THE FLOW

I am resting, on the beach, out of the river’s flow

It still flows, but without me

On the beach, Mondays and Sundays are the same

In the flow, I was painfully tossed about

There I cried out in a voice almost moaning

Who am I and where am I going

On the beach, there is stillness and peace

 

I have been here once or twice before

But only for a while, then tossed back in the flow

Where I become immobilized, without control

Battered and disabled by ambition, now I see

Into the flow and over a cliff in a waterfall

In painful agony I cried out, yes I can

Yes I can do what, control the flow?

 

You only control the flow in your dreams

The flow controls you, not the other way around

On the beach, I can just watch the flow

Danger! I can feel the flow pulling me back in

Stay calm, take a deep breath

The flows movement is temporal, stillness is reality

I have come a long way to achieve this beach

 

Out of the frozen tundra I have come

How long can I stay in a state of grace on the beach?

This is what it is like to live without stress

Maybe I can just dip a toe in the flow

Oops! I am being swept up by the current

Ambition and desire are sucking me back in

No, rise above, Rise above, Rise above!

 

Here, I am above the flow, even above the beach

Here, the veil of Maya and Neith are finally lifted

Here, I am connected to a collective spiritual experience

Here, I have arrived at fulfillment

Here, time ceases to flow with the flow

Here, movement and stillness have no meaning

Here above the flow, we are One

 

Wow! Look at that river flow

The flow is turning wheels and the wheels are churning lives

It is just a game, but people think it’s real

In the flow there is no rest, there is no winning

There is only the flow, ever onward

But from here above, it looks so silly

Being above, is even better than on the beach

 

So many are in the flow, some as tears

If I were to return, it would be different for me now

The new me, would be eager to teach what I have learned

Should I take another trip down the rapids?

Maybe I should try and reach higher instead?

Actually, Here there is no higher

Here, salvation is  self evident

 

The sirens of the flow beckon me back

Why? To make the world a better place?

Maybe I can ease the burden of others?

There are no easy answers, but I can help, I can try

This time I am better prepared to enter the flow

This time I have seen it from above, I understand

Look out. Here I come again!

CARL M BIRKELBACH