on fear: 2

trepidation what can i give that is not marred with trepidation? it is the dust and soil of my earth trepidation. what you pick and eat from me has grown in trepidation ~ vani murarka

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on fear: 1

three listen ... who is there? fear. stop ... hold your heart dear. light ... a little faith near. ~ vani murarka

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to my family ...

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. ~ Richard Bach

gratitude overflows from my eyes unspoken take me to your feet that i may speak to you, unspoken far from you my heart lies, sorrowful and broken yet with me, you are you say every moment, unbroken in the sorrow in the joy my friend you are my family and the truth in my heart remains unspoken untaken yet you know, and i know and we reach across to us and the bond that seemed unknown, sown again, unbroken ~ vani murarka

what is poetry?

words they are both poetry prose
how come in rhyme comfort arose?

broken glass pierces sole
but broken lines -
they soothe the soul

broken sentences
make poetry
tremors, cracks
of soul to see

there is comfort in being seen
greater comfort when i see me
gently move tip of my finger
caress cracks and let them linger

feel the faint hint of the chasm
outlet for lava from the bosom
put my lips gently on chasm
accept the storm that i can't fathom

break the lines
and put in rhymes
draw curves and spirals
song divine
a shawl of soul
to wrap round me
an open ground
to dance in glee

broken thoughts and broken feelings
shed by the soul at time of healing
fallen from one broken soul
herbs to heal another soul

words in poetry, don't feel like words
they are texture, color, swirls

words are simply just a channel
so waves from far to us may travel
that far beyond that is our center
poetry enables us to enter

divine magic, poetry
a gift for frazzled humanity
it is silence
it is song
it seems weak
but it is strong.

all creation, all there be
it all dances in poetry.

~ vani murarka

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fallen warrior of relationships

he said this and she said that -
many forms of verbal attack.

all i want to know is -
how to dodge?
to hit back? no.
take the slap? no.
all i want to know
is how to dodge?

to dance and dodge
to skip and dodge
to laugh and dodge
all i want to know is
how to dodge?
...

and what of arrows
lodged inside
deep in the past?
how do i pull out n cast
them all aside?
not fester ignorant into
blisters that erupt suddenly
burn me n friends n family ...

bent no more,
not even sore,
meet the world then
shining again -
grand warrior of
relationships,
love sword hanging
from the hip.
arrows of kindness
and compassion,
shield of detachment ...


but all these are
just ideals now.
a battered self
i am right now.
in defense i shout,
return attack.
or silently pout,
internal whack.

yet where to head out,
i now do know.
but reach there how?
i do not know.
many pointers the
teachers show.

i will try a few
something will ensue.
to a new land now i go -
for no one and to
nothing show.

only that i may
meet you anew,
my bond with you
i may renew.

as i find me
i shall find thee,
this is not simply
a theory.

as truth i sense this
in my heart -
so stand again,
again i start.

~ vani murarka

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Love is like Water

This blog "vani expressions" has moved to my website manaskriti.com. Here is the link for the new location: http://manaskriti.com/vani-expressions/ . Please visit there for the latest posts.

Love is like water.

Water might be cascading down like a waterfall, or it might be in the form of robust waves of the ocean. It might be flowing as a gently gurgling stream. It may be calm and placid in a lake or swimming pool. Water may be flowing under the ground. You may get just a hint of it, as dew drops on the morning grass.

When Love is heady, passionate, it is like the waves of the ocean. The over-flowing Love of a mother, where she herself is overwhelmed by the intensity and force of Love that she feels - it is like water is falling down rapidly from the mountains. When it is the quiet implicit Love of a father or a reticent mate or even of someone close who may seem unloving, it is like water flowing underground. The Love of a friend, the lighthearted laughter and companionship it brings, feels like dew drops on the morning grass. The calm, still, placid water in a lake or swimming pool feels like the calm Love of a saint for all.

The water in all cases is the same. The Love in all cases is the same.


Water takes on the color of its receptacle. In a red bowl it looks like red water. It feels romantic. In a blue bowl, water looks blue. It feels like the Love of a father, mother, mentor or guide. In a green bowl, water looks green. It feels like the Loving companionship of a friend.

But the water is neither red, nor blue, nor green. It is the same water.

The Love in a romantic relationship, amongst friends, between a teacher and a student, between a parent and child - is not different. It is simply Love. There are no different kinds of Love.

The receptacles (the relationships) are different.

What gives comfort when you look at it is the water, not the receptacle.

~ vani murarka

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