poems shall be forgotten in the course of time save those that are extraordinary…”

'Abdu'l-Bahá

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“Hearken to the reed flute, how it complains, lamenting its banishment from its home: “Ever since they tore me from my osier bed, my plaintive notes have moved men and women to tears. I burst my breast, striving to give vent to sighs, and to express the pangs of my yearning for my home.”

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī

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About the author Dr. Gregory T. Lawton is an author of many books, most of them in the area of health science, but also in the genre of Asian martial arts, philosophy, poetry, and prose. Dr. Lawton is a passionate award-winning artist and photographer who finds his artistic and creative inspiration in nature, and who frequently attributes the source of his images and writing to the 19th century Persian Prophet, Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, and the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi Mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī. Dr. Lawton has been a member of the Baha’i Faith since 1970 and embraces the Faith’s principles related to the promotion of world unity and peace.

Dr. Gregory T. Lawton has studied and trained in Asian religion, philosophy and martial arts such as Aikido, Jujitsu, Kenpo, and Tai Chi Chuan.

Dr. Lawton’s main and most noted Asian martial art instructor was Professor Huo ChiKwang. Professor Huo was a renowned Chinese scholar, artist, and calligrapher who served as Taiwan's ambassador to France and he was a friend of Pablo Picasso.

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Heartbeats from the Soul, a collection of art, photography and poetry

Heartbeats from the Soul, Copyright 2014, Revised 2017 Dr. Gregory T. Lawton Muyblue Productions 2040 Raybrook St., SE Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 616-285-9999 Writing, Photography and Design – Dr. Gregory T. Lawton All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from Gregory T. Lawton.

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