Curving toward the center

On externals

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Meisaan Chan

If you always demand to get your way
your internal strength will never grow

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged adventure, journey, Luxury, necessity, strength, struggle, weakness | Leave a comment

The beginning of the silent retreat

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Meisaan Chan

With resounding sound you welcome me home,
a choir of angels breathe
and release sweet rejoicing

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged angels, home, rejoicing, retreat, silence, silent, sweetness | Leave a comment

True and false Doing Nothing

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

True doing nothing is precision: Sharp knife
False doing nothing is amorphous: Blunt rock

Posted in Poetry, recovery, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged amorphous, distraction, nothing, precision, stillness | Leave a comment

I cannot carry your burden

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

I cannot carry your burden
but I can carry your heart

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged companion, company, friendship, help, help me, isolation, soulmate | Leave a comment

The end of aimlessness

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

When I, alone, drift through the cosmos, tether me to your heart;
may I trust in the strength of its hold on me
and watch as the tether pulls taught

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged alone, company, connection, cosmos, heart, help me, isolation, loneliness, tether, union | Leave a comment

Night murmurs

Posted on December 25, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

Hush, hush, murmurs the Lord
as she strokes me in the night
I am all things for you:
everything you need is everything I give, and more

Posted in Poetry, recovery, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged Christmas, comfort, help, help me, love, sleep, sleeping, tenderness, vulnerability | Leave a comment

Grow, grow, says the gardener

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

Grow, grow, says the gardener;
Let your roots reach deeper into unknown darkness
so your branches can reach higher

Posted in Poetry, recovery, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged branches, growth, roots | Leave a comment

After a good night’s sleep

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

Thank you, God, for sleep,
for the riches you just gave me;
may I disperse your gold well today
and return tonight, spent and joyful-trusting

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged gold, intimacy, praise, rest, riches, sleep | Leave a comment

Whatever you give me, I will fill

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

Whatever you give me, I will fill:
if you give me a corner of your house, I will fill it –
but do not think I only fit in a corner of your house!
If you give me an ocean basin, I will fill it –
but do not think I am the size of an ocean!
If you give me a religion, I will fill it –
but do not think I only exist within the realms of a religion!
If you give me the cosmos, I will fill it –
but do not think I am limited to the cosmos!
If you give me all things unseen and unknowable, I will fill it –
but do not think that I am limited by the unseen and unknowable!
Just because these are your limitations
does not mean they are mine

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged cosmos, eternity, infinity, limitations, limitless, unknowable, unseen | Leave a comment

Not being aware of your emptiness

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Meisaan Chan

Not being aware of your emptiness when you’re empty
is like going grocery shopping on hungry stomach:
You take anything

Posted in Poetry, recovery, Spiritual poetry, writing | Tagged awareness, emptiness, help, help me, hunger, hungry | Leave a comment