<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body><div>Wow! What a wonderful expression of possession, Riantee! So many fluent phrases aimed at giving/receiving just as the wind escapes the grasp of commotion and accommodation. Thank you for these riveting stanzas that made me wanna levitate...</div><div><br></div><div>Ya azim</div><div><br></div><div>~ Ed</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div id="composer_signature"><div style="font-size:85%;color:#575757" dir="auto">Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone</div></div><div><br></div><div style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><!-- originalMessage --><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Riantee Rand via Thespiritexpress <thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org> </div><div>Date: 6/23/22 8:31 AM (GMT-08:00) </div><div>To: thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org </div><div>Subject: [Thespiritexpress] Poem Muhammed read at Mastery </div><div><br></div></div><br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><br class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">Possessed by the Muse. <span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">The muse didn’t
wrestle me down on a street corner<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">or on the threshold
of a forest <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">to insufflate poetry
into me,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">to force feed me the
inspired prophetic breath.<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">The wind of healing<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">that whispers in the
Chosen’s ear <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">and orders the mouth
to recite<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">didn’t blow on me. <span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">I wasn’t taken down,
like Muhammad,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">by the angel who
crushed his chest <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">under its enormous
weight,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">split it open to
tear out the heart <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">and purify it with
heavenly waters.<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">No, the Muse didn’t
possess me,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">didn’t command me, <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">like with Muhammad,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">to deliver the
truth.<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">To me she is more
like a nag <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">who will not give me
any peace<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">until I put pen to
paper <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">in the shade of an
apple tree maybe,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">on the porch of an
old school house,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">by the orchard where
the Blackbird cackles<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">and the Hermit
Thrushes serenades.<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">She orders me to
follow with my pen <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">the subtle currents
of wind,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">pushing shadows into
worlds of desire,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">stringing memories
like pearls <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">around the morning’s
neck.<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">She directs me to
catch a radiance not to be missed, <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">but forever escaping
description. <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">She insists that I
must.<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">The mind resists the
supreme effort <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">of flying with the
word,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">birds twitter,
amazed at this resistance.<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">To them flying is
second nature;<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">they often wonder
why humans <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">have to stay so
close to the ground.<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">My eyes follow the
play of light <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">on the fruit
ripening on the branch, <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">sighting a Bluejay
ready to gulp it down.<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">When I consult the
sky,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">what does the sky
command?<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">“Recite!”<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">That muse won’t let
go<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">until I find the
right word,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">the right phrase,<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">that will embrace
the whole story <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">of poets, prophets,
bards and healers of the past <span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">into a single breath
<span class=""></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">of lavender and
rosemary.<span class=""></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><span class=""><span class=""> </span></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span class="">Like Muhammed I
resist</span><b class=""><span style="font-size:14pt" class=""> <span class=""></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"" class="">then I submit.</span>
</div>
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