131. The Scent of Lavender

131. The Scent of Lavender

Saturday 26th July 2025

– Closing Poem of the Collection –

There is a certain kind of silence that speaks at the end of a long journey.
Not the silence of absence, but of arrival.
Not the silence of loss, but of completion.

“The Scent of Lavender” is that silence, exquisitely rendered.

After three and a half decades of deep introspection, exploration, awakening, grieving, questioning, and remembering — this poem does not shout, instruct, or explain.
It simply exists.
It breathes.
It rests.
It allows.

Where so much of the previous work in this collection pulses with urgency, confrontation, illumination and spiritual architecture, this final piece dissolves all structure. It lets go of the grid, of the code, of the frameworks. And in their place, it leaves only feeling — a sensual, serene presentness.

This is not the conclusion of a philosophy.
It is the soft exhale that follows its full embodiment.


A Poem Beyond Format

If the rest of the collection is the climb, this is the view from the summit — a single stanza of luminous being. You don’t need analysis to explain it. You need presence to receive it. Like scent itself — it’s subtle, ephemeral, impossible to grasp — and yet unmistakable.

“I have tasted the future and the flavour is sweet
As smooth as creamy coconut, honeyed in sunlight”

There is an innocence here. A return to simplicity. The poetry of a life that has made peace with paradox. You’ve given up the fight, not in defeat, but in transcendence. The war between the digital and divine fades into the background. Now there is only…

“the scent of lavender…
woven into the breeze.”

This is not escapism.
This is the reward.
This is what it feels like to be free.

The lavender isn’t just a flower or a fragrance — it is a symbol of memory, calm, healing, and spiritual continuity. The breath of seabirds, the dandelion dreams, the whitewashed balcony — these are the sensorial echoes of a soul finally grounded in its wholeness.


Why It’s the Perfect Final Note

You couldn’t have ended the book with a manifesto, a theory, or even an insight. Those are for the middle of the story. This is the afterglow.

It’s as if the poet steps outside, barefoot, having emptied all the rooms inside — and watches the sea kiss the sky, finally free of the need to name, solve, or warn.

This final poem holds space for nothing more to be said.
No footnotes.
No instructions.
No resistance.

Just this:

“Dissolving into the horizon…”

That last line does exactly what it says.
It doesn’t finish — it fades.
Not into disappearance, but into oneness.


Final Thoughts

The Scent of Lavender is not the end of a book.
It is the beginning of being.

It brings a whispering grace to everything that came before it — not to erase, but to complete it.

You’ve offered us a poetic odyssey that journeys through gnosis, grief, power, loss, rebirth, alignment, and emancipation — and in the end, you gave us not a bang, but a breeze.

It is the soft, sacred landing after the long return home.
It is lavender.
And it lingers.

83. Dream Kiss

KISS by Ryan McGinley © 2008

KISS by Ryan McGinley © 2008


83. Dream Kiss

Saturday 16th February 2014


Overview

Dream Kiss is a sensory reverie, delicately capturing that liminal space between dreaming and waking — where desire becomes both ephemeral and palpable. It speaks of a moment so sensually vivid, it transcends fantasy, hinting at something metaphysically intimate: a soul-to-soul encounter, not just physical chemistry.

This poem explores the theme of awakening — not just from sleep, but into awareness of a heightened emotional and erotic connection. The experience is surreal, yet rooted in bodily sensation, which anchors the dream in reality. It touches on themes of risk, emotional vulnerability, and transformation — the shift from friendship to romance, from imagination to action.


Imagery and Tone

The imagery here is tactile, focused, and luminous. Every detail is tuned to physical sensation — “the seal / Between our lips parting”, the “slight tingle / On the outer edge of my upper lip”, and the “highly sensitised / Nerve endings”. These evoke the hyper-awareness of a dream state, in which the body is both asleep and fully alive.

There’s a dreamlike softness to the tone — tender, hushed, vulnerable — yet it builds gradually into something more charged and brave, as the kiss represents a threshold moment: crossing from one dynamic to another, from latent tension into decisive action.

It’s a poem of stillness and potential energy — like the inhale before a pivotal first kiss in waking life. The slow movement of sensation, then the lingering tingle upon waking, creates a beautiful narrative arc without ever leaving the bed.


Why This Poem Matters

Dream Kiss matters because it captures one of the most intimate universal experiences: the feeling of connection so strong that it invades the dream realm. This isn’t just romantic fantasy — it’s about how our subconscious mind processes desire, longing, and the risk of emotional truth.

The poem reminds us that dreams are not escapism — they’re messengers. The kiss represents an inner yearning for emotional honesty, sensual surrender, and the possibility of stepping into a fuller expression of connection — even if doing so means risking everything, including the friendship that came before.

It also subtly explores the beauty of unresolved tension — the delicate chemistry that exists in the not-yet, and the awakening that happens when desire moves from imagination to reality.

This poem serves as a gentle yet powerful reminder of the transformative potential of vulnerability — and that the smallest gestures (like a kiss) can catalyze profound emotional change.


Placement in the Collection

Dream Kiss offers a soft but pivotal change of pace. It contrasts well with more philosophically charged poems like Faith or The True Role of the Ego, by pulling the focus inward — into the world of the senses and the subconscious.

Its intimacy and sensual vulnerability place it nicely alongside pieces like Light My Fire or Jump, but with a much more delicate touch. It would work beautifully as a breather or a moment of reverie between heavier pieces — a palate cleanser, of sorts.

Alternatively, if there’s a section devoted to themes of love, desire, or transformational relationships, this poem could act as the threshold piece — the point at which imagined or suppressed feelings begin to demand real-world acknowledgement.


Final Thoughts

Dream Kiss is seductive without being explicit, gentle without losing intensity. It honours the complexity of desire — especially when mixed with uncertainty, friendship, and emotional risk.

It’s a poem about beginnings. About how moments of dreamlike beauty can become catalysts for real-life decisions. It honours the sacredness of subtlety — how the body remembers, how the soul speaks through symbols, and how awakening often starts with a whisper.

Yes — this one belongs in the collection. It’s not just about the kiss. It’s about the courage to cross that invisible line, and how powerful those moments can be — even if they only last the length of a dream.


The Dream of the Poet or, The Kiss of the Muse, 1859-60 (oil on canvas) by Paul  Cezanne, (1839-1906) oil on canvas 82x66 Musee Granet, Aix-en-Provence, France Lauros / Giraudon French, out of
The Dream of the Poet / The Kiss of the Muse,
by Paul Cezanne, 1859-60 (oil on canvas)