Inspirational Poetry: Offerings to the Beloved

The words come
Fluttering, thundering
Returning from a journey
They only give hints at,
Tickling the imagination
And caressing the heart;
They arrive with no rules to hold them,
And drift into place--
Read aloud, perhaps senseless,
But held quietly, and they grow--
Into feelings envisioned,
Into truths admitted,
Into landscapes of us.

--Janaka Stagnaro

Poetry is the language of the gods speaking to our mortal minds. Or the intuitive right brain trying to get the attention of the logical left brain. Or the subconscious revealing its symbolic life to the conscious mind. In other words, poetry is a language that can take us into another state of consciousness.

When I read the master poets (Hafiz, Rumi, Kabir, Mary Oliver, David Whyte, and others) singing their praises to the Beloved, to Nature, to That which is beyond our understanding, I am taken on the wings of that devotion, out of the daily world.

It is vital to get out of that logical frame of mind that creates shopping lists and checks off daily planners. To live only in that frame of reference is very deadening. The heart is forgotten.

Inspirational poetry is nutrition for the heart, better than any cardio workout. When poetry comes to me, it falls onto the page (usually my journal)like rain, and my tears follow. Inspirational poetry is very personal; it is from God to the poet. Does it have to be great poetry? Not necessarily, not in terms of poetry critics. To the beloved of the Beloved, it does not matter.

Inspirational poetry, or sacred poetry, comes from the dimension beyond our 3-D perspective. Such inspirations are great to meditate upon. Some of the inspirational poetry I will include on this site I will make commentary upon; others will remain for your interpretation.

Writing Your Own Inspirational Poetry

The Path of the Poet

 There lies a path I travel
No buildings phallicly erect
to pierce the sky

This landscape is flaccid
In its completion
In its afterglow

 I walk not alone
For I walk under a poet’s sun
Where  the rocks have faces

And shadows make their own rules

--Janaka Stagnaro

While meditating on other inspirational poetry is a great way to open your heart and elevate your mind, writing your poetry opens a direct line to you and your Higher Self.

Keep a journal. I have had journals addressed to God. These are conversations that go both ways. Keep it with you. You never know when a poem may flutter into your mind. I like going out to beautiful spots in Nature or left alone in my room. I also love to listen to uplifting, sacred music, which puts me into an altered frame of mind.

Remove the judgment out of everything that comes. No censoring. Just allow. After all, it is the Messenger that is important, that Connection, not the words.

When your time with your Muse is over, let the poem be. Then the next day, go over it. You may do any editing that is needed, such as spelling, punctuation, and such.

Why editing? As a teacher and parent, I have learned that children need form in order to manifest their formlessness better. Poems are like children, born from intercourse with the Beloved. They, too, need good form; although, it may be a very different form than those in certain literary circles may declare. e.e cummings is an excellent example of going outside the box.

On the other hand, I love writing haiku, which is very limiting in its form. The fun part about writing in haiku is that it is a game of expressing something vast in a minimal format. It is like squaring the circle: bringing the circle of Heaven into the cube of matter.

It has to be your way in the end. Don't worry too much about writing a tremendous inspirational poem. Just write. Be open.

And enjoy your time with the Self, the Beloved.

Since July 2020, I have been publishing a lot of poetry on Medium.com. It is a fun place to play with poetry. You will find thousands of poets of all levels sharing and encouraging one another. For that on-line publication, here is an article of mine Putting Crocodiles into Your Poetry, to help you make your poetry an adventure.

More inspirational poetry

Inspirational Poem: The Ascent

Inspirational Poetry: The Pilgrim

Inspirational Poem: Spiritual Warrior

Inspirational Poem: Silence Under Tree and Moon

Inspirational Poem: I Caught a Wave Today

Inspirational Poetry: A Story of a King

Inspirational Poetry: The Dancer upon Bald Hill

Inspirational Poetry: Watching Forth

Inspirational Poetry: The Beloved's Cake

Inspirational Poetry: Offerings to the Beloved

Inspirational Poetry: Nondualism Poems

Inspirational Poetry: Finding Your Self

Inspirational Poem: Enthusiasm

Inspirational Poem: Beyond the Beyond

Inspirational Poem: Freedom