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Additional Notes:
This is about my feeling of things coming together for me in my practice. I have now lived at the temple for 4 months, and certain things I have been doing I have tired of them- and they weren't part of my practice anyway. They are falling away from me suddenly and easily and I am the lighter for it. Dearest Reader, I hope you remember the time with me. :-) REEG!

This Poem was Critiqued By: Elaine Marie Phalen On Date: 2005-04-02 18:53:27
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Regis, I can't properly critique this so I won't. I'll just say that it's an intriguing journey through the porocess of enhanced self-awareness and greater understanding. This is an interior monologue and as such, the speaker's mind is laid bare. Minds are none too tidy at the best of times, so we see this one in action, moving from idea to association, to another idea. Some of the thoughts trail off unfinished and others crowd at their heels. Lines vary in length from a single word to an entire statement. They suggest moments and hours or even days. The passage of the months brings with iut a chain of exepriences that may not happen smoothly, but in stages, by fits and starts, some expected and others not. Remember? "The Five Colors Blind The Eye The Five Tones Deafen The Ear The Five Tastes Dull The Tongue" Too much sensory stimulation does interfere with the tranquility of the individual being. If one is to look inward, none of the outer trappings is important. And if we lack a mind to interpret the vividness of color, the resonance of sound, the celebration of taste ... then we would not have such senses at all. The mind-spirit is the seat of all we know and can imagine. Mind is spirit's access point to the flesh, I think. I set aside my skin, my tongue, my ears, my eyes the reflections aren't in charge any longer serve the servant a tin plate of justice youmewe, just it- so be the lines are growing in size as I type and the needs I have shrink This is a poem in itself. It so clearly depicts the seeker's progress as he frees himself from materlal concerns. That "tin plate" is humble and unadorned, as true justice must also be. Meanwhile, the expanding lines signify an enlarged vision, while the bodily demands grow less. So we age and acquire wisdom, concurrently. As I read this, the news is focused on the passing of Pope John Paul, whom I admired. I suspect he would have appreciated the sentiments expressed in this poem because he was a man who valued truth and simplicity, I believe (I'm not even Catholic, but his commitment to service and his support of freedom and justice have always appealed to me). He must have spent many hours in reflection. He knew how to let go when the time was right to do so ... So now you, poet and speaker, face your "other self" in the mirror and remind it of things to come. We all possess dual natures but often tend to keep one side of our personality in abeyance. We are blends of light and shadow, hope and desapir, goodness and cruelty, altruism and greed. Somehow, we must reconcile the half in the mirror to the half in front of that glass. I'm not exactly sure where you are, in terms of the temple mentioned in your notes, but it sounds like a place for discovery and peace. I imagine there is also a challenge, because acceptance can be tough. Letting go (of our habits, possessions and mortal concerns) is also difficult. There is a lifetime, suddenly being shifted onto another path. I think I envy you that opportunity. Thanks for revealing this ongoing process in such a poem. I'll no doubt read it again (this is my third visit to it). I'd also enjpy knowing more about the program you're following if you are ever of a mind to explain it ... maybe even post a forum thread with some details. This sounds too intensely personal to be fully shared but there may be a few lessons the rest of us could benefit from reading. My Best, Brenda

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