The Third

I find the mystique of Shiva, the third component of the Hindu trinity of Brahma (lord of creation), Vishnu (lord of preservation) and Mahesh/Shiva (lord of destruction) absolutely fascinating. I see him not as the part of God that brings about the end of the world, but as the part of God that shatters delusion and helps the soul break through the cloak of materialism that shrouds it. I think of Shiva as the silent force that makes the entire Universe vibrate in a cosmic dance...the dance that is embodied in his incarnation as Nataraja (lord of dance and rhythm) and I believe that his energy is invoked to help the consciousness of a devotee ascend to greater levels. This poem is a tribute to this energy and inspired by the awe-inspiring dance of Nataraja, the Tandava.

In the Presence of Maheshwara

Rhythm is in your breath, and its frenzy in your dance,
Dark locks sweep through the cosmos.
The everlasting fire, is but a flame on your finger,
Ignorance and greed are forever lost.

The life-giving elixir falls from your brow,
The deadliest of venoms you drank long ago.
Constellations vie with the moon, to adorn your matted tresses,
The light of your eyes, they can never hope to know.

The Eye has opened, and Illusion flees in terror,
In the swirl of change, you alone remain unvaried… pure,
In the meantime, I fade into nothingness,
Only to find that in you, I am everything and more.