A Tumbleweed Over the Deep Blue SeaThe earth is but one country and mankind its citizens ~Baha'i

The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens ~Baha'i



One very warm afternoon during the Baha’i Fast

Desert ground's brown and dry as old bones.
Bare dark limbs twine high above, close to the river
Robin love song drifts, tentative, though the air, then
collared dove coos for his lady. She thumps down beside him,
making the branch bounce, then leaves, shaking her mate.
Raven, alone as usual, flaps overhead with a wag of his wedgy tail
and repeating his raucous croak, suitably dry for this place, to be sure.
Everything appears to be waiting, doing what we do every day, yet
accomplishing nothing in particular... Actions suspended, we anticipate.
Dry like the desert, empty as the land around here,
a Baha’i in the midst of the annual Fast is waiting...
for the songs of the spirit, the certainty obedience brings.

The world longs for its Lord, hardly seeming to know it.
New disasters appear to occur ever more often,
dazed expressions more common,
hopelessness mingling with cluelessness.
“Where can we go from here?
When will this end? What will become of my family?” ....

flower firesFlowers in fire, flowers in snow.


That’s how it goes.flower snow


Soon enough sticky green leaves pop out of winter dry branches.
Blossoms fragrant and hungry for bees turn wood to pink, white,
carpet the dust in colors the wind swallows and sweeps.
Hummingbirds begin buzzing, looking the human in the eye
“Where is my feeder? I left it right here last fall!”
These things usually occur right as the Fast ends every year.

Every year I ask myself, if Baha’is did not fast as commanded
how would things be different? Because I always recall
words of a friend, decades ago. I said:
“Hopi believe that if they do not perform a ceremony
of prayer and gratitude for the rain blessing
the rain will not fall, the seeds and sprouts will wither,
massive starvation will be the result.”
He said: “Let me suggest to you that I believe
that if they do not dance and perform their ceremony
that all those things will happen. All of them.”

We create the world with our will, our thoughts, our spirits.
Let’s create growth, abundance, love, unity,
drop the attention to darkness, despair.
Use the fire that comes from the Fast to
transform weary old thoughts into new growth
for all, not only ourselves.