Khaliya: birthday poem

the sun in my mind aging by one
the tinkle of golden anklets calling from the forest of monal
the blood of my womb coalescing into bruised grass
the clouds of silk blushing against my cheeks
the burn of my skin drying before the unforgiving light
the sound of my shame vibrating in my chest
the cold untangling my fingers’ grasp on fears seeded into me as child

i
sometimes wish i was satisfied by easy
by swinging my feet over the white picket fence holding hands with perfect suitability
but the fire in my belly scorches
and i know i’m not

i
sometimes wish to rest
but the fire in my belly scorches
and i know i have to keep moving

🏔 Khaliya, from my birthday poem. 🤎

samhain contemplations

happy halloween & a blessed samhain to those celebrating either of them! this has always been my favourite period of the year (and not just because it coincides with my bday!) – but more on this some other time. 🖤

today, i’ve thought of the eve of samhain 2019. i was in the midst of restless seeking, and wanted guidance as i was heading into my early twenties. celebrations of samhain were being held in my town, and i wound up having my runes read by a local practitioner. i talked about my longing, and talked about my seeking, before asking whether i should ‘walk that path’. i was indeed guided to deepen my inquiry, but was told: “you are already walking ‘the path’; the path is your life.”

i did not understand what that meant until, almost a year later, i discovered non-dual śaiva-śāktism and proceeded to meet my beloved teacher, who taught me that sādhanā is my life. my sādhanā is not separate mystique which excludes the mundane, or the day-to-day muck – it encompasses and it is the very mundane. i continue to cultivate this understanding every day with her guidance, and this has been my contemplation as i become one year older, and hopefully wiser!

“Every choice, every thought, and every action that occurs daily takes us one step toward or away from bliss. Nothing can be excluded in our pursuit of bliss: the way we brush our teeth, greet our spouse, look in the mirror, talk to the waitress, drive our car, prepare our food, eat our meals, exercise our body, nurture our mind, and relate to our children.”

“The path will light itself in such a way that one day, you will turn around and see that your entire life has been a stream of miracles.”

Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan, The Heart of Wellness