10 Poems
Background
Welcome to the spiritual journey that inspired the creation of “From Verse to Vision.” Before embarking on the transformative art project, I delved deep into the realms of poetry and spirituality to explore the nuances of living and death. As a precursor to my final project, I dedicated myself to crafting a series of spiritual poems—ten in total, with five centered around the theme of living and five exploring the concept of death.
These poems served as a canvas for my exploration of the human experience, drawing insights from spiritual literature and personal reflection. Each verse was a meditation on life’s complexities, offering glimpses into the profound truths that lie beneath the surface of existence.
By familiarizing myself with the language of poetry and the depths of spiritual thought, I honed my ability to express complex emotions and ideas—a skill that would prove invaluable in the realization of my final project. The journey of writing these poems was not merely a warm-up, but a vital step in my creative process, laying the groundwork for the transformative art installation that would follow.
As you explore these ten poems, I invite you to journey alongside me, delving into the depths of the human soul and embracing the profound beauty of life and death. May these verses inspire contemplation and reflection, and may they serve as a prelude to the immersive experience of “From Verse to Vision.”
Poem 1
Drop away the veils of likes and dislikes.
Life as you see now is a state of delight.
Shadows rise and lights subside.
What is the fuss in all these that do not rhyme?
The world has gone stray who decides?
The livings who see or the demise?
There is no clear line in which we reside.
Everything is different on a similar side.
The side in which the divine lies
It is only just us who simply look aside.
Life as it is is both shadow and light.
Without one, one simply falls behind.
We are obsessed with being only on one side.
Throwing one away while keeping another tight.
Sufferings follow and desires arise.
Because they do not live life.
Life for them is nothing but a bloody fight.
Poem 2
Forget yourself with past weights and burdens.
They are not you do you remember?
Can you look at things without distortion?
Look straight in the eyes with utmost confidence.
Nothing will stop you except the one that tickles.
Tickles at the back of your mind.
Like a rat in the dumpsters.
There is nothing between you and the observed.
Throw everything away including the one who asserts.
Prejudices, biases, and past experiences.
None of those things are actually there in your holy vision.
They come and go like the waves on the ocean.
It is us who cling to the idea of their existence.
They rise and disappear in the realm of emptiness.
It is us who cling to them to seek comfort.
None of those things are actually there in your holy vision.
You are just you.
This is the definite answer.
Poem 3
On the very first second of the day.
I wish nothing but to listen.
The birds chirp and the voice of nothingness.
They both coincide and form a series of wonders.
Considering the hassles of life.
The nature is slightly shadowed and covered.
There are hints everywhere to inform me of freshness.
To start anew without joy and tears.
I rejoice in nothingness for some moments.
True bliss flows through my nerves and figure.
I do not want to be knowledgeable.
For they only split and divide people.
We seem so advanced on the outside.
But soulless in our eyes.
We look up and think of God.
And yet neglecting the sky.
We look at people whom we claim to love.
And yet we are rushing to be loved.
We look everywhere.
And yet we neglect the “here”.
Come! Rejoice in nothingness.
Dare to dream.
dare to speak!
I do not know whether I am bondage-free.
Life really lies not in knowing,
But pure seeing and listening.
Poem 4
Do not escape!
It seems like something that we are good at.
We run from ourselves.
From fear of having no one,
From isolation that slowly erodes our soul,
All we do is imitate.
We walk paths that people have walked before.
For we are afraid of walking alone.
Although we came to the world naked with nothing to hold.
We buy stuff that we do not know.
For we are obsessed with the urge to glow.
We travel to places that we do not know.
All we do is impress others with our phone.
There has never been a moment of being alone.
To bask in the light of cultures and the unknown.
We always look outside in our life.
Because we are so terrified to see what lies inside.
When will the day arrive?
To venture and dig deep into the void of our inner life.
When life ends and death arrives.
There is no “we” who die.
It is “I” who dies.
Poem 5
The divine is without us and within us.
Pervading the universe but not contained like a caged bird.
It sits here and there with no before and after.
As it is not bound by numbers on the rounds and circles.
It is lost when it is uttered.
Even the first syllable is only its cover.
It is something when perceived.
But the perceived is no longer what it is.
The mind tries to seize it with logic.
And yet it is nowhere to be seen.
What’s left is only a tiny scrap of it.
And yet people treat it as the ultimate thing.
Sometimes it can be attained and reached.
Not with stairs but with inner tranquility.
In normalcy it likes to play hide and seek.
It plays both the role of hiding and seeking.
Yet somehow it is always thought to be hiding.
The one who seeks does not know she is also hiding.
It never will be but always is.
It is beyond and sometimes just beneath your eyelids.
Label it and you get something to worship.
Forget it and you have nowhere to cling.
It seems to belong to the mystics.
The ordinary have seldom obtained it.
Because they blindly follow those who claim to own it
And they are just as chaotic.
It is not when it is known.
When it is known it is not.
It is both “is” and “is not”.
Tell me where to go.
I hope you are just as clueless as I have always thought.
Poem 6
There is a casket to be made.
It is reserved for those who no longer have breath.
It will contain not only our unmoved body but also all that we have left.
Inside the cold little box where there is only a little space.
Why make it big when we are nothing but a soulless façade?
Watching the bloodless face along with every bit of regret.
It is as if we are staring right at the face of God of the death.
It tells you that this is the finale everyone will inevitably face.
Yet somehow we are confused over what lies ahead.
The one who thinks or the one to which people are now paying respects?
If we have the freedom to talk right after we are dead.
Is this topic now desirable or simply a distasteful subject?
What if there is no “us” but a pile of flesh?
Will this be the ending where we can tell ourselves to finally rest.
What if there is still “us” standing cluelessly as to why we are lying there?
Will we ask ourselves whether we have the courage to live again.
From whom the thoughts arise is now beyond common sense.
Probably we have no choice but to live as though death is still furthest away.
Poem 7
Always bear death in mind.
Put it in our pockets.
Paste it on the walls.
And let it run wild at the back.
The known is lost.
Is that what we are afraid of?
We cling to life but disdain death.
But there will never be life without death!
We close one eye and look the other way.
As if our mortality can be kept away.
Death gnaws in our mind.
And whispers in our ears.
It reminds us that we will be gone one day.
Gone in an accident.
Or gone in a peaceful war.
Whatever that is,
We will cease to be a living lore.
We run but somehow it gets close.
Close to the extent that we no longer joke.
It is there.
We should always be aware of.
Live life as if we will die.
For there is no life.
If one has not died.
Poem 8
One must die every day to be reborn.
Die to biases one has always formed.
Die to the ego that has always sought to conform.
Die to the experiences that are always trying to distort.
Die to people who teach you how to live.
Die to the tradition that always traps you like a naïve.
Die to the culture that always seeks to rage war and deceive.
One must die every day to be free.
Free from the past and also free from the beasts
One is what one is.
And that is it!
One must die every day to be empty.
Only by being empty can one receive.
One is what one is.
And that is it!
One must die every day to be authentic.
Only by being unique can one assert authority.
One is what one is.
And that is it!
Die now and hold hands with the diseased.
They are reminders that we will one day belong to the family.
When we die.
Do not grieve!
When one has ceased
The other one will be here to live!
Poem 9
One will not die.
If they truly embrace the truth of life.
They will never cease to exist.
Because they are never here to resist.
One who acknowledges the divine is divine.
One who is with the divine will never die.
For they bask under the divine’s infinite light.
One will not die.
Because one stays true to the divine.
They will never cease to exist.
Because they are never here to twist
One who faces life as it is is divine.
One who is with the divine will never die.
For they are blessed with holiness and never cry
The Lord has said so!
One will not die.
Poem 10
I wish to die peacefully.
Where nothing has the power to disrupt and not let me sleep!
I wish to die peacefully.
Where nothing remains to be done and that’s it!
I hope to see joy in my loved ones.
When they celebrate the biggest event of my life
I hope to see the world at peace.
Even my death has nothing to do with it.
I hope that I die not in horror but in bliss.
The Lord is coming!
I leave my loved ones with nothing.
Only a death so peaceful
That it rocks the world
With joyful playing and dancing.