Stillness: a Poem for the International Day of Stillness, November 28
'Stillness is my beloved teacher.
From her, I learn new things every day.'
I said to Stillness,
how can you teach me so well?
Stillness said,
By being with you always.
I said to Stillness,
How can you teach me so much?
Stillness said,
Because you have much within you;
I, but a mirror for your mind;
I, but a mirror for your heart.
I said to Stillness,
O my beloved teacher, will you
promise me you will never leave me?
Stillness said,
I cannot leave you;
though you can leave me..
but what is stillness without a companion?
I said to Stillness,
Is your work hard?
Stillness said,
I have the most wonderful task that I could wish for:
I sit with babies while they smile;
I sit with children in the classroom
as they delight to learn;
I sit with the angry and disturbed,
And watch them grow to peace;
I sit with the sad and lonely and bereaved
and watch them rediscover happiness and joy;
I sit with kings and queens and rulers
while they find wisdom and mercy;
I sit with governments and committees
while they find reason and justice;
I sit with artists and scientists,
and watch them find new things outside themselves,
and find new things within themselves;
I sit with those who pray or meditate,
and watch them find God in themselves;
I sit at the feet of saints
while they become perfection;
I fly with birds, in the silence of the air;
I watch the animals as they explore the earth;
I hear the growing of the trees and plants;
I listen to the opening of the flowers;
I walk in the gardens of the dawn;
I walk in the gardens of the dusk;
in the deep of the night, I watch.
Said Stillness,
I am the friend and the companion of all;
who would not love to share my life with me?
I said to Stillness,
may I never leave you.
And Stillness looked me in the eye,
and Stillness smiled at me:
‘I am born with every creature born
to be their friend for life.’
*
(With acknowledgements to Iain Trousdell of New Zealand, whose poem quoted from in the first two lines inspired this extension..)
poem by Michael Shepherd
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November 28,2007 is the International Day of Stillness: A Poem for the day
'Stillness is my beloved teacher.
From her, I learn new things every day.'
I said to Stillness,
How can you teach me so well?
Stillness said,
By being with you always.
I said to Stillness,
How can you teach me so much?
Stillness said,
Because you have much within you;
I, but a mirror for your mind;
I, but a mirror for your heart.
I said to Stillness,
O my beloved teacher, will you
promise me you will never leave me?
Stillness said,
I cannot leave you;
though you can leave me..
but what is stillness without a companion?
I said to Stillness,
Is your work hard?
Stillness said,
I have the most wonderful task that I could wish for:
I sit with babies while they smile;
I sit with children in the classroom
as they delight to learn;
I sit with the angry and disturbed,
and watch them grow to peace;
I sit with the sad and lonely and bereaved
and watch them rediscover happiness and joy;
I sit with kings and queens and rulers
while they find wisdom and mercy;
I sit with governments and committees
while they find reason and justice;
I sit with artists and scientists,
and watch them find new things outside themselves,
and find new things within themselves;
I sit with those who pray or meditate,
as they find God in themselves;
I sit at the feet of saints
while they become perfection;
I walk in the gardens of the dawn,
I walk in the gardens of the dusk;
in the deep of the night, I watch;
I fly with birds, in the silence of the air;
I watch the animals as they explore the earth;
I listen to the growing of the trees and plants;
I listen to the opening of the flowers;
Said Stillness,
I am the friend and the companion of all;
who would not love to share my life with me?
I said to Stillness,
May I never leave you.
And Stillness looked me in the eye,
and Stillness smiled at me:
‘I am born with every creature born
to be their friend for life.’
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Stillness Of The Night
Midnight on the hill I heard the thunder fill
The stillness of the night
It hit me like a slap, youre never comin back
From the stillness of the night
It was never black or white, neither wrong or right
Like the shadow of a full moons light
I knew wed lost the track, when I heard the lightning crack
The stillness of the night
Chorus
In the stillness of the night
Thats when well make it right
We can stop the thunder till the light
In the stillness of the night
I know you think you hear, those voices in your ear
In the stillness of the night
But Ive tried to make it clear theres nothing left to fear
Just the stillness of the night
And if you listen hard you might find the reason for your fright
Just the wind is high tonight
And the danger we must face is the anger of this race
In the stillness of the night
Chorus
song performed by by Reo Speedwagon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Stillness In Time (Radio Version)
There's a stillness in time
Which I cannot define
Does your heart bleed like mine (oh does your heart, yeah)
For a place we can go
Where the troubles of our time are far away (hey, they're so far away)
And I had all my life in front of me
Now my darkness days are trouble free
There are so many wonderous things for you to see (hey)
If you find that somethings going wrong
Look around at what your running from
You can wait a thousand years in line
For that stillness in time
(oh, yeah) I found love in that way
And I'm never sad, and I'm always glad
Anything you give me today
I will, will be thankful for (yeah, yeah, yeah)
People find it hard to be strong
Cos they don't know where they're coming from (oooh)
There was nothing left to do but hang on
For that stillness in time
(There's a stillness in time
Search the spaces of my mind)
If this world is turning too fast for your head
Just remember how bad times can roll instead
Yes I have to search the spaces in my mind
For that stillness in time.
(Hey) I feel love in that way
And I'm never sad, and I'm always glad
Ooo, Anything you give me today
I will, will be thankful for
People find it hard to be strong
Cause they don't know where they're coming from
Hey, there was nothing left to do but hang on
For that stillness in time.
Ooo, I know that this is the perfect for a sort of bliss
There is no me, for the love I have will stay the same
I have been wrong if I don't know where I'm coming from
If I proceed the things that are inside of me
All of me, in front of me
Oh, see it's all around me
Said I know, said I want to find that stillness in time
Stillness in time, hey
la, la, la, la, la, lo (repeat until end)
song performed by by Jamiroquai
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Inside me was the stillness
Woven, high between bare branches
rooks nests gather where new growth sprouts,
amidst the stillness inside me.
A tiny blue tit twittering,
flitters towards a coconut,
feeding the stillness inside me
The sky, open, glistening blue,
white clouds sailing, a seagull soaring,
through the stillness inside me.
A purple pansy perfect as the stillness inside me
until............
people came
knocking, ringing, wanting
Then the stillness was gone.
poem by Diana Rosser
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I Pray For Darkness...
i pray for darkness...
wrapping splintered lights
in perfected stillness...
stillness that heals
without questioning
why or who!
stillness that sings,
with every pulse of blood
through bodies worn...
stillness that redeems,
bringing the searcher
to his final destination...
stillness that removes,
the cross, , the crown of thorns,
lays down the shield of honor...
stillness that fills,
the empty cup, the box forgotten,
bringing the lover
to the lips of longing...
spilling his passion
on the fertile earth!
i pray for darkness,
removing all graven images,
the power of the formless
to form again and again...
i pray for darkness,
the moonlit touch forbidden,
the lover's cry, the wolfen howl,
the mystic taste of that which
cannot be seen... but felt!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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In The Stillness Of The Night
In the stillness of the night,
A faint cry for love is heard.
Echoing far into the distance,
Soaring higher than any bird.
In the stillness of the night,
Under the moonlight shining.
She hears his painful cry,
While alone she is dining.
She starts on a journey,
To seek out his heartfelt cry.
For if she ignores his plea,
He may slowly but surly die.
In the stillness of the night,
As she wanders on her way.
She must find this lost soul,
She can not turn away.
For she is lost as well,
Deep inside she also weeps.
Though she may not know it,
He wanders himself, her soul he seeks.
His cry for love gets louder,
Her cry as well echos out.
In the stillness of the night,
Together they wander about.
As they draw closer,
Their loneliness begins to fade.
For their journey is coming to an end,
From this love that has conveyed.
They come together at last,
Under the midnight sun.
In the stillness of the night,
Two young lovers have begun.
poem by Adam McKim
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Stillness Of Heart
I'm out here on the street
There's no one left to meet
The things that were so sweet
No longer move my feet
But I keep trying
I keep on trying
All that I want is
Stillness of heart
So I can start
To find my way
Out of the dark
And into your heart
I got more than I can eat
A life that can't be beat
Yet still I feel this heat
I'm feeling incomplete
What am I buying?
My soul is crying
All that I want is
Stillness of heart
So I can start
To find my way
Out of the dark
And into your heart
Where's the love?
What is this world we live in?
Where's the love ?
We've got to keep on giving
Where's the love ?
What happened to forgiving ?
Anyone ?
All that I want is
Stillness of heart
So I can start
To find my way
Out of the dark
And into your heart
song performed by by Lenny Kravitz from Lenny
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Stillnes Of Heart
Thanks to Davide for these lyrics.
I'm out here on the street
There's no one left to meet
The things that were so sweet
No longer move my feet
But I keep trying
I keep on trying
All that I want is
Stillness of heart
So I can start
To find my way
Out of the dark
And into your heart
I got more than I can eat
A life that can't be beat
Yet still I feel this heat
I'm feeling incomplete
What am I buying?
My soul is crying
All that I want is
Stillness of heart
So I can start
To find my way
Out of the dark
And into your heart
Where's the love?
What is this world we live in?
Where's the love ?
We've got to keep on giving
Where's the love ?
What happened to forgiving ?
Anyone ?
All that I want is
Stillness of heart
So I can start
To find my way
Out of the dark
And into your heart
song performed by by Lenny Kravitz
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Stillness In Time
Written by jay kay and toby smith
Theres a stillness in time
Which I cannot define
Does your heart bleed like mine
For a place we can go
Where the troubles of our time are far away
And I had all my life in front of me
And my darkest days are trouble free
There are so many wondrous things for you to see
If you find that something is going wrong
Look around at what youre running from
You can wait a thousand years in line for that stillness in time
Oh yeah
I felt love in that way
And Im never sad and Im always glad
Anything you give me today
I will be thankful for
People find it hard to be strong
Cos they dont know where theyre coming from
There was nothing left to do but hang for a stillness in time
song performed by by Jamiroquai
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Evening Stillness
A lonely evening on a lakeside
I stole a chunk of stillness.
Carried it through a clinking city
Stored it in the heart’s corner
Where no noise could touch it!
The stillness has grown a goliath -
Endures night’s coolness and day’s warmth
Camouflages the thunder inside….
No more the evening stillness on a lakeside!
poem by Pradip Chattopadhyay
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Into the Stillness
Stillness,
fades from an
awakening memory,
sounds return
wheels humming
waving quietly
into the nights air
into the cool September air
amidst the darkness
tears began to fall
like rain
Looking into the
fading stillness
the border quickly
fades,
into the darkness,
into the stillness,
into September's chill
Before drifting off
to sleep
at the September crossing
I said, 'good-bye'
stillness now gone
as the memory returns
poem by M. Rene Riel
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The song that Mary sang
In the stillness of the dawn,
in the stillness of the dusk,
then, my heart is most alive,
there, my soul is most at peace.
In the freshness of the morning,
in the coolness of the eve,
the Lord God walks in every garden;
be still, so to know Him there.
All day long I tend my garden;
there, this evening, God may walk;
I may see Him; I may not - but
yet I meet Him in my work.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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A tribute to Ramana Maharshi
Movement, beautiful movement
comes out of stillness;
dancers know this;
sound, beautiful sound,
comes out of silence;
musicians, singers, know this;
what then, of stillness and silence?
Be still for a while;
be silent for a while;
and you will know
all you need to know
and the question, who am I?
is answered
in stillness, in silence,
in the riches of yourself;
in the treasure of yourself.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Did Music Sound
Stillness around
Gently
From somewhere
Notes of sweet music sound.
Sound
From surroundings
Or within
Can't pronounce
That huge peak
With white mantle
Or that mantle
With halo of clouds
Or the chill of moon's light
Or the stillness around
Around or stillness within
Music did sound.
poem by Sanjay Mehta
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A Day Of Rest
The day of Rest.
Sunday morning
Rain shiny asphalt
Stillness sits beside me
I switch on the radio
Stillness disappears
Runs home and
Waits for me to return
Early Sunday shopping
Supermarket empty
Fruit& vegetables
Untouched.
I take my time
Back home stillness
Waits.
poem by Oskar Hansen
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The eyes of impressionism
Saints.
Like swans, gliding untroubled so it seems
to us, lazing on the river bank
of a Seurat summer Sunday afternoon,
gliding over the surface of the waters
as love perhaps, on that first day;
they as floating symbols
of the beauty beyond beauty;
their work, invisible to us who watch
Painters.
Like waterlilies, resting in perfection
on the surface of the waters
as love rests, sure of their own beauty;
painting just the sunlight
falling on things, moving on
more slowly than we see;
the depth of the waters
in the painter’s mind and heart;
his work invisible to us who watch
his dabbing at the canvas
as a dabchick bobs in the water, his mind
moving as time moves;
for him, sitting at the canvas,
always time present,
in the water-garden already on his palette
Cataracts.
How far a word from
the stillness around him as he sits,
his beard a little yellow from the nicotine,
seeing the waterlilies as if for the first time,
but each year the water seems to tell
more about time itself… like Proust;
where is time going in this painting?
Eyes.
Cataracts, yes; but perhaps over time
they too have sought to serve him,
become themselves, impressionists,
presenting him with images
prepared like canvasses are prepared;
gently watering inner gardens
between the eyes and mind
yes, that’s Monsieur Monet over there;
don’t disturb him; but if you stand
a little way behind him, you just may
enter the stillness around him,
enter the stillness of his mind,
see with his eyes, that work
invisible to those of us who watch
which swans and saints and artists know.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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A thanks for visiting
When stillness
walked into the room
there was no need
to greet you
and when you left
and stillness stayed
there was no need
to say goodbye.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Do Not The
do not the leaves love the tree
even as they fall...
and moths love the flame
into which they die?
and shadows in the night
love the stillness,
as they lay down to meet the dawn?
so love then is a series of deaths,
and each funeral has a face...
it is in the stillness when breath is taken,
that we learn to touch
with the eyes of body and soul!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Speaking Guide Book
“In Chiang Mai
there are many shapeful chedis
in which nowhere can be seen.”
Is stillness something
or is it merely
what’s left over
when things
disappear?
How can things
which are ever-moving,
ever-changing,
not be?
Stillness is complete and perfect
when boundaries disappear.
Cattle
do not feel
the farmyard gate
pressing against
their outward-going faces.
The goat
does not feel
the rope tugging
like the endless past
at its throat.
The bird
does not break
its wing
against the window pane.
The butterfly
does not struggle
into immobility
in the tangles of the spider’s web.
The ear ceases to vibrate,
the skin to be the terminus
of an electric field.
The eye is not stabbed
by arrows of fire.
When the sea is a millpond,
a mirror to the sky above,
a darkened window
to hazy depths below,
and the air is palpable
in its stillness,
where have the waves gone?
poem by Brian Taylor
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Silent star
Silent star
~
Silent star
Stillness of the night
Hear my hushed words
Embrace your nature
Grant me sleep
A chance to dream
To forget my fears
To be free
In all ornate beauty
Quietly watching
Silent star
Stillness of the night
Gift me sleep
Watch over me
poem by Matthew Holloway
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