Transcendence

The journey within

Paradox

Find quiet, more quiet.
Strive to fill yourself with quiet wonder.
Shake off the flappings of your heart into the ether around you
Release, through water and salt and air, sometimes some and sometimes all
Not all roads lead to destinations, some forked to test your say
Some dead ends to lead to questions inwards
Some winding ones to lead you astray
Come back, come back and find more quiet
More quiet, more compassion, more love, more joy
Revel in the questions, let answers seek you onward
Be lead by hope and light and goodness, sometimes some and sometimes all
Hold out your brokenness, and we're all broken (I assure you)
In more ways than visble, too 
Look out into the seas and rivers,
Remind yourself how small you are
Look into your soul and senses,
Remind yourself how unending you are.
Remind yourself, that you are the biggest paradox of existence
And what joy it is to be so
Find quiet, more quiet.
Strive to fill yourself, with quiet wonder.

© Sneha Singh 2016

Wonder

Suns have arisen and the blankets of stars are out.
I can see, that we've immersed ourselves, in a field
Away from all of this chaos. 
I only need to escape from the mundane
For a moment to cross over parallel universes.

Does this happen? That oceans and sands, stars and leaves
Are enough company?
There are sleeping villages to wake
And caves filled with fireflies to see

Slow, slow - there is time ahead, it seems
But in fact, is there any? 
A decade to this year, has gone by so quick. 
I've grown, but not in built
If the soul could show it's 
Greys and wrinkles, tell you it's tales,
You would see what I mean.

Maybe there isn't a we, and it will always be me.
On treks and walks under starry skies,
I'll see the Aurora Borealis, like I said I would 
On my bucket list, but think, 
Is this beauty still as beautiful 
If not shared?
From the largest of oceans, to the whitest of sands
I revere each sight I am blessed with
But as I do, a corner of my heart
Sighs in a murmur
Would what I see, be fuller with beauty
Had our fingers by now,
Found each other.

© Sneha Singh 2016


All Along

All this raw, crazy beating madness, that lives a life parallel to the calm composed outside. There's a million cells and a million thoughts rushing through veins, and yet through some mysterious power it holds ground in them all, ever present, ever persistent.

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere, they are in each other all along, says Rumi.

Pregnant with each other's presence, a chest swollen up and full of love, we travel. We take each other by the waist, through each step. We are already experiencing each other’s worlds, just unaware that we are in the thick of a beautiful forest together, but alone. These goose bumps that travel through my skin, each time I close my eyes are just your fingers embracing my soul.

Lovers are in each other all along, he says.

I came to know love through time, a discovery I continue to make each day. It was an achingly beautiful song heard. Listened to patiently, word for word, hurt for hurt.  Romanticised madness aside, we learn that we carry a madness for the other. Not madness, in the truest sense of the word, but madness in the matter of choice. Over and over, given the choice, I would choose this madness with you.
Over and over.

Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, he says.

How many countless steps have we taken, unknowingly through each other, have you thought? This silent love that moves where I move, touching what I touch. I leave our imprints wherever I go. There are traces of you in places you haven’t even set foot on, is that not a bewildering thought?

Whether we be or we don’t, the beauty remains in the truth that we already are.  

© Sneha Singh 2016

Knot Knowing

In the fullness of everything, one suddenly lapses. Like air out of a balloon. No pin prick. No burst. Just a slow release. An existential crisis of the how and the why and the “is this necessary and should I be here, or there or someplace else”.

And if so, where is it that I belong? Why is there a pressing slit in my ribcage that questions where the soles of my feet are, and where my soul should be? Who put that slit there?

It is a slow, slow walk to somewhere – that I know. But where to, I know not.

As one unravels each knot, insides, one within another, sit still like a piece of cloth that has just been wrung out but not yet put up to dry. Do you know that damp, heavy stillness? But it’s sunny outside and everything is fine. It really, really is. So it’s not the outside that is damp, it’s the fibre of the cloth. That’s the cold one feels. That’s the cold, no matter how sunny it is it. You wait in a lump. Either to stretch out, or be stretched out, or stay put and dry.

There are moments of time warp in my head, where I am not sure which way I should be going. Or is it just okay to make peace with the fluidity of it all. That there is no destination and that you are just moving forward in respect of where you are right now. Or maybe you’re not moving forward, and that too is okay. Or is that deemed as being too comfortable? Not stretching yourself, and all that potential inside you.

The word potential always takes me back to physics, and energy. As moving masses of energy, we are the physics, chemistry and biology of all that there is. Surely, the energy we put out in thoughts, feelings, words and actions creates ripples and penetrates other energies? I walk around trying to imagine orbs of energy around me, beings with masses that have potential and kinetic energy.

Time and again, through the best and the worst, I have times when I sit with these knots inside my chest. And mostly, there is never a good solution to the process by which these can be untied. Maybe they aren’t there to be unpicked, but for me to be unpicked by them. To get perspective of the universe and the mitochondria, but at most times it is beautiful spillage of – energy, which I am sure goes around and comes back around in line with Newton’s observations.

Time, time, time. Best friend, worst enemy and above all, an effective teacher. Another year on, released, I watch the remnants dissolve slowly. Shed, shed, shed that skin once more. One of my favourite animals does, and what breath taking beauty emerges when it does.



© Sneha Singh 2016

Joyous Ache

Open the box and feel each bead
On this one string of memory
This one, soothingly smooth
Wrapped in fingers, like in arms
This one, full of laughter
Lights up dark little crevices
Made blue by veins
And this one, with crossed over limbs
Brings back the joyous ache
Of pulled apart togetherness


© Sneha Singh 2015

Stories

Stories

Snap out of one.
And submerge into another.
One has my voice.
The other my eyes.

Stories, both
One verbose
The other black and white.

I pull me out of incessant rambling
So I can chase words around pages
Full of characters, woven to entertain
As they live their journeys through my eyes
One syllable at a time

I make my way through the wars and losses, heartbreak and joys
Murder, deceit and lies
That fill these pages.

Only to recognise, stories are everywhere, within and outside

Stop now, don't you see?
There's no running
From that which makes up
The very fibre of our being.

© Sneha Singh 2015

Fall

A paper boat makes its way
Upon a wave, unafraid
Until it rains, until it pours
And robs the boat of its control

A butterfly flutters by
Taking to colours and open skies
Until a bright orb shines its face
And the butterfly fades away

The mighty storm
The blinding lights
Have shaken my anchor
And closed my skies

As here I lie in my cocoon
For that which fixed me once
May do so again
Soon

© Sneha Singh 2015

What are?

You to me. Fluidity.
Like streams gushing through crevices
You make your way through my veins.

Me to you. Memories.
Like stars that speak through foggy nights
I twinkle now and again, when you shut your eyes.

We to us. Journey.
An ongoing pace, a beautiful phase
Wherein we are constantly uncovering

Pieces of each other.

© Sneha Singh 2015

Melt

There’s a stone in my chest
And one in yours
Hearts, hardened over time

Let’s rub them together
So we may get warm,
Forget of the wounds, they remind

Let’s breathe onto the surfaces
Of hard pitted rock
So goosebumps may appear

Let’s caress the grooved veins
That still pulsate with some life
Of moments we still hold near

Let’s rub them together
And light the spark
Which may turn into a fire

Let’s let these stones
Burn and melt together
Become one, engulfed in desire

© Sneha Singh 2014

(Dis)Integration

Break me away
From these tangles 
I find myself in
Creations of my own

Draw me out
As I struggle,
I drown, helplessly
In my own flood

The seconds of time
Like grains of salt
Rub against
The wounds in my soul

Pull me together
Amidst this storm
As I disintegrate
Into particles of dust

Make me One
With You
Like sand, 
Dissolving into the sea

That anchors its shore by day
And makes its bed by night.

© Sneha Singh 2014

Time Travel

What is it, that causes petals
To curl inward
And stay that way?

What is that, which
Keeps your eyes wet
And swollen?

This madness, that dissects
As it grows
Bleeds, as it flows.

Where is it?
My time turner?
Or did you steal that too?

©Sneha Singh 2014

Merge

Come as you will,
Wounds and scars, and even though you bleed.
I will stitch you together.
With your thread that runs, through me.

I will soothe your burns,
Till the creases fade.
Till newness explodes
Through your every vein.

Come as you will,
Hold my hand,
Under starry blankets, amidst lost smiles
We gaze, as long as we stand.

Open the doors, let's let ourselves in,
In one another,
As we take the plunge, into these depths
Together.

Come as you will,
Scared, forlorn. Measured. Hesitant, doubtful.
I will blow gently on these, and watch them fall away.
As you come, into me, with a Love to stay.



© Sneha Singh 2014

Turn

Day into night.
Hands on the clock.

Take the same time,
To turn.

Blink of an eye.
Breath from a sigh.

Take the same time,
To turn.

Screams from a loss.
Silent prayers at a cross.

Take the same time,
To turn.

Accepting regrets of a mistake.
Getting over heartbreak.

Take the same time,
To turn.

Hopeful sunrise.
Sunset sublime.

Take the same time,
To turn.

A fleeting life.
A halting death.

Take the same time,
To turn.

© Sneha Singh 2014

Blur

Are you a leaf?
Floating in the wind.
Or the wind itself,
That I take within
Me, with every breath,
Weaving your presence
Into my existence.

Are you these birds?
That appear, wherever I go?
Or the wind beneath their wings,
As you keep me afloat.
Save me from drowning,
In spills of my own blood.
From wounds of a forgotten time,
A forgotten life.

I open, and feel warmth.
Safety, like none before.
I open, and feel a shiver.
I close.

Are you these flowers, these buds, that brush my skin,
Or are you the wind beneath their dance?
Reminding me of my own rhythm.

Masked as the wind,
You dance within me.
You drip from my soul,
My existence,  my being.

(C) Sneha Singh 2014

Linger

When a feeling crawls under your skin.
And stays.
Creates a home.
Watches you pray.

Insides turn. What? Why?
No answers.
So much spillage,
Yet, the questions turn dry.

A touch, and I'm alive?
Or heading towards another death?
Breathe into me again.
So we can live.

(C) Sneha Singh 2014

Erosion

"Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain." - Gibran


"Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place." - Rumi 

What is this hole that sorrow carves, when it flows through us, eroding us like a river, that finally flows out our eyes, our souls and leaves? A river of sorrow, how rightly written, uprooting all that ever was, creating new soil for that may be. As it damages, and hurts, destroys and shakes, we grown numb, overcome by the destruction. And then says Rumi, to be silent, to be silent for only the Hand of God can remove those burdens that weigh your heart down. 

Sit by the river of sorrow, watch it flow through you. Release through tears and aching screams. Let it take what it wishes to take with it. Your soul is the bank, the riverbed. Let it be washed. The erosion will shatter the bank and grain the riverbed, but let it flow. Let it take. In truth there are no goodbyes, as we are all headed toward the same God. Let this run through your heart, as the river of sorrow runs through your soul. And maybe, the pain of this great erosion will subdue, ever so slightly.


"Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes.Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation!" - Rumi 

Sneha Singh © 2013

Departure

Water flows
Out of control
I have lost the reins
Disappeared, no more

A million of me
I can see
All around, where do I start
In this silence, of sounds

The seconds shred my soul
As they tick by
Overflowing, until
I can no longer cry

Trying to undo
That which is weaved into me
I pull myself apart,
In an attempt to liberate thee

Truth be told, the pattern has been created,
Un-creating is the real mess
Let this burn, burn in the fire of pain
As I watch it leave me, slowly digress. 

Sneha  Singh © 2013

Upheavals


"When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step into the darkness of the unknown. Faith, is knowing that one of two things will happen. There will be solid ground to stand on or you will be taught to fly." ~ Richard Bach

When walking on the path of complete inner alignment and surrender, I have many a times been taught how to fly. It is almost like God's wings have swooped under me and taken me to a height I knew nothing about. Most importantly, these lovely little miracles have happened in solace, when nothing, BUT God could have come and lift me up.

As human beings, we get engulfed by what we think is our power. We have been blessed with education, learning, knowledge, reason, free will, (and if we are in the right place, free wi-fi!). But these gifts are to be shared, and used with kindness, and not as a means of being right and showing superiority. In the eyes of God, we are equal, so what good does it do you feeling superior in your own? 

The things you own, and the things you think you are, are ultimately things of this world. I am not indicating that you must renounce it all and meditate on a mountain. I am simply suggesting awareness. Be conscious of the temporary nature of life, of social rules. Then the way you deal with others will change significantly. It will not be about you anymore, as you will have the conscious awareness that you are only a soul visiting this Earth with a purpose. Instead of seeking your identity in societal norms, seek your identity within God. In times of uncertainty and upheaval, rest, rest, rest. Rest in knowing God is at work. You may sleep, but He is always around you, looking after you. Your faith in Him will give you wings when you have forgotten how to fly. 

Just rest, and show your Faith to Him. 

© Sneha Singh 2012

Nothing

Three years ago I was introduced to Tao. The foundation of Taoism is that it's not a concept that can be understood. You can't put it into words or explain it. It is a way that unfolds. Almost like, how someone can show you how to get to a destination but the experience of travelling to that destination is uniquely yours. The beauty of the Tao expresses itself through the natural and the mundane. It is open to present moment, fluid and does not have a predetermined way. Like a new river that takes birth in a glacier. The river cannot decide which way it wants to flow. It only flows. Embracing the effect of gravity, the pull of the ocean, offering no resistance to stones or other obstacles in it's path. It flows. And it finds a way. Flowing without active flowing. Doing by non doing. No analysis.

To some this may seem like an absurd way of being. How can you live like a river. For some this spells total dependency on the outside, as in the case of the river, dependance on gravity or the ocean to steer its path. But a truth we forget is that you may have the power in making choices but you don't have command over the way the universe unfolds through you. The universe is constantly trying to live through you and your choices. Therefore any unnatural choices you make have an effect on the unfolding. The purpose of universal existence is much greater than individual purpose. Individual purpose fits into it and not vice versa. Therefore when an unnatural choice or act is made/done there may or may not be an immediate effect. But if that does not fit with greater purpose, there will be an effect.

The way of the Tao is doing by non doing, that is merely letting things unfold as they should. This is always in line with universal existence. It's almost like asking, do you trust life itself or the universe itself to do nothing and let it work for you ?

This does not translate into idle behaviour. It actually translates into being utterly present and doing only that which is the need of the moment. If right now you are eating focus fully on eating. If you are reading, just read. Understand that in truth, only this moment exists and in one moment you can do only one thing. The Tao asks you to unlearn conditioned ideas and let the outside reflect your inner calm.

It reminds you that all storms are within. Only within.

(c) Sneha Singh 2012

Cleaning

This time it isn't a long winded poem or a thought provoking quote.

This time it is plain old ramble.

I'm late spring cleaning. Spring went by oh-so-quickly and I've Only Just begun Cleaning. Time to take the old vision goggles off and see things with (as a friend put it) a new set of eyes. Just like, to realise oneself we are always told to meditate and go within ourselves deep down to the roots of our souls, sometimes it is essential that in order to reach our roots within we need to physically be in a place where our physical bodies have their roots. Of course, hence why " as within so without", isn't it?

I could only begin cleaning when I made an intent to clean. Cleaning requires effort. The broom is not going to sweep the house itself. And it has become apparent to me how beautifully the energy of intention works. Only the intent of cleaning took birth in me. I was given the tools and taught how to work them. I was taken and transported to where I needed to go. My only effort was and is the sweeping. The rest took care of itself. so on the whole, it feels like little effort.

When I started cleaning though, it seemed like a mountain climb. But Grace, beautiful Grace always has ways of protecting you if you believe in it. For anything to exist, belief is needed. Belief breathes life into its existence. By lending an idea our belief, we give it life. Our bodies without our souls would be carcasses unable to perform the wondrous tasks that they do. Similarly ideas without belief and faith are just a set of muddled thoughts constructed by us with no heartbeat to keep it alive. Ideas require an analytical initiation but with faith, they acquire a life of their own with a purpose to fulfill in this world and bring forward that, which can only come through the vehicle of your body and mind. Creativity is not human born, it is universal energy and genius in action through a vehicle called the human mind. We are not geniuses, but mere vehicles.

I realised this when I was cleaning. When we accept that creative ideas and beauty have a need to express themselves as that is their very purpose and virtue, we wouldn't feel as proud of our creative genius. Simply because we would acknowledge that the creative genius is not "ours"! We would feel humbled that universal energy chose us to express itself through us. Because you know as well as I do, that we all will go but creation has stayed and will continue to live.

So clean yourself. Sweep out the rubbish inside which leads you to have ideas that inflate your idea of yourself. Remain the instrument which you are. Know your importance. There would be no music without the instrument. So you are important, no doubt. But the flute did not create the music, He who breathes into the flute is the Real Creator.

© Sneha Singh 2012