January 18, 2022
The Present of Presence
By Amba Gale
You have learned
your lesson
in the last while,
a December like no other,
when, like an Irish curragh
on a rough sea
as you left one pilgrim island
and rowed to the next,
the boat capsized
and there you were
in the ten – foot waves
and the rough seas,
fighting for your soul.
Yes.
You Saw
what you needed to see:
the power and necessity of Alertness,
of Presence,
without which
you are asleep,
without which
you will flail in the water,
and could, perhaps, even, crash on the rocks underneath you,
and drown forever
in a bad dream of your own making.
Never forget
the sharp and jagged
rocks are always there, underneath
the surface of the sea,
and the sea is waiting
to swallow you up
wholeheartedly
in its cold and frightening water.
Only
With Presence
and Alertness, the bride of Presence,
can you row your little sturdy, wooden boat
to your far shores.
Imagine
that the madness comes upon you once again,
followed by Fear and Desperation.
Only, this time,
Presence arrives
at your door, knocking,
asking to be let in,
like a great gift,
a constant guest,
a Teacher, a Spirit,
out of time for all time.
Accept
this gift gladly.
Presence is your Path to Peace.
