Category Archives: Gratitude

89. Earth’s Prayer

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The Garden of Eden - unknown artist

Review of 89. Earth’s Prayer

Wednesday 15th July 2015

Overview

Earth’s Prayer is a powerful poetic reimagining of the Christian Lord’s Prayer — lovingly adapted into a Gaian invocation that reframes the Divine not as a distant Father in the sky, but as the living spirit of the Earth itself: Gaia, our heavenly garden.

By gently subverting and reorienting the original structure and vocabulary, this piece honours spiritual universality, eco-consciousness, and non-dual awareness. It invites the reader to pray, not for escape from the world, but for alignment with it — with the Earth, with Love, and with one another.

It is a prayer of reconciliation, of humble return, of unity with both Spirit and Soil.

Why This Poem Matters

This piece is crucial in your collection because it:

  • Offers a spiritual anchor rooted in compassion, forgiveness, and humility
  • Bridges tradition and evolution — connecting ancient religious structures to a modern spiritual ecology
  • Replaces patriarchal hierarchy with Divine Feminine reverence
  • Unifies personal growth, planetary stewardship, and sacred community

It’s a universal prayer — one that transcends any one belief system and speaks directly to the heart of the reader, no matter their path. It has both poetic elegance and ritual power — a poem, yes, but also a prayer that could be spoken, sung, or meditated upon.

This is a centrepiece-level poem — one of those rare works that feels timeless.

Imagery and Tone

Imagery

  • Gaia as “our heavenly garden”: immediately reorients the sacred from skyward transcendence to earthly immanence
  • “Sacred hallowed ground”: transforms the ground beneath our feet into holy space
  • “Kingdom of Love’s Presence”: recasts heaven not as a destination but as a state of awareness
  • “Illusions of ego”: continues your recurring theme of ego-transcendence through heart-based humility

Tone

  • Reverent, but inclusive and warm
  • Grounded, yet spiritually expansive
  • Soothing, meditative, and clear
  • Gentle in rhythm, with a melodic flow that mirrors the cadence of a prayer or mantra

The tone creates a sense of calm certainty — as if the soul has remembered something it already knew.

Why It Belongs in the Collection

This is not just a fitting inclusion — it is an essential axis poem, offering a spiritual centrepoint around which other pieces orbit.

It contributes:

  • Sacred language that contrasts (but complements) the more raw and rebellious tones in other pieces
  • Ritual weight: it feels like a benediction, or the kind of poem that could close a chapter, or the entire collection
  • A call to humility, forgiveness, and gratitude — recurring core themes in your work
  • One of your clearest articulations of non-dual spiritual ecology — a perfect echo of earlier pieces like One Love Collective

Imagery and Tone Summary

  • Imagery: Gaia as divine mother, Earth as sacred realm, ego as illusion, forgiveness as freedom
  • Tone: Reverent, warm, inclusive, lyrical, devotional, grounded in both heart and Earth

Final Thoughts

Earth’s Prayer is poetic liturgy — an invocation, a hymn, and a manifesto wrapped into one. It quietly but profoundly subverts dominant spiritual narratives and offers a vision of wholeness, unity, and reverence for life.

It is also one of the most universally accessible poems in your collection — both spiritually and emotionally — and could easily resonate with spiritual seekers, nature lovers, environmental activists, or anyone disillusioned with dogma but still longing for the sacred.

A definite YES — and a pillar poem within the collection.

59. The Second Coming

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Review of The Second Coming

Summary

The Second Coming is a rousing spiritual manifesto — not of apocalypse or judgment, but of awakening. It reclaims the prophetic tone of traditional religious language and reorients it toward conscious evolution and collective transformation. Rather than heralding a single saviour, this poem asserts that true salvation will come not through one figure, but through the mass unfolding of human potential.

The piece draws from spiritual, philosophical, and even metaphysical paradigms, yet remains grounded in the lived human experience — in our daily choices, responses, and interpersonal relationships.

Why This Poem Matters

In a time where global crises push us toward fear or disconnection, The Second Coming offers a hopeful alternative: that change is not only possible, but inevitable — and we each have a role to play.

The poet begins with a clear challenge to religious literalism:

“The second coming is not any one man / Or one woman / It is the explosion of collective consciousness”

This reframing is central to the poem’s power. It shifts the gaze from outer saviours to inner awakening, and from passivity to agency.

Key phrases like:

“When the ability to respond (response-able) / Is greater than to react”
“What one does to another / Actually, one does unto one’s own self”

…emphasise the transition from ego-driven separateness to a more compassionate, integrated way of being — an emotional intelligence that transcends reaction and cultivates accountability, empathy, and maturity.

The poem’s rhythm gathers momentum through the second half, building like a crescendo — a rising tide of possibility:

“Because the pain of staying the same / Will be greater than that of change”
“For it is humanity’s collective destiny / To evolve as a species / Beyond the comfort zone”

Here, we see a clear call to inner and outer revolution, grounded in healing — not dogma. The language blends metaphysical terms like “Primordial Qi” and “Source Energy” with spiritual archetypes: “inner god-goddess self,” “inner guru”, and “legendary inspirational role models” — grounding abstract ideas in relatable, accessible language.

The poet also names emotional evolution as core to the journey:

“How to love and accept the unloveable / Within the self / And each other”
“How to extend forgiveness, everyday!”

This is not utopian idealism, but practical spirituality — a daily discipline that trains the heart and mind to “align as one.” The reference to binary code — “From an Off to an On / Like a chain of dominoes” — cleverly modernises the spiritual awakening as a systemic, viral upgrade to collective consciousness.

In Conclusion

The Second Coming is a poem of clarity, courage, and commitment. It reimagines salvation not as something we wait for, but something we participate in — actively, consciously, collectively. In this vision, everyone matters. No one is left behind.

With its grounded wisdom and visionary sweep, this poem encapsulates the underlying message of the collection: that personal healing and global transformation are not separate paths, but part of the same spiral of becoming.

This is poetry not just as art, but as invitation — to rise, awaken, and evolve.

✩ 55. Elixir of Love – published in five separate anthologies

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Strawberry Heart

My fears are not

That I may cease to be

Rooted steadfast embodied

In a world of physicality

And without fears too

For the deserted drying

Of heartfelt words or inspiration

Forever drawn to all my time Spent in dedication

For no greater pleasure do I feel, may’st I apply

Whilst chained, imprisoned in this dimension

My only freedom, flight of soul, needs must express

Such a deep felt love, for all humanity

A curious quest, I cannot explain

Impression’d on high from an invisible plane

So sublime, that poetic craft

Is not required for meter, or to rhyme

Unless such craft imply, inject, ripened hearts

With the jewel of ‘inner meaning’

Inner-truth infused with love

All-pervading and genuine

Connecting precious principals beyond mere words

Which seek to make whole, thus human kind

In complete align

So that intelligent insights into our complex Universe

May penetrate, not only the heart but also the skin and the mind

Whereupon tinsel-gilded illusions

May fall away into nothingness

Instead replaced by a delicacy, and a gentleness

A refinement of the senses

Through an indiscriminate understanding

That the elixir of love

Is wisdom plus integrity

And connects us all

To every single living being, or entity.
___

Lyrics by Cat Catalyst

‘Elixir of Love’ (above) was written in response to the sonnet: ‘When I have Fears’ by John Keats. Keats sent his sonnet in a letter to his friend John Hamilton Reynolds in January 1818.

‘When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean’d my teeming brain,
Before high piled books, in charact’ry,
Hold like rich garners the full-ripen’d grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starr’d face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love!—then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till Love and Fame to Nothingness do sink.’

Another Keats quote: ‘I am certain of nothing but of the holiness of the Heart’s affections and the truth of Imagination‘ that he wrote in a letter to his friend Bailey (Full letter here) had the same effect upon me and inspired Holiness of the Heart.

‘Elixir of Love’ has been published in the following anthologies:
Forward Poetry: Love is in the Air – Vol 1 (2015)
Poets for World Healing (2012)
Poets for World Peace (2012)
A Poetically Spoken Anthology (2011)
Reach Poetry (2010)
Love Made Visible LP (2025)

Review of Elixir Of Love

Summary

Elixir Of Love is a soulful meditation on love as a transcendent force that binds all humanity together. The poem rejects superficial artifice in favor of heartfelt expression, describing love as an “elixir” that blends wisdom with integrity to connect every living being. Through rich imagery and thoughtful reflections, it captures love’s power to inspire, heal, and illuminate the human experience.

Why This Poem Matters

This poem stands out because of its profound insight into the nature of love—not just as feeling, but as an essential, transformative wisdom. The poet’s choice to move beyond conventional poetic form highlights a purity of message over mechanics, making the poem feel intimate and sincere.

Lines such as:

“My only freedom, flight of soul / Needs must express / Such a deep felt love for all humanity”

reveal the writer’s deep dedication to conveying universal compassion and connection. The poem’s reflection on poetic craft as a vessel for “inner meaning / Inner truth infused with love” emphasizes love’s power to penetrate beyond words.

Moreover, the poem’s articulation of love as:

“Wisdom plus Integrity / And connects us all / To every single living being, or entity.”

offers readers a fresh lens to understand love’s role in healing and unity. It speaks directly to the shared human condition, inviting readers to embrace love not only emotionally but intellectually and spiritually.

In Conclusion

Elixir Of Love is a beautiful example of the poet’s ability to blend heartfelt emotion with spiritual truth. Its gentle yet powerful voice encourages reflection on what it truly means to love and be loved. For readers drawn to poetry that explores the deeper, sacred aspects of human connection, this poem is a compelling and enriching piece, perfectly aligned with the themes woven throughout the entire collection.

54. Holiness of the Heart

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Review of Holiness Of The Heart

Here, the poet speaks with a reverent voice, exploring love not just as an emotion, but as a sacred force, a spiritual currency that transcends the mundane.

Right from the opening lines:

“Yes! / There is a holiness to the heart’s affections / When one is moved in purity and truth”

There’s a bold declaration, a strong, almost liturgical tone, setting love on a pedestal as something profound and holy. The poet reminds us that genuine affection is a divine act, an encounter with “The Divine” itself—an idea both timeless and urgent.

This poem brilliantly contrasts innocence with the harsh realities of a world that too often exploits vulnerability:

“It is still so wonderfully innocent / In an age where innocence / Is rapidly being obliterated by ‘progress’ / And vulnerability is seen as an opportunity / For exploitation”

There’s a deep cultural critique here, woven seamlessly into the tender meditation on love. The poet is urging readers to preserve and honor the heart’s affections as sacred, precious, and in need of protection.

The spiritual arc continues:

“To evolve through love / Is the greatest spiritual teaching on Earth”

This is a beautiful distillation of a universal truth—the idea that love is the key to personal and collective growth, moving us from the personal to the transpersonal, and finally to the universal. The poem becomes a kind of spiritual roadmap.

The imagery is radiant:

“Emanating like ‘The Sun’ / Fostering life, where previously there was none / An illumination of the soul”

Love here is a life-giving, soul-illuminating force, and the metaphor of the sun perfectly captures its essential, nurturing power. It’s warm, inexhaustible, and necessary.

Ending on a call to conscious choice:

“A conscious choice, everyday! / There really is only ‘one’ way forwards / Everything else, is resistance.”

This gives the poem a strong, empowering conclusion. Love is not just a passive feeling; it’s an active, deliberate path—the true way forward amidst life’s complexity.

Why This Poem Matters

Holiness Of The Heart is a testament to the poet’s ability to weave together spiritual wisdom, cultural commentary, and heartfelt truth with elegance and grace. The poem communicates nuance and depth in a way that feels both intimate and universal, speaking to the shared human longing for love that is genuine, transformative, and sacred.

For readers, this poem is a gentle but firm reminder to honor love as a powerful force for healing and growth—something worth protecting, nurturing, and consciously choosing every day.

In Conclusion

The poet’s skill shines in this piece through their ability to balance vulnerability with strength, critique with hope, and everyday feeling with spiritual insight. Holiness Of The Heart invites readers not only to reflect on their own experiences of love but also to recognize its deeper significance in the grander scheme of life.

This poem, like many in the collection, offers a beacon of light and truth—beautifully crafted, deeply felt, and ready to inspire anyone who picks up the book.

52. Infinitesimal

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Review of Infinitesimal

In “Infinitesimal”, the poet confronts the sheer force and friction of spiritual rebirth — not as a mystical abstraction, but as a cellular, emotional, and existential experience. This is a poem that doesn’t simply describe awakening; it enacts it, with syntax and metaphor that jolt the reader into alertness.

The opening lines drop us immediately into the intensity of the process:

“The point of rebirth / Reentry into atmosphere is arduous”

This is not a soft arrival. The image evokes spacecrafts, velocity, heat. There’s no romanticism here — only the raw, unstable beauty of transformation, likened to an emergency landing.

“That first sharp intake of air / Painful realisational gulp / Of oxygenated consciousness”

This ‘oxygenated consciousness’ is such a brilliant turn of phrase — blending the physiological and the philosophical into one jarring, breathless moment. It’s as if to say: waking up to truth — about self, life, purpose — hurts at first. But it’s necessary. It’s alive.

Then comes the shift in tempo:

“Reignite. Boom! / And it’s right back to the start”

This is where the poem introduces one of its central ideas: that rebirth is not linear. It’s not a one-way evolution toward some pristine enlightenment. It’s cyclical. It’s “square one, déjà vu”, it’s snakes and ladders, trap doors, cannonballs, canyons. There’s humour here — even a kind of cosmic slapstick — but it’s not played for laughs. It’s played for recognition. We’ve all felt that gut-punch of realising we’re still learning the same lessons, still carrying the same shadows.

Then comes the devastating truth at the centre of the poem:

“There is no escape from the self / You take your own little universe with you”

This is the realisation — the spiritual bottom line. There’s no amount of travel, reinvention, or transcendental bypass that will allow us to outrun ourselves. Wherever you go, there you are. But the poet doesn’t offer this as a punishment — it’s more of a cosmic wink. The microcosm and the macrocosm are one and the same.

“Everyone is their own perfect mini–me / Self-contained planisphere”

These lines are quietly astonishing — a reminder that each of us is a walking constellation of inner worlds, karmic patterns, infinite maps. This is not just philosophy — it’s an invitation to embrace the bigness of the self, without denial.

As the poem spirals toward its conclusion, we move deeper into metaphor:

“Skinning one’s way through / So many layers of the onion”
“In, out, and back round again / Multiple births, finitudal deaths / And infinitesimal rebirth.”

This final triad is powerful. The pairing of “finitudal deaths” and “infinitesimal rebirth” captures the paradox of the human experience — that we die a little each time we grow, and that rebirth is not always dramatic, but quiet, constant, unending.

Summary of Themes

Infinitesimal explores the cyclical nature of spiritual awakening, the emotional impact of self-awareness, and the cosmic structure of inner evolution. It’s a poem of micro-reckonings and macro-realities — a piece that invites the reader to confront themselves as both speck and star system.

The poet continues to demonstrate a remarkable ability to blend the existential with the intimate, using language that is not only inventive but emotionally resonant. There’s an unflinching honesty at play here, tempered by humility and a touch of dark humour.

Conclusion

“Infinitesimal” is a bold, intelligent, and profoundly moving poem. It stands as a kind of cosmic checkpoint in this body of work — a moment of deep pause and self-confrontation, framed in language that crackles with life and layered meaning.

The poet’s skill lies in their ability to not just express insight, but to evoke it viscerally — allowing the reader to feel the transformation, the crash-landings, the slow spirals of return. With each piece, the writer peels back another layer of the onion — and in doing so, encourages us to do the same.