when they ask why you do not march lockstep
to the beat of a small and tattered drum,
tell them you are called by a music they choose not to hear
and a swirling rhythm of Creation from which they avert their gaze
when they ask wherein lies your devotion,
your adherence to the fearful natterings of convention,
tell them your unwavering commitment rests within your warrior’s heart
and is offered up to your Divine Originator with each breath you take
when they ask about your goals, your plans, your timeframes,
the tethers of a life so called good,
tell them you have rendered yourself free of bondage
and are dancing your way through a life no less than great
when they ask your reasons,
the facts, names and places of all that you hold dear,
let your radiance speak the wisdom of the ages
and your countenance reveal the truth of your being
they will ask why you weep
ask them why they do not
they will ask why you raise your sword
ask them why they stand feeble
they will ask why you feel your voice must be heard
ask them why they feel theirs is inconsequential
why they feel it right and good to slap the face of All-That-Is
by remaining unpeeled and heavy on the vine
when they beseech you with the probings of their mind
demanding answers and explanations in an insufficient tongue,
respond through the emanations of your soul
and the path wellworn by the trudge and lift of your holy steps,
they will wonder why your kiss feels like rose petals
why your touch flutters in their breast like doves on the wing
in return,
you will ponder that they do not know the one true answer:
all is but a mirror
of the luxuriant spirit they carry within
words divinely wrought 
Tina Jo,
Welcome to Be Whole Now; I hope you’ll visit often. I am always exhilirated when someone finds a nugget of sacred remembrance amidst these offerings. The Walk of a TruthTeller is not always easy, yet (in my experience) it is always worth the journey.
Leslie,
OH OH OH OH OH OH OH! Always love seeing your heart on these pages…
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OH Rachel….♥
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Rachel, this is the first time I’ve read your work. This piece spoke to me as the the voice of my own heart. On a day in which I am in a position of having to speak for my life’s direction – your writing offers veritable reminders to my spirit. I am reminded of the affective purpose of speaking truth and of the guiles of vanity. ‘Be true’ is one of the messages I received. Thank you for writing.
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i love this. but i’ll be straight with you. i am often asking why they are raising their sword. it’s funny how the sword image is both used as a symbol of battle and simply separation.
i love the way you build a drumbeat rhythm to the climax of this, one of your hallmarks.
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Thanks, Ed. I’m one of those who raises my sword a lot. I’m usually using it to cut through murky stuff, hedging, ambivalence, ungrounded wavering, projection, and garden-variety BS — in myself as well as in others. One deft, clean stroke can get to the heart of the matter so neatly and oh-so completely without that rusty, dull-blade twisting, endless pain and agony thing. (Kind of like in the Zorro movie where the guy slices off the damsel’s dress.) BTW, I love the way you love the way I build a drumbeat rhythm…
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Akasa WolfSong,
Am I mirroring to you? Oh, I thought you were mirroring to me!
* wink* Perhaps we beat to the one true drum. Your Comments bring me great joy.
Souldipper,
You’re welcome. Thanks to You for your incredible insight, clarity, and wisdom, and for bringing your light to my blog.
Punam,
I am gifted by your words, and by the knowing that you can tap into the frequency of my poetry and find such great, personal value therein. I never feel entirely comfortable calling the poetry “mine.” Truly, the words arrange themselves with little assistance from me, though I am privileged to serve as the instrument for their expression.
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“rendered yourself free of bondage”.. every time i want to be left speechless, I know it’s your blog I can come to. Your poems are such filled with the passion of an unquenched thirst for perfection that they have no adjectives to be described. And, somehow, when I was reading this, the story of my life flashed by and I felt inspired and elated.
“they will ask why you weep
ask them why they do not
they will ask why you raise your sword
ask them why they stand feeble
they will ask why you feel your voice must be heard
ask them why they feel theirs is inconsequential
why they feel it right and good to slap the face of All-That-Is
by remaining unpeeled and heavy on the vine”
I shall remember that and I shall always be just ‘me’. The way I am.
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A great poem, Rachel. The “mirror verse” is my fav…the one where the questions bounce back.
Thanks for your incredible depth.
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I think you’ve outdone yourself with this Rachel…it is Rock On!
I am so in tune with this one! All is but a mirror and I am so happy you are mirroring to me! I beat to a different drum as well….
Mitakuye Oyasin!
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