Treasure Ship of light - poem

I am not much given to poetry, but this morning a poem popped into my head, almost fully formed. It was pretty darn cool. I will write it down as I remember it.

The Master's voice said,

What is your vision?

And came into view, in my sleeping mind,

a great ship.

Lighted in every aspect,

masts and sails uplifted to the glory of stars,

body floating on the dark mystery below.

In the hold,

a fantastic bounty of treasure.

Great chests of illuminated jewels,

Gold, radiance,

and overflowing beauty.

I stand on her shining deck,

happy at the wheel,

wind tearing through my hair,

hands glittering with this glamorous light.

It is precious.

Breathtaking.

In time, I say into the vibrating night,

May I sleep?

And comes the Master's voice again,

Of course.

Whose hand is on the wheel?

I sleep there,

with the infinity of the Cosmos wheeling bright above me.

Symbolism? Well, I have often had the mental imagery of my soul journey as a ship. The treasure, that's a teaching of course, that our good, our supply of all kinds is within us. Resting in confidence that we are watched over, loved, and protected, brings the deepest peace, the sweetest sleep. One with all that is, the Master's hand guiding our ship unerring to it's harbor.

That brought a memory f when my little one was really little, and I used to say at bedtime,

"OK, let's go to sleep in God's pocket!"

And together we would imagine that the bed was right over God's heart, and the blanket that covered was the pocket. I actually used this bedtime practice well into my own later years, remembering how together we would feel the warmth and great heartbeat of the Divine. It's delicious. I recommend it.

Kristin Strachan compassionbuddha.net

with endless and deep gratitude to my teacher, Master Sha.